Hairdryer in Holles Street

MintyDoris

First off, please don’t take the mickey out of me for this question. And yes, I know, I know, I won’t care about it when the time comes ...
Does anyone know if there is a place in Holles Street Public that I could dry my hair during my stay? I HATE being in bed with wet hair and would really love to find somewhere that I could use a hairdryer for 5 minutes where I won’t disturb other patient
Thanks in advance

greengirl31

i don't think you're being silly - I brought my GHD with me :-)
There will be a plug beside your bed that you can use. You'll probably be showering in the morning so the ward will be busy then anyway. Pull the curtain around to contain a bit of the noise and you should be fine ...
Best of luck :-)

January

On the ward but I wouldnt have been too happy if someone used a hair dryr and startled my newborn while she was sleeping.

Big Bag of Chips

January wrote: »

On the ward but I wouldnt have been too happy if someone used a hair dryr and startled my newborn while she was sleeping.

It'll take more than a hairdryer!

The breakfast/dinner/tea trolley comes around with plates, cups, tea pots, all banging on the stainless steel trolley, the door sliding and slamming. Other babies crying/screaming sometimes, when injections and heel pricks are bring done close by!

Hospitals, (particularly maternity hospitals!) are not quiet, relaxing places. Once you're not taking the mick with the time of day you use your hair dryer, you shouldn't disturb or startle anyone!

kelle

Sorry no advice, but I'm chuckling to myself remembering how my children loved the sound of the hairdryer as babies so much it would stop them crying (plus I wore out the motor on one hairdryer and had to buy a new one!) - so you might do the other mums a favour!

MintyDoris

January wrote: »

On the ward but I wouldnt have been too happy if someone used a hair dryr and startled my newborn while she was sleeping.

This is really my only concern. I don't want to be making life more uncomfortable for other people there.

And i would have no problem going to the toilets or whatever to do it as it would take me 2 minutes but would like to know ahead of time so I can mentally tick it off, if you know what I mean :rolleyes:

edellc

If you are lucky enough to be put in a cubical (they left me in the middle of the ward I kid you not) then there are plugs, as said the ward is not a nice place to be, not relaxing not quite and no privacy (I had none at least) tbh OP you will be more worried about trying to walk to the bathroom than doing your hair

annamcmahon

I had our baby there 2 weeks ago and there were no plugs in the toilets or shower cubicles on the ward I was on. When I was there last year I was on different ward and there shower area was bigger so there might have been plugs in there but I don't remember.

Ayla

There will never be an outlet in a bathroom - it is against building regs. The only outlet ever possible is a shaving outlet above the mirror, but that doesn't take any other appliances (ie: hair dryer).

OP, there are a million sounds in any ward, but something as loud as a hairdryer would be quite intrusive - you could hear it all down the hall & in any of the rooms. Anyone on a phone call (of which there is *always* someone) or speaking to a nurse/doc/visitor, or trying to catch a catnap while their child's resting, or trying to figure out the latch-on would be irritated (I know I would have been!). Keep in mind there are a *lot* of emotions going on in that room & while it wouldn't normally bother someone it may just be the last straw for an exhausted and over-wrought new mother to cope with.

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to take the mickey here, but if you only wind up being in hosp for a couple of days I wouldn't think it unfair to delay washing your hair until you get home.

You could always just bring some dry shampoo. As long as you don't spray it around the ward on on the baby it should be a quick and unoffensive way to solve the problem.

fox_1973

when i was in having my youngest son, granted 7 years ago now, a few of the ladies on the ward used hair dryers, it never bothered me as it was only for 5 -10 mins at a time and with all the other noises going on, i don't think the babies minded

Vel

I didn't bother washing my hair when I was in there as like you it needs lots of intervention!! I just used dry shampoo. Odds are you aren't going to be there for too long so a few days unwashed hair won't be the end of the world.

Wards are such busy places that I personally can't see it being that much of a disturbance. I would have preferred the sound of a hair dryer any day to the family of the lady across then bed from me who flaunted the visiting rules (without any comment from any of the nurses until I complained) and set up camp by her bed for most of the first day I was there, making very loud phone calls, coming and going with take aways, arguing :rolleyes:

But I guess everyone has had a different birth experience and emotions are running high so if there was any chance you'd upset someone and going by some of the posts it would appear some would be upset, then I'd give it a miss.

iguana

Why not consider something like this? http://www.amazon.co.uk/UKayed-Twist-Hair-Wrap-Blue/dp/B001AWGKYW/ref=pd_sim_kh_1

MintyDoris

Thanks for the replies everyone

Iguana - I think this may be the next best thing while I am there. Last thing I want to do is irritate someone

Robertd_07

My wife had her baby back in December (in Holles St).
As far as I can recall (some details are a little hazy) she brought and used her hairdryer. If there is a next time, it'll be in the bag again.
My feeling on the thing is that, after going through what you will have gone through, if washing and drying your hair makes you feel a little bit more human again, go ahead, you more than deserve it.
In the middle of the day on a ward, there's more than enough happening, with plates being collected, new babies crying, people coming to visit and more, that 5 min of a hairdryer going wouldn't be that out of order.

At the very least, bring it with you, it doesn't take up all that much room in the grand scheme of things. You don't have to use it.

Hannibal Smith

Using a hairdryer in Holles street is no prob, whatsoever. Everyone was doing it when I was there, except me coz it never crossed my mind lol

But bring it, no one bats an eyelid as long as you use it in the morning and not 10.30 at night

littlefriend

I used a hairdryer everyday I was in hospital (7) and so did everyone around me. As long as it is during the day I can't see anyone minding as there is so much going on anyway.