Partner allowed in prelabour ward?

pikku

Hi Ladies,
Am really hoping one of you (looking at you Crazy Cat Lady perhaps!) can help to set my mind at ease about the following.

I'm booked into Holles St, for my first baby, due in August (woohoo!) and i have heard from other girls in work, that when you go into Holles St you are first admitted into a kind of 'holding area ward' until you are ready to deliver, when you get put into a proper delivery room.

What's scaring the life out of me is that i am told that no one is allowed to stay with you while you are in the early stages of labour - been told it is a 'strictly no visitors allowed' area.
Is that true? I mean, from what i understand, one spends the most time in this predelivery ward, until dilated enough to occupy the delivery room - so does this mean i will spend most of my labour on my own, with no one at all to even hold my hand?

If anyone has been through labour recently enough in Holles st, i would really love to hear how this was for you. I'm hoping the girls at work experiences are a bit outdated (but it only dates back 4 years ago or so).

Help!

Das Kitty

I don't know about Holles street, but in Galway there were signs up saying no visitors in prelabour but partners weren't counted as visitors. I was on my own for the night though as nothing was doing and we live nearby so I sent my husband home.

In the postnatal ward partners could stay all day but were asked to go home at 9pm ish.

ebmma

I was in the pre-labour ward (unit 3 it is called, I think) for an hour or two waiting for a doc to check me and see how I'm going to be induced.
My husband was with me and I remember seeing another lad in the ward too.

Vel

I had my baby in Holles Street last year and OH was allowed in with me and there were lots of other fathers to be around. Like Das Kitty, my OH left me be for a couple of hours to go home to the dogs and get himself a bite to eat as nothing was happening and I had been given pethadine so wasn't in as much pain as before. He had no problems being let back in when he arrived back.

ebmma

I was in Holles St. a month ago and when I was being admitted to the pre-labour ward my husband was given a green cardboard 'nominated visitor' card. So he was allowed in and out but no one else.

crazy cat lady

Husbands/Partners are allowed to stay with you on Unit 3, although they might be advised to go get some rest if it is felt that it could be a while before you are ready to go to the labour ward, especially at night time when other women on the ward who are in for reasons other than pains are trying to rest

You might not even have to go to Unit 3 if you come into Holles St in established labour. Try and stay home as long as you feel comfortable and that you are coping to give yourself the best chance of bypassing the antenatal ward! Keep mobile and use the shower/bath to help ease pains. A TENS machine might be of great benefit in early pre-labour.

Your first port of call when you come into Holles St with pains will be the labour ward where they will assess you to see if you are in established labour. If you are not in labour and you live close to the hospital, you will be given the option to continue to pre-labour at home.

Pinkdust

Having my first baby in Holles street in September.. glad to hear the partners are allowed in. I think i'd die if i was on my own through all the pain with no one to shout at!

lucy2010

Been a few years ago since I was in Unit 3. At the time they were allowed in but if you were admitted during the night they werent allowed stay - On both I was in & out for a few weeks. on 1st & naturally terrified I went in about 5 am & he had to wait in the corridor until about 7. On 2nd we were rushed to delivery in a mad panic so no one even noticed if he was in the building or not !

But I would say to anyone make sure you speak up & say if your not happy about things.Its tough enough having to do the labout thingy let alone someone telling you you must do it according to a rule book ( Written by a man no doubt) lol:D

Good luck with all your babies xx

pikku

Hi Ladies,
Thank you all so much, this is really reassuring to read!!
My colleague was indeed admitted in the dead of the night, which probably explains why her partner had to leave (and thanks crazy cat lady for explaining why - it makes sense).

Also excellent tip about trying to stay home for as long as possible beforehand. I'm doing hypobirthing CDs at the mo and hope that the relaxation Im learning will enable me to stay calm and ideally stay at home as long as possible (so long as im not freaking out the poor dog too much lol).

i knew i could count on you ladies for info
thanks again and good luck to all for the upcoming births x

caprilicious

lucy2010 wrote: »

But I would say to anyone make sure you speak up & say if your not happy about things.Its tough enough having to do the labout thingy let alone someone telling you you must do it according to a rule book ( Written by a man no doubt) lol:D

I agree 100% with lucy2010, I was admitted (Kilkenny Hospital) at night and they sent my husband home while they admitted me to the pre labour ward.
Fair enough and I can understand the logic behind it, but what really annoyed me was when at 4/5am my contractions got much stronger and I was trying to walk them off in the corridors, I asked them could I get my husband to come in and keep me company as I was alone but they said no.
I wasn't allowed to get him in til 10am the next morning.

The following 2 nights there were 2 women in the pre labour ward and both of them were allowed have their partners all night, one had her mum there too :mad:

I know when we're doing it next time I will be speaking up :rolleyes:

I agree with Crazy Cat Lady also, best stay at home as long as possible with your home comforts around you.
They sent me for a bath to try bring on labour but I'm a little short ar$e and struggled to get in/out of the bath by myself as the hospital one was quite deep Next time I'll stay at home for the pre labour bit