Did your maternity ward utilize a nursery?

[chloelovesdisney]

My local hospital thankfully has a nursery, and I was quite happy to make use of it at night and during the day to shower and nap.

 

[Planogirl]

If you don't have someone to help you and you're in one of these hands off hospitals how do you even shower? I couldn't wait to shower afterward.

 

[Vicki926]

My kids are older-14 and 16, but they did encourage rooming in.

I couldn't imagine not wanting the baby with you 24/7. What kind of mother doesn't want her baby with her the entire time?
So I had baby number one with me 24/7.
No sleep. I went home totally exhausted. Like more tired than I have ever been in my life. I woke up 7am in a Saturday, went into labor that night, so awake all night,had her Sunday afternoon, slept maybe 2 hours Sunday night, and maybe 2-3 hours Monday night. Home Tuesday afternoon.

Baby number 2, sent him off to the nursery to sleep both nights. AND asked for them to feed him.
So I nursed him at midnight, they fed him at 3am, and they brought him to me for the 6am feeding and I kept him the rest of the day.
I'll be honest, I wanted them to keep him until 9am.
Regardless, I came home well rested.
That lasted about 24 hours.

 

[footballmouse]

I work on the OB/NICU floor and we only have a nursery for the NICU patients. The other babies room with the moms. If the mom wants to take a break they can request we take the baby out of the room, we just bring them up to the front desk where we're sitting.

 

[srferson]

No kids. Never been through any of this. Question out of curiosity though...

What is the benefit in sending them to the nursery when you ask the nurses to bring them to you when they wake up? If they're asleep, why not have them in the room?

Honest question from someone who has no experience with any of this (and yet, for some reason finds it very interesting to read about... )

 

[footballmouse]

If they are in your room then you wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom or get a shower unless someone was in the room with you. When I had my kids, I would send the baby to the nursery when I was ready to go to bed and wouldn't ask for the nurse to bring them in until I got myself ready in the morning. Just easier.

 

[tcufrog]

The hospital I delivered both of my sons at had a regular nursery and the best NICU in the area. The hospital was certified in kangaroo care and put the baby to breast very quickly even after a c-section. I unfortunately had a c-section both times because my cervix wouldn't dilate even though my boys were 1-2 weeks late. I have photos of me breast feeding in the recovery room both times. After my first c-section though I had my son sent to the nursery once when my dh went home to get some stuff. Right after getting cut open I had no core strength so I was afraid I'd drop the baby if I tried to pick him up without help. I had the nurses bring him back when he was hungry. The second time I had my son sent to the nursery at night when he wasn't hungry. I remembered how exhausted I was after having my first son so I wanted to get as much sleep as possible before I brought him home.

 

[Shanti]

I've never heard of a hospital with no nursery available.

 

[Planogirl]

My kids are older-14 and 16, but they did encourage rooming in.

I couldn't imagine not wanting the baby with you 24/7. What kind of mother doesn't want her baby with her the entire time?
So I had baby number one with me 24/7.
No sleep. I went home totally exhausted. Like more tired than I have ever been in my life. I woke up 7am in a Saturday, went into labor that night, so awake all night,had her Sunday afternoon, slept maybe 2 hours Sunday night, and maybe 2-3 hours Monday night. Home Tuesday afternoon.

Baby number 2, sent him off to the nursery to sleep both nights. AND asked for them to feed him.
So I nursed him at midnight, they fed him at 3am, and they brought him to me for the 6am feeding and I kept him the rest of the day.
I'll be honest, I wanted them to keep him until 9am.
Regardless, I came home well rested.
That lasted about 24 hours.

Maybe a mother that is ill or in severe pain? You can't paint everyone with the same judgmental brush.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Maybe a mother that is ill or in severe pain? You can't paint everyone with the same judgmental brush.

Did you read the rest of her post? I don't think she meant to be judgemental - I think she just meant that was her naive thinking with her first. By her second, she says she used the nursery!

 

[Zosha]

The hospital where I work has no nursery for healthy babies, only a special care unit. It's a baby friendly hospital so your baby stays in the room with you. Of course, we assist with settling and give assistance with breastfeeding as well, in the room.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

When I had my first son 9 years ago it was practically mandatory that the baby sleep in the nursery to give moms a rest at night. 7 years later I had my 2nd son in the same hospital and it was totally the opposite...they encouraged us to keep the baby in our room, which I was super excited about! I wanted the baby with me I didn't want them to take him away

 

[Vicki926]

Maybe a mother that is ill or in severe pain? You can't paint everyone with the same judgmental brush.

LOL, did you stop reading after that sentence? Read the rest, I was being sarcastic.
You know, one of those..when *I* have kids, I'll never do_____.
And then you have kids and you realize how ridiculous your thinking had been.

 

[Vicki926]

Did you read the rest of her post? I don't think she meant to be judgemental - I think she just meant that was her naive thinking with her first. By her second, she says she used the nursery!

Yes, thank you!

 

[mjkacmom]

If they are in your room then you wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom or get a shower unless someone was in the room with you. When I had my kids, I would send the baby to the nursery when I was ready to go to bed and wouldn't ask for the nurse to bring them in until I got myself ready in the morning. Just easier.

Babies are not quiet sleepers, and even with my last babies (4 and 5), it took a while in the beginning to determine if baby was just fussing during sleep, or getting hungry. That is the main reason why I didn't have my babies sleep in my room, or use monitors at night. New moms jump at the smallest peep.

 

[EveDallas]

Geez, it seems like "baby-friendly" is another way to say "we hate new moms".

 

[gwynne]

Geez, it seems like "baby-friendly" is another way to say "we hate new moms".

I think it's more "we save lots of money". If mom is left to care for the baby 24 hrs a day until discharge, they don't have to hire more nurses to staff a nursery.

 

[MIGrandma]

My kids are 40 and 37....it was unheard of back then to have the babies in the room with the new mom all day/night. I can't even imagine having a baby now and having the baby in the room with you all the time. You only get a night or two in the hospital nowdays (I think I stayed 3 nights each time) and after giving birth I think a new mom needs a night or two of good sleep before she goes home.

 

[Kellydelly]

If you don't have someone to help you and you're in one of these hands off hospitals how do you even shower? I couldn't wait to shower afterward.

If they are in your room then you wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom or get a shower unless someone was in the room with you. When I had my kids, I would send the baby to the nursery when I was ready to go to bed and wouldn't ask for the nurse to bring them in until I got myself ready in the morning. Just easier.

Take the baby into the bathroom with you to shower, or not. What do you do at home to shower or use the toilet with a new baby at home? There is no reason why you can't leave the baby in the bassinette for a few minutes while you take care of business. A chaperone is not necessary. If you aren't physically able to get up alone then an aide or nurse is there to help.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Geez, it seems like "baby-friendly" is another way to say "we hate new moms".

The baby-friendly approach is based on a considerable amount of research, it's not about "hating new moms" or saving money. Keeping mothers and babies together is just one part of it, but it's an important part. The baby-friendly hospitals I am aware of (in Ontario, Canada) do have options for special situations where the mother isn't able to care for her baby because of birth complications or exhaustion or other issues. But for normal situations, mothers and babies are kept together.

When I had my first baby - a LONG time ago - the rule was that babies stayed in the nursery and only came out for feedings. And they kept us in the hospital for five days. I was absolutely miserable - I wanted my baby with me! I would go and stand by the nursery window looking at him and crying, and the nurses would come out and tell me I had to go back to my room. It was awful. On day three, my doctor signed me out so I could take my baby home. With my next three, I had the babies in hospital but was home within three or four hours. I sure hope we never go back to that situation.