Did your maternity ward utilize a nursery?

[kirstenb1]

Older dd's hospital had a nursery, and the nurses were wonderful about taking her and letting me rest a bit. Younger dd's hospital also had a nursery, but I felt more pressure from the nurses not to use this option. Finally I said, you know I'll be taking care of them the next 18 yrs right? So right now, I could use a couple hours nap.

 

[littleblackegg]

I read an article about this recently. The nurse manager stated that hospital's haven't closed their nurseries, as they are essential in the middle-level care of newborns. What has changed is the standards (JCAHO, WHO, DHHS, etc) that have changed in response to the evidence. Nurses are now trained to investigate the reasons for nursery requests for well babies, and encourage the family to "push though," utilize family and friends to stay with the infant in the room, and provide extensive training and teaching about breastfeeding. The infant is only removed from the room for clinical reasons that can be documented according to the standards. Even though I am a nurse and I believe in evidence-based practice, it seems really harsh to deprive a new mother of sleep, pain relief and comfort. That being said, my specialty is NOT in mother-baby care. I think I would have a hard time working in such an environment. I don't like seeing patients be uncomfortable or sleep deprived. Call me old fashioned!

 

[mom2rtk]

I read an article about this recently. The nurse manager stated that hospital's haven't closed their nurseries, as they are essential in the middle-level care of newborns. What has changed is the standards (JCAHO, WHO, DHHS, etc) that have changed in response to the evidence. Nurses are now trained to investigate the reasons for nursery requests for well babies, and encourage the family to "push though," utilize family and friends to stay with the infant in the room, and provide extensive training and teaching about breastfeeding. The infant is only removed from the room for clinical reasons that can be documented according to the standards. Even though I am a nurse and I believe in evidence-based practice, it seems really harsh to deprive a new mother of sleep, pain relief and comfort. That being said, my specialty is NOT in mother-baby care. I think I would have a hard time working in such an environment. I don't like seeing patients be uncomfortable or sleep deprived. Call me old fashioned!

That's very sad given that many of these new mothers will go home to no help or hope for uninterrupted sleep. In an ideal world, there would be lots of support, but that's just not reality for everyone.

 

[Skippy918]

Our hospital had a nursery, but I think it was only used for monitoring, bathing and some other stuff. After the baby was born, they brought them to the nursery and cleaned them up and about an hour later, brought them back in the bassinet. DS roomed in the whole time. Dh was there with me so he helped. I am not sure how new moms manage if their hubbies can't stay overnight. We were also told that we needed to wake him up every 3 hours to eat at night, which of course, he didn't want to wake up. I was so exhausted when I left the hospital. It took me a long time to recover from the birth.
With dd it was different. She stayed with me a few hours and then she ended up going to the NICU. After the first night of her there with me going up to pump and feed, I told the nurses to just take care of the feeding overnight so I could sleep. I was able to recover much faster since I was able to rest.

 

[KateP85]

The hospital I delivered DS at three years ago had a nursery, and I could send DS whenever needed. The first night in the hospital, with DS only a few hours old, the nurse told me goodnight and casually threw out, "and if the baby turns blue, call us right away in case of respiratory problems." WHAT?! I was terrified to close my eyes because then I couldn't see if he was blue! I lay awake for hours, too scared to sleep, until DH had enough and called the nurse. She took DS to the nursery for a few hours so I could actually sleep, knowing someone else was watching him. The second night, the nurse offered to take him for the whole night and give him formula so I could get a good few hours sleep, but I asked that he be brought back when he woke up to feed. He woke every three hours, so they would bring him back in, and I would call them back when he was done eating. It was wonderful, and I went home the next day feeling pretty good.

I'm delivering at the same hospital in a few weeks with baby number two, and I'm hoping for a similar experience. If I was strongly discouraged from using the nursery, I think I'd be desperate to go home instead. At least there, I have some family that can watch him for a few hours without complaint so I can rest!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

The hospital I delivered DS at three years ago had a nursery, and I could send DS whenever needed. The first night in the hospital, with DS only a few hours old, the nurse told me goodnight and casually threw out, "and if the baby turns blue, call us right away in case of respiratory problems." WHAT?! I was terrified to close my eyes because then I couldn't see if he was blue! I lay awake for hours, too scared to sleep, until DH had enough and called the nurse. She took DS to the nursery for a few hours so I could actually sleep, knowing someone else was watching him. The second night, the nurse offered to take him for the whole night and give him formula so I could get a good few hours sleep, but I asked that he be brought back when he woke up to feed. He woke every three hours, so they would bring him back in, and I would call them back when he was done eating. It was wonderful, and I went home the next day feeling pretty good.

I'm delivering at the same hospital in a few weeks with baby number two, and I'm hoping for a similar experience. If I was strongly discouraged from using the nursery, I think I'd be desperate to go home instead. At least there, I have some family that can watch him for a few hours without complaint so I can rest!

Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming birth!

 

[dotfurio]

There isn't/wasn't one where I gave birth, about 15 years ago. None of the hospitals in town have them.

 

[stargazer2892]

Not unless you asked for it. During both labors I walked the halls, over and over and over and over, both times maybe 3 babies where in there at most. Both babies only left the room to get their hearing checked and their jaundice screening or if they where boys for their circumcision

 

[E&Cmom]

They had a small nursery but only took the babies there if the mom wasn't sleeping. I remember my youngest daughter would cry every time ai put her in her "crib" so the nurse took her away so I could sleep a bit. I believe that they did with DD1 as well but the meds post c- section and exhaustion made me loopy so the first day is really fuzzy.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I think mine had one, but use was discouraged.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Wow!! I can't imagine hospitals just getting rid of nurseries. I had an old-fashioned, knocked-out C-section, so DS was automatically taken to the nursery. It wasn't even a question. They brought him to me to be fed.

That was 15 years ago, and I can definitely say we bonded fine in spite of the separation. (He even nursed beyond the target my pediatrician hoped for.)

New mothers are exhausted. Letting them get some sleep so they can take care of their babies well seems to make the most sense. The "perfect mother guilt trip" in our society has gotten out of control.

 

[puffkin]

Both hospitals in my area strongly encourage rooming in. I did not have help in the overnight hours and I had a C-section so I forcefully made them take DS9 every night that I was there. He was also bottle fed so there was not a feeding issue. Oh the guilt they heaped on me, but I didn't care. I needed to recover from my surgery so I could care for the baby at home by myself.

With my second DS, also a C-section, he ended up being in the NICU for 3 days for breathing assistance. I ended up having some pretty serious complications from the C-section and wasn't discharged for 5 days so the 2 nights he was out of the NICU he was sent to the nursery when I was alone in the room. DH had to work and take care of our other DS and the pets so he couldn't be there all the time. They were a little more understanding that time as I couldn't really even walk and wasn't allowed to be at home alone with the baby for 4 weeks once I was discharged.

 

[KateP85]

Wow!! I can't imagine hospitals just getting rid of nurseries. I had an old-fashioned, knocked-out C-section, so DS was automatically taken to the nursery. It wasn't even a question. They brought him to me to be fed.

That was 15 years ago, and I can definitely say we bonded fine in spite of the separation. (He even nursed beyond the target my pediatrician hoped for.)

New mothers are exhausted. Letting them get some sleep so they can take care of their babies well seems to make the most sense. The "perfect mother guilt trip" in our society has gotten out of control.

I agree. I was never made to feel guilty about sending DS to the nursery, and to be honest, I would have sent him whether I got a guilt trip or not. DS didn't sleep through the night until he was nine months old, so I had plenty of time ahead of me to get no sleep; those first couple of nights, it was nice to be able to recharge a little before going home to face motherhood. Being rested makes such a difference in those first few days.

 

[PrincesCJM]

My son will be 4 years old in June. When I had him, he was in the room with us for most of the time. The nurses would watch the babies for a few hours at the nurses station at night so mom (and dad) could rest. I'm not sure if the hospital had a nursery.

 

[bethy]

There are no nurseries in any of the hospitals in our area. Even the NICU babies room in. With the exception of the highest level of NICU and that is at the local Children's hospital.

I had my first 15 years ago and neither she nor my next 2 babies ever left our sight. All procedures took place in the room except for once and my DH went along with the baby for that one.

 

[brooke789]

When my 5 year olds (6 in June) were born the hospital did have a nursery, but it was only an option IF enough babies signed up to necessitate someone to work it. One of our nights we were able to sign up for nursery and we sent them (twins) in after I fed them at 10pmish and asked that they just bring them back to be fed by me whenever they woke up. We got a good 90 minutes of sleep which was amazing. haha!

When my 2 year old was born our hospital (same one) was now certified as a baby and mother friendly hospital. There was no nursery. In fact, this time he never left our sight. They told me the only reason he would have been taken out of the room was for a circumcision (which we don't do). He had whatever vaccinations and heel prick all done right in our room, wherever the older kids were taken out for vaccinations, heel prick and also a car seat test. Another change I liked that was part of the new designation was that I breastfed immediately after my c/s (right in the operating room)!

 

[littleblackegg]

Wow!! I can't imagine hospitals just getting rid of nurseries. I had an old-fashioned, knocked-out C-section, so DS was automatically taken to the nursery. It wasn't even a question. They brought him to me to be fed.

That was 15 years ago, and I can definitely say we bonded fine in spite of the separation. (He even nursed beyond the target my pediatrician hoped for.)

New mothers are exhausted. Letting them get some sleep so they can take care of their babies well seems to make the most sense. The "perfect mother guilt trip" in our society has gotten out of control.

I agree. I remember my rotation in OB when I was in nursing school. I saw a nursing assistant berate a young mother for leaving the infant unattended in the room so she could pee! The whole process seems degrading and physically exhausting. I totally think it has to do with these stereotypes of perfect mothers. Women are people, not these shiny, glimmering saints with feed-the-world boobs and no need to pee, poop or sleep!

 

[Kitty 34]

My three sons were all born in different hospitals but all had nurseries. This was in 1980,'87 and '89. I was so glad for the nursery as I tried to get all the sleep I could before sleep would become a fleeting dream here and there for the next few months.

 

[Magpie]

I agree. I remember my rotation in OB when I was in nursing school. I saw a nursing assistant berate a young mother for leaving the infant unattended in the room so she could pee! The whole process seems degrading and physically exhausting. I totally think it has to do with these stereotypes of perfect mothers. Women are people, not these shiny, glimmering saints with feed-the-world boobs and no need to pee, poop or sleep!

I'm generally in favour of choice, and I'm definitely anti-berating. From what I understand, a lot of these changes are less about a stereotype of the perfect mother, and more about the current medical understanding of what's best for the baby.

I agree with you, though, that a little more flexibility would go a long way.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Mine are 15 and 12, both boon by unplanned c-section. My husband stayed with me the entire time with both of them, and he held them most of the time, did diaper changes, etc. They went to the nursery at night so I could sleep, but they were brought in to be fed.