Are you talking the recovery room where you are stabilized and watched for an hour or so post-delivery or actual room where you stay 2-4 days?
My hospital didn't have private when I delivered, the new maternity wing wasn't ready yet. But my labor nurse was doing a second shift on maternity after I delivered and assigned me to the end "bad outcome" room with the proviso that I'd get a roommate if they had a rush or moved if someone needed it more. I had a 4 bed ward room- I could hosted a wedding reception in it. It was nice to have the privacy, especially since none of my family other than DH made it to see me. Even though they lived 30 minutes away. If I had been in a room with a new mom with a happy family I would have totally lost it.
My BFF delivered in the big city best hospital and ended up sharing a room with a 15 year and all her entourage. It was pretty awful.
Our room was the labor, delivery, and recovery room. I can't imagine wanting to share a room during recovery. Go for private. The doctor's going to be in and out checking your undercarriage out for the first 24 hours or so anyway.
Post by TrudyCampbell on Oct 3, 2013 12:32:31 GMT -5
Ughh, I wish in New York it was as simple as just being willing to pay and then getting the private room. I think if I can't get one this time I might leave the hospital after only one night, unless there are other complications of course. I could barely get any rest even in the private room last time.
I would upgrade. My hospital offers only private rooms, with room sharing with the baby being mandatory. I can't imagine being woken up by someone else's baby in the middle of the night.
For shared rooms, can the dad's sleep there too? That makes a lot of people in one room.
to answer your question - i would upgrade b/c it would mean that H could stay with me overnight. this was awesome. the second night, he couldn't stay b/c it's not allowed in a semi private.
That's like torture. Alone with a new baby with nobody to help? Can you at least send the baby to the nursery? Otherwise, next kid, some deliver here, lol.
Post by dragonfly08 on Oct 3, 2013 12:40:41 GMT -5
Definitely upgrade if you can.
With #1, I tried to upgrade but the two private rooms weren't available. Fortunately, they let me stay in the delivery room as long as possible since it wasn't needed but I had to spend my second night in a semi-private room and it was a PITA. My roommate had tons of visitors and there I am in my hospital gown and mesh panties, trying to BF my kid...definitely awkward. Only upside is that visitors were only allowed between 10AM and 8PM. Downside is that the rule also applied to spouses/SOs (except they could stay until 10PM).
Had a private room with #2 and it was heaven by comparison!
I had a private room. My insurance (in Canada) covered a semi private, so it cost me $35 a day to be in a private. I could not imagine sharing a room with someone during that time (because I felt like shit, because they would have people in and out to visit, and their baby AND my baby would be keeping me up).
If private room is an option and you can swing it, definitely go that route. Just seeing the clusterfuck of people that come through, and knowing luck of the draw could have me rooming with any of them. Hell no. Plus all the other points that have been made. Some smell so strongly of pot and stale smoke, and their visitors go smoke every five minutes, and then come Bacj to the room in a stinky cloud. There are some family members that feet and BO you can literally smell down the hallway with the door shut. The thought of having to put up with that while trying to recover makes me want to cry.
In both hospitals where I delivered, private was the only option for recovery rooms. I really wouldn't have wanted to be around strangers at this time, and would gladly have paid to make that happen if there had been a choice.
Ughh, I wish in New York it was as simple as just being willing to pay and then getting the private room. I think if I can't get one this time I might leave the hospital after only one night, unless there are other complications of course. I could barely get any rest even in the private room last time.
This is another reason Chicago is better than New York. Private rooms for all!
Can you swing it, financially? If you can, I would definitely consider it. People are crazy and I wouldn't want to deal with anyone else's shit while having to deal with my own.
Depending on when you deliver, you might only be there one night. I came in Tuesday evening, had W early Wednesday morning and was home by Thursday night (they practically shoved me out the door) and it was only considered one night because I didn't have him until Wednesday.
Post by seeyounexttuesday on Oct 3, 2013 18:54:02 GMT -5
I just took the Lenox Hill tour on Saturday. It is actually $750 per night plus taxes and fees per night for a standard private.
Your husband can stay overnight in the shared, but your roommate has to consent. They have to sleep upright in a chair. It looked like a special form of torture. There is a "sleeper" in the private, but I use that term very loosely.
The next level is the "VIP" a/k/a "Beyoncé Suite" which is $2,250 a night!!! Keep in mind that includes a better food menu, meals served on real plates and on real china. Oh! And they carry down your bags for you on discharge day. Totally worth the cost, ha.
Not sure if it is true or not, but a friend told me you can deduct the cost of a private room on your taxes as medical expenses. That may sway the decision!
My hospital that I deliver at is awesome because we labor, deliver, and recover all in the same private room. I would undoubtedly pay to have my own private room. You already have enough nurses, visitors, lactation staff, etc. in and out anyway. Factor in a roommate and that is essentially twice the amount of traffic. No thanks.
I just took the Lenox Hill tour on Saturday. It is actually $750 per night plus taxes and fees per night for a standard private.
Your husband can stay overnight in the shared, but your roommate has to consent. They have to sleep upright in a chair. It looked like a special form of torture. There is a "sleeper" in the private, but I use that term very loosely.
The next level is the "VIP" a/k/a "Beyoncé Suite" which is $2,250 a night!!! Keep in mind that includes a better food menu, meals served on real plates and on real china. Oh! And they carry down your bags for you on discharge day. Totally worth the cost, ha.
Not sure if it is true or not, but a friend told me you can deduct the cost of a private room on your taxes as medical expenses. That may sway the decision!
Our hospital had shared rooms. It was horrible. My husband couldn't stay & the other couple had a constant stream of visitors who were ridiculously loud. I was by the window so I had to walk past the other bed to pee, shower, etc. Pay for the upgrade.
Post by SusanBAnthony on Oct 3, 2013 20:10:22 GMT -5
I am pretty intensely private, and like quiet, but I don't think I could do 1000$. Holy crap that is expensive. I think I would suck it up and/or be a total bitch about making the nurses enforce visiting hours. Up to and including being totally loud and TMI, freaking out shouting about the vile and gigantic hunks of blood falling out of my vagina, calling the nurse because it was an "emergency".
Did you guys know it is NORMAL for babeball-sized clots of blood to fall out of your hooha after delivery? Neither did I. And I did not appreciate the tone that nurse took with me during that little incident.
Post by liverandonions on Oct 3, 2013 20:40:58 GMT -5
This makes me appreciate my insurance so much more...I had a private room and no charge for labor. I would definitely get the private room, I kicked even my husband out the second night AND had them take the baby to the nursery