Experiences at the Rotunda (public) during COVID

acm630

I'm due towards the end of June, my first! I've also had a bit of a time of it getting everything together with shipping/stocking times being unpredictable, but so far have managed, and the carseat arrived yesterday so feeling optimistic!

I'm just wondering what people's experiences have been like at the Rotunda since COVID started, what with partners not being able to visit and all that. I'm going public. Is anyone willing to share their experience? So far I've had nothing but lovely interactions with people at the Rotunda but breaks my heart a bit the idea of spending the first couple days of my life as a mother (and my baby's life period!!) without my partner or really anybody. I am grateful he can be there at all, I guess?

The only thing is that we just found out on Tuesday that baby's still breech, so if he doesn't turn around either by himself or with an ECV, it'll probably be a scheduled C-section. I understand that a C-section might have me in the hospital for longer (4 days??) without my partner at all. Typically on the Rotunda website they advise bringing a bag with things for labor and then having your partner bring another bag with further supplies for your stay if it turns out to be longer, but if he's not allowed to visit, should I just bring everything with me when I first go in?

(*I guess though if it's a scheduled C-section I won't need several of the bulky things currently in my bag (maternity pads/ice packs, TENS machine, extra nightshirt for pushing in case), so maybe it's all the same.)

kandr10

Hi I’m also in Rotunda and due in next few weeks. Have you seen their YouTube channel? They have the experiences of a good few women up there. They’re interesting to watch. There was one I think who had a section and I’m pretty sure she said they let her out after 2 days, where it would normally be longer. Obviously it would depend on yourself and the baby on any case but that sounds promising. It sucks not to have your partner be able to come in but most women are saying the quietness on the ward is very much appreciated and the staff have been lovely. I would bring all your bags in with you alright. Maybe try to pick a bag that’s easy enough to pick up or small enough to have at the end of the bed rather than a suitcase with the baby’s changing stuff and clothes in it, in case it’s hard to reach for stuff after a section? I’d be interested to see other people’s experiences too. Best of luck with your delivery.

bee06

You’ll still need maternity pads for a c-section.

Cash_Q

No recent experience of the Rotunda but having had a section in 2018, my advice is to just keep ringing the bell for the midwife, it's there to be rang and you can't risk pushing yourself too much in those early days. That said, it is good idea to get moving a bit as soon as you're able to get out of bed so just be careful with lifting and bending but when you're still unable to get out of bed just keep ringing the bell.

It must be awful to think of those first few days without your partner but it will pass in a blur you'll be so exhausted. Take your time in hospital and don't rush to leave just because you want to get home, make sure you're ready.

shane b

I can't speak for the rotunda but my wife gave birth to twins in the coombe at the end of March. It was a planned c-section as the babies were breech. Babies were born on Friday morning and all were discharged on Monday evening.
The surgery went well but i spent less than 2 hrs in the hospital in total which included time in the waiting room, the theatre and the recovery after. Once my wife was moved to the ward, I was asked to leave. I didn't see my wife or babies again in the flesh till they were discharged.
I could bring her in any baby stuff she required but it had to be left at reception and a porter brought it up to the ward.
The doctors were telling her she needed to rest and stay off her feet but it was difficult to get staff to help do any of the feeding, changing bathing or settling of the babies. It was tough but she battled through.

acm630

Thanks very much everyone - good to hear that stuff can be brought in (at least in the Coombe) and left at reception; I don't want to overpack as I understand space is limited, but I've also been told that sometimes babies are born too big for the newborn babygrows, or you end up oozing through more nightclothes than expected, etc. Kind of a silly thing to fixate on but it's also easier to fixate on practical problems that have solutions rather than the emotional ones that don't!!

@kandr10, maybe I'll see you there! I did see a few of the videos which were nice, and I've heard good things coming out of the Rotunda in this period particularly (actually better stories than from about five or six years ago, which is when most of the most unhappy stories seem to date from). A quiet ward without lots of family milling around does sound like a silver lining!

shesty

I have had 3 babies since 2014 in the Rotunda and they have improved immeasurably over those years -they were very understaffed in 2014 but by the time I had the 3rd there in 2018, it was like a different hospital. Everyone has different experiences - the births were all good, but the aftercare improved a lot and they moved to an online system around 2017 which I found was a great bonus, made everything much more streamlined afterwards (as regards continuity between shifts,waiting on any test results, paediatric discharges etc).

Best of luck -if it helps, I would pack more nightwear than you think you need because if you BF, the sweat is unreal!!!!Especially at this time of year.Don't be afraid to send stuff in and out with your OH.

kandr10

shesty wrote: »

I have had 3 babies since 2014 in the Rotunda and they have improved immeasurably over those years -they were very understaffed in 2014 but by the time I had the 3rd there in 2018, it was like a different hospital. Everyone has different experiences - the births were all good, but the aftercare improved a lot and they moved to an online system around 2017 which I found was a great bonus, made everything much more streamlined afterwards (as regards continuity between shifts,waiting on any test results, paediatric discharges etc).

Best of luck -if it helps, I would pack more nightwear than you think you need because if you BF, the sweat is unreal!!!!Especially at this time of year.Don't be afraid to send stuff in and out with your OH.

That’s really positive to hear. I had my first in 2013 and other care in 2012 and couldn’t fault them, other than the lack of staffing post birth. It sounds like that’s much less of an issue which is great. I hear the food has also improved a lot so quite excited to try that out!

kandr10

acm630 wrote: »

Thanks very much everyone - good to hear that stuff can be brought in (at least in the Coombe) and left at reception; I don't want to overpack as I understand space is limited, but I've also been told that sometimes babies are born too big for the newborn babygrows, or you end up oozing through more nightclothes than expected, etc. Kind of a silly thing to fixate on but it's also easier to fixate on practical problems that have solutions rather than the emotional ones that don't!!

@kandr10, maybe I'll see you there! I did see a few of the videos which were nice, and I've heard good things coming out of the Rotunda in this period particularly (actually better stories than from about five or six years ago, which is when most of the most unhappy stories seem to date from). A quiet ward without lots of family milling around does sound like a silver lining!

I was asking advice on bringing in nappies at my last appointment and the midwife basically said don’t be afraid to overpack. She said you could end up staying a bit longer than you expect (which did happen to me on my first baby). She said they’d never leave you stuck and your partner would be able to drop stuff with the porter at the door but personally I’d rather just be prepared. That said, I packed for 5 days and it fits into a slim backpack for the baby and a carry on size suitcase for me. Wish I had a tote bag or something for myself but sure the suitcase will do. A lot of people would find that overkill but I just want to be prepared.

Also, I second what was said above re: sweating. It’s unreal how hot the ward is. I don’t think I’ve ever sweat so much in my life lol!

shesty

kandr10 wrote: »

That’s really positive to hear. I had my first in 2013 and other care in 2012 and couldn’t fault them, other than the lack of staffing post birth. It sounds like that’s much less of an issue which is great. I hear the food has also improved a lot so quite excited to try that out!

The food was practically restaurant quality in 2018.It was fab.I hope it has stayed as good!They changed their meal timings too, spread them way out over the day and moved breakfast to round 9am, so I didn't have that starvation in the middle of the night, and I was there 3 nights.Worked very well.

kandr10

shesty wrote: »

The food was practically restaurant quality in 2018.It was fab.I hope it has stayed as good!They changed their meal timings too, spread them way out over the day and moved breakfast to round 9am, so I didn't have that starvation in the middle of the night, and I was there 3 nights.Worked very well.

Makes all the difference! I have such a big pack of snacks packed for that first night it’s not even funny. It’s a third of the baby’s bag!