Did your maternity ward utilize a nursery?

[aprilgail]

Mine had one and I was happy about it! They brought the babies to you in the morning and then once visiting hours started they put all the babies back in the nursery and brought them back out after visiting hours were over.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Let's see...
26 years ago (almost 27), with DD#1, she spent time in the NICU. Premie, and needing the UV lights due to jaundice. She spent most of her time there, not with me. I was discharged, she stayed another night; I got to stay in a room with 2 other moms whose babies were still hospitalized the 2nd night. Was at the hospital in labor from 6am to 11pm, not allowed to shower until 7am (not for medical reasons, the nurse said I couldn't because "it would wake other patients".) Finally ate around 5pm the next day, when I finally got a nurse to listen to me (as they were discharging me) that I hadn't eaten (the food trays weren't delivered because my day nurse marked me as asleep everytime food came, even though I hadn't slept at all during the day). It was so horrible. I was a scared 18 year old, with zero support system.

22 years (almost 23) ago, DD#2, she spent most of her time with me in room. She did go to the nursery for a few hours at a time at my request, once around 10pm and again around 5am, so I could get some rest, but did spend some time away from me due to testing/procedures. She was born with a collapsed ear canal and one of her feet turned up against her leg (no room in the womb for this one...she was almost 24" and all folded up in there), so they were working on those. Her ear canal repaired itself, and we kept her foot in a baby cage for about 5 months, to hold it in the correct position. She still has trouble with that ankle.

12 years ago, DS spent all but 2 hours in room with me. Those 2 hours, I showered and then slept. The nurses were not very nice about it either; they wanted him with me all the time.

 

[aprilchem]

No rooming-in in the hospital where I had my kids (in 05, 07, and 09) and I'm pretty sure it's still that way. You couldn't have the baby with you when you were sleeping, but they brought him/her to you every 2 hours to breastfeed. By the third kid they were more lenient with the rules for me because it was clear I knew what I was doing, which was nice.

 

[tzolkin]

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have given birth at a hospital the "strongly discouraged" using the nursery.

I actually had the opposite problem at the hospital where I delivered my first child and I couldn't wait to leave as soon as possible the next morning.

I didn't feel comfortable with the nurses taking my baby, but they wouldn't offer any help or suggestions other than basically demanding that I send my baby to the nursery.

I had gone through a 47hr labor (over the course of 3 days), baby born at noon, hemorrhaging to the point of needing transfusions, and then my baby screamed the entire night so I had to pace the room with her (so I walked the entire third night of no sleep and after a traumatic birth). The real issue was that I was having problems breastfeeding and the nurses wouldn't offer me any assistance. I was told that I had to wait for the lactation consultant to come the next day (a full 24hrs after delivery). They were extremely rude throughout my entire stay (I was a single teen mom so that may have been a factor) and they also seemed like they just wanted to give her a bottle so they wouldn't have to be annoyed by her crying.

With my second, I opted for the "birthing center" at another hospital. It was set up more like a home birth, but it was within the hospital if there were any emergencies or if you changed your mind you could be moved to the regular maternity section. There was no nursery option there (unless you decided to be moved). We actually had a queen-sized bed and DH, baby, and I all slept in the bed together.

Third child was born in a regular hospital maternity floor like my first, but the care was completely different. I did not feel any need to use the nursery (was only there 24hr including the labor), but I would have been comfortable there if I had. (Nurses went over a whole form about your wishes for bottles/pacifiers/etc in case you decided to send your baby to the nursery they would already have your information.)

 

[Jaime4004]

I believe there were nurseries when all 3 of my kids were born (2 different hospitals) but they weren't used much. First was 12 yrs ago and I wouldn't have wanted to be separated from her anyway. I do remember that she woke up every 1.5 hrs all night long to nurse and DH snored along in a chair next to me the whole night . I've never been so exhausted but still wouldn't have changed it. DS#1 slept for pretty much the first 24 hrs of his life, he was so easy and is still my easiest kid. For DS#2, I was so looking forward to spending the 2 days in the hospital bonding with just him (before I had to go home to a 2 and 3 yr old also) and wouldn't have sent him to the nursery either. But he was 5 weeks early and taken right away to the NICU, stayed for 2 weeks. Didn't really get my bonding time the way I was imagining it. Things never work out the way you plan

 

[bjscheel]

My hospital had a nursery in 1998 and 2001 and it seemed to be standard procedure to use it a lot, no guilt trips. I had a rough time post-delivery and didn't get out of bed much, and I had a blood transfusion with the first one. I never even walked down to the nursery I don't think as I could barely be upright. My first one was 2 weeks late, alert and hungry, so the nurses gave her a couple bottles so I could sleep.

On the other hand, my roommate for the second one was showered and in jeans 8 hours after giving birth, wanting to get home and mow the yard. I'm sure she would have been fine with rooming-in. Meanwhile, I was 24 hours past and still anemic and half dead on my bed.

Not planning on any more but this is something for my girls to consider when they get that age. I think they would want to have that option.

 

[pooh4evr]

Oh lord I can't imagine not using it. After my 1st (whose 15 bday is today) I was numb from the epidural for another few hours, I could not get up to take care of her if she was in the room too. I used it for all 3, at night, and am glad I had the option.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

There was one in my hospital, but I never sent DS to it. Of course they did take him for a few things - he was away for about an hour for his circumcision/tongue-tie clipping/recovery, then about 45 minutes for his hearing test, and about 15-20 minutes for his first round of vaccinations, but otherwise he was with us the whole time. Every time they did a blood test, they did it right there in the room. They didn't even take him when, less than 8 hours after his c-section birth, one nasty nurse physically forced me out of bed without pain meds, my pain level was at least 1000, I felt like I was on fire from ribs to thighs, I was sweating and freezing both at the same time, and I screamed the entire way to the bathroom. I was literally begging to die, it was that bad, but I'm glad they didn't take him away. The nurses also did get mad at me for holding him so much, but he screamed bloody murder all night and the only way he'd calm down was if I held him skin-on-skin (plus I just plain enjoyed holding him). I also held him a lot because I kept trying to breastfeed, even though I had no milk (or even colostrum) and he had that tongue-tie and couldn't latch (it wasn't discovered for 2 days). DH was with us the entire time, too; he only left the room to get something to eat, and that was when the baby was finally asleep.

We did take a walk around the floor one evening, pushing him in the little bassinet, and one mother was pulling her daughter's bassinet over to the nurses and asking them to take her for a few hours. I totally understand, but it was something I personally couldn't do. I just wanted him with me the whole time.

 

[pumpkinmomma]

Oh lord I can't imagine not using it. After my 1st (whose 15 bday is today) I was numb from the epidural for another few hours, I could not get up to take care of her if she was in the room too. I used it for all 3, at night, and am glad I had the option.

I had the same issues with my 2 girls, plus a bad headache after having my oldest. I thank god that my nurses recognized how exhausted I was and convinced me to send the baby to the nursery so I could get some sleep. My husband wasn't able to stay overnight with us, he had to be home to care for our dog with the first and our toddler with the second.

I liked having the option of sending my babies to be cared for while I rested. Not everyone has the privilege of having a spouse or family member who can be there to care for a newborn while the mom recovers.

I was able to breastfeed both babies for a year so it didn't hurt our nursing relationship at all.

 

[Arielle22]

The hospital I had my DDs at (back in the 90s) just stopped having a nursery. DH was hospitalized briefly in December and the nurse on that floor was very surprised when I mentioned it.

I would have been annoyed if there was no nursery. I delivered my first at 1am after a 10 hour labor. All I wanted to do was sleep at that point. I would have not been in any condition to take care of DD. It seems in recent years that new moms are having a lot of guilt trips laid on them. Same hospital frowns on moms not breastfeeding and will only offer formula if the mom asks.

 

[smiths02]

Mine had nurseries and I don't remember being discouraged from using it. We only had my first son go back for tests, but thank goodness we did because he was having breathing issues that the nurse who only heard my story about it, dismissed...in the nursery, he actually turned blue. I hate to think if I had just taken him home...

With twins, we roomed in as much as possible, but on one day, my DH wanted to go to my older son's soccer game...he went and returned as quickly as possible but I did send them to the nursery for an hour or two so I could shower and have my sitz bath (they were asleep anyhow)

I feel bad for women who might not have someone else staying with them (single moms, widows, husband deployed, husband taking care of older children at home because there is no close family) and no option for a nursery

 

[Minnesota!]

Not 100% if it was an actual nursery, but I know if mom wanted to rest, the nurses would take baby to the nurses station...in the bassinet thing....and keep until mom wanted the kid back. Newer hospital. However, I know the other hospitals around here have nurseries.

 

[momto2girls]

I can't imagine not having the option of a nursery! I had my babies in 2000 and 2003. They were born in two different hospitals in two different states. Both hospitals had nurseries and they neither encouraged nor discouraged you to use them. It was my choice either way. I used them both times when I needed some sleep. I knew that when I got home, I wouldn't have any help anymore, so I was more than happy to have some when I was at the hospital!

 

[mummabear]

Here in NZ no nursery's but you often don't stay either, with my middle DD I was in and out of the hospital within 3 hours from the time I pulled into the carpark in labour.

 

[princesspumpkin]

I'm not sure about most hospitals, but at mine we have been "talked to" when there have been too many babies brought to the nursery. The assumption is that the nurses didn't do enough to convince the moms that rooming in is better for them.

Now for the record, I know people have commented about great or not so great nurses in relation to whether or not they allowed a baby to go to the nursery. But to be honest, if a baby is exclusively breastfeeding , getting any amount of sleep on that "cluster" feeding night is extremely difficult. They nurse for an hour, fall asleep for five minutes, we bring them to the nursery at mom's request and they are immediately ready to nurse again for another hour. Many new moms don't realize how often newborns want to nurse at night.

It can be a no win situation for everyone.

 

[gwynne]

I'm not sure about most hospitals, but at mine we have been "talked to" when there have been too many babies brought to the nursery. The assumption is that the nurses didn't do enough to convince the moms that rooming in is better for them.

Now for the record, I know people have commented about great or not so great nurses in relation to whether or not they allowed a baby to go to the nursery. But to be honest, if a baby is exclusively breastfeeding , getting any amount of sleep on that "cluster" feeding night is extremely difficult. They nurse for an hour, fall asleep for five minutes, we bring them to the nursery at mom's request and they are immediately ready to nurse again for another hour. Many new moms don't realize how often newborns want to nurse at night.

It can be a no win situation for everyone.

That was kinda my experience, they were firm about rooming in. The nursery was small, and only for premies and limited use by c-section moms.

 

[Juliet25]

Yes, mine had one. With my first, she was in the nursery the first night and I slept so fitfully. My newborns all roomed with me from then on.

 

[Aladora]

I don't know if there was a nursery (except for the NICU) when I had DS in 2005 but if there was it was not encouraged. DS roomed in with me the entire time. I was admitted Friday evening, had DS Saturday afternoon and was finally discharged early Monday evening.

 

[Magpie]

Having had both of mine at home, I'm finding everyone's stories really quite fascinating.

I can definitely see how it'd be nice to get a full night's sleep, knowing the baby's in a safe place and being watched. On the other hand, it was also very nice snuggling into bed with my newborn. After all that effort, I can also see how the last thing I'd want to do would be to hand the baby over to someone else.

Ideally, I'd have liked to have access to a nursery from about six weeks to three months - when my eldest had colic. That's when I REALLY could have used the sleep!

 

[bcwife76]

My kids are 7 and 5. Both of them stayed with me in my room the entire time. No nursery. I'm in BC Canada.