Maternity wards without nurseries

[SydSim]

Since studies have shown that both babies and moms sleep better when they are near each other, there has been a push for all moms, who are able, to room in with their babies 24/7. The nursery is only used for brand new, just-born babies or babies of moms who are extremely ill and can't care for themselves. Moms are encouraged to room-in with their newborn and sleep when their baby sleeps, like they would do at home.

Has anyone ever been on a maternity ward that had this, and what are your opinions on this.

This would only be for moms who are physically able to care for the baby - not for those that had traumatic deliveries that left them incapacitated

 

[EMom]

I think it helps cut down on the number of nurses the hospital has to employ.

My niece is due soon and her mother (my DSis) has advised her to not keep the baby in the room with her. Why? She says you're exhausted after delivery and with a baby in the room, you're probably not going to sleep. Even if you wanted to sleep, with people prancing in and out like there's a revolving door (and they will) so they can "see the baby" you won't get a moment's rest. If the baby is in the nursery, they can stand on the other side of the glass to look at it and you won't be bothered as much. For that matter, neither will the baby. And there won't be any of this, "Can I hold the baby?" stuff to deal with since the baby is out of their reach. And let's not forget about the sniffly, coughing ones who "aren't contagious" but MUST come see the newborn anyway. Once you get home, you can keep the front door shut if you don't want a steady stream of surprise visitors coming around. But if the baby is in the hospital room with you 24/7, that kid is like a magnet for visitors and some of those will not be of the considerate variety.

If I were the new mom, I'd have the baby in there with me, but I'm the sort who wouldn't have a problem telling people they needed to leave. My niece won't speak up. She'll just suffer in silence. So in her case, I think my DSis is right. The baby is better off in the nursery, where the baby and my niece can get some rest.

And I'm not kidding about this new "philosophy" being a cost-cutting measure in reality.

 

[rparmfamily]

All 3 deliveries I've had were in hospitals that technically had nurseries but they weren't used unless an infant needed special care,etc.

I just had a baby on June 1st and I did send my baby to the nurses for a few hours so I could shower/rest (DH went home to tend to our other kids) and they never actually took her to the nursery, they brought her to the nurses station and she hung out there until it was time to nurse.

Other than that 1 time all 3 kids have roomed in with me. Does make it MUCH easier to nurse,etc but it can be exhausting to give birth and jump right into changing diapers and feeding etc, if your partner can't stay,etc. I never had anyone visit me as we never lived by family for the deliveries.

 

[teskak]

The Australian private hospital I was in, rooming in with bub was the norm, but the nursery was there:

* On night 1 when I was totally clueless and wondered why she was crying when it was less than 3 hrs since last attempted feed and had the myth of "babies can live on thier fat for 3 days" duh. She was taken to the nursury "to let mum have a sleep" where she then got a belly full of formula meaning that my attempts to b/f were stuffed - why would baby 'work' to b/f when it just is soo easy with a bottle - and yes the hospital was supposed to get signed consent from me to give her formula at this early stage when the mother was attempting to get b/f going but did not!

* When the hospital ran little seminars on topics like pelvic floor exercises etc

* When the OB told me I was getting cabin fever (I was in for 7 days post c/s) and advised I go down to the hospital cafe for a bit

* The hospital also had a 'candelight dinner' for the mum & dad where the menu was extra special, and you could put the baby in nursery for a couple of hours.

As for the 'sleep when the baby sleeps', that was absolute twaddle in the hospital with nurses coming by to do observations every couple of hours and visitors through most of the day wanting to see baby - stuff the mother. I remember watching my dinner go cold with one visitor who had previously complained how she had been in earlier in the week only to see I had a sign on my door because i was b/f (actually it was b/m pumping which is a lot less discreet)

 

[barrett7890]

here in the UK the baby is only seperated from the mum after birth if there is a problem with either one of them.

apart from that baby is in a small cot beside the mum

cami
x

 

[Acklander]

With all my kids they were in the nursery (NICU) for a couple of hours after the birth (all were born 5 weeks early so needed observing on their breathing/grunting) but after that they just stayed in the room with me. With the first one, who is now 25, I had to request this, but with the last (who is now 9) It was automatic so I assumed it was the norm. I thought it was great having the baby there so I could get comfortable with his routine before I was on my own with him.

 

[Ohiodislover]

Both my daughters roomed in with me. With #1, no problems.

With #2, she was in the hospital an extra 48 hours because of jaundice. They let me stay, but I was no longer a patient, just a border. If they got desperate for my room I would have to leave. They gave me NO care what so ever. Wouldn't even fill my water pitcher. Anyway, during this time she was still in my room under the lights. When I asked if she could be taken to the nursery, long enough for me to walk downstairs and get something to eat and drink, the nurses were extremely rude, and then never came back until her pediatrician ordered them to take her her to the nursery for an hour. After that my mom brought me a cooler w/ drinks, and food.

In theory, it might be a good idea, but I think the nursery needs to be there.

I also think it is a $$ saving issue for the hospitals, and number of nurses. Would hate to see something happen to a baby whose mommy can't tell the s/s of something being wrong, and has no backup.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have not witnessed this but I would be in support of it. I loved being able to room in. I had no desire to leave the kids in the nursery. I was their Mom. I wanted to take care of them. YMMV.

 

[NMAmy]

I had dd almost 19 years ago and it was the norm at the hospital we used for the baby to room with the mother. However, I did have a difficult birth and I was fairly wasted on Demerol. My nurse had told me not to get out of bed without someone else in the room.

Then I got a call from a snotty nurse in the nursery telling me I needed to come get my baby right away because she was too busy with preemie twins to care for her. I told her that I couldn't get out of bed but if she brought her to me, I'd try to care for her--honestly, I was so drugged up that I was really concerned about being left with a newborn. She hung up on me in a huff.

I called my nurse and told her what was going on. Fifteen minutes later, the nursery nurse came to my room and apologized profusely. She had seriously acted like I was just being lazy by not watching my own child when I was physically unable to.

I do think that moms should have the option of having the baby in the room if that's what they want. But giving birth is exhausting--even with an uneventful birth, the mother needs some recovery time to sleep and heal.

 

[maps]

I was in a small community hospital with no nursery per se, so I fully expected to "room in". Luckily one of my good friends (a nurse on the floor) was working and she took the baby to the nurses' station and watched her all night for me. She brought her in every few hours to nurse but it was really nice having the quiet time one last time after an exhausting labor.

 

[jamimb]

I did not room in with either of my babies. I have very difficult lsbors and they were both large (9 pounds) so I neede all the sleep I could get. my first DD (now 13) was bottlefed and nurses fed her throughout the night and I had her with me in the day. My 2nd DD (now 7) was breastfed and the nurses would bring her in for a feeding and then take her back to the nursery at night and she would be with me all day.

I think it's important for mothers to have this option. Labor and delivery can take alot out of you and especially that first night you are gonna need a full night's sleep.

 

[luvsJack]

My granddaughter is just home from the hospital (4 days old today ).

She was born in the same hospital all 3 of my kids were born in but I did notice some major changes. The nurseries are still there but do not seem to be used much at all. The preemie nursery is beside labor/delivery and the regular nursery is on the same hall as the mom's rooms.

There were no babies in the regular nursery and although I assume it would be an option, they didn't really offer to put the baby in the nursery . My DGD stayed in the room with mom and dad the whole time except for a few minutes when they thought she was too cold and they took her to the nursery to wrap in some heated blankets. While mom slept after delivery, dad took care of her and then they switched for awhile, until both rested up. One of the grandmas was usually in the room too.


ETA: Almost 11 years ago when dd was born, they asked you which you wanted to do. DH couldn't stay all night because the boys had to go to school the next day so she stayed in the room until he left. I went to sleep and as soon as I woke up the next morning (like before daylight sometime) I was able to call and they brought her back. They said then that mom's called all during the night to get their babies, just whenever they woke up. (they only brought the babies to be fed back then if the mother requested it)

And having experienced it so many different ways (my sons were kept strictly in the nursery except being brought to visit), I would have to say that I think rooming in is much better for the baby and the parents. For a brand new mom and dad (like my son and his gf) it gives them that time to get experience with the baby, to feel more confident but know that help is only a buzz away. And it gives parents and baby a time to bond.

 

[MichelleVW]

I had my girls in a military hospital. The first night they kept them in the nursery and after that they were in the room with you.

My first was no problem, she slept, I slept. The second one was a nightmare! She screamed from 9 Pm until 1 A.M that second night no matter what I did with her. Well, actually she would sleep if I laid her on my chest in the bed, but that wasn't allowed, so every time I put her in the bassinet she would start screaming again. I was exhausted, beyond exhausted. Fed up, tired and ready to cry with her. Finally at 1 A.M I was thinking, "omg...if I just toss her out the window I can get some freaking sleep" then I thought, "no, then you'll get arrested and thrown in jail and no sleep in jail" So I called the nursing station and said, "you HAVE to come get this baby." They pitched a fit because they were busy, but I told them, that I didn't care if she screamed her head off down there, I was beyond exhausted and couldn't deal with her any more.

Thankfully they came and got her and I went to sleep. After we went home from the hospital I ended up sleeping with her on the couch because the only way she would sleep was on my chest.

People need the option of a nursery, giving birth is exhausting. I once heard a lady in the airport telling another lady that women should be sent home from the hospital the same day because all they are doing is resting, and they can rest at home. I wanted to punch her in the head!

 

[Disney Ella]

My twins were born five weeks early and were in the special care nursery. I don't know how I could have handled it if they weren't. I was severely anemic after I had them and got dizzy every time I stood up. If the hospital would have made me take care of the babies, DH would have had to have stayed with me constantly to help. I think putting babies in a nursery should definitely be an option, particularly if you have an exhausted or unwell mother. It seems hard to believe that hospitals that are so concerned about getting sued would want people who are exhausted or aren't feeling well to handle, and possibly drop, a baby.

 

[clgwli]

Our hospital had the option unless something was wrong with either child or mother.

I think it should be an option at least for the first night if not the whole time. I know people who were absolutely wiped out after 2 days or more being in labor in the hospital. I would want them to have an option to sleep after all that.

I know some women are lucky and can have their child with them 24/7 but not all of us are. I know I was not lucky and it took me months to recovery physically from the delivery of my second pregnancy and I did not have a c-section either.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think both should be an option.

Yes, birth is a natural process. But it can be exhausting and overwhelming. So I think new mothers should have the option of rooming in with the ability to have the baby go to the nursery for a few hours if Mom needs some sleep.

A PP who stated that rooming in is a money saver for hospitals is probably right. With Mom & baby in the same room, you need one nurse to care for 2 patients, where in the past, you who have had 2 nurses.

 

[dispor]

There is no way I would be able to sleep in the same room with my baby without a lock on the door. Around here, hospitals don't even require visitor passes like they used to. ANYONE can just walk right into your room. It's very rare, but babies do get "taken," and that's the last thing a new mom needs to worry about.

I agree that this is definitely a cost-cutting move.

 

[Avalon_toon]

The hospital where I had my sons is like this - no nursery, babies room with their moms.

But - that said - they still had a room with those light beds for babies who are jaundiced to get treatment and stuff.

I think its a good idea. I wouldn't have wanted my babies to be anywhere else but with me. Plus, it helped get the nursing thing established right away, instead of letting some stranger give formula.

 

[Ephany]

DD was born at 11pm, they brought her to me at 4am the next morning after her checkup. I know the hospital had a nursery, but she stayed with me the whole time (except for tests). I think the option should be there in case the mother needs help, not everyone has a support system or an easy labor. The nurses told me when I checked out they wished I had needed more help, we were the only ones on the floor the first night and they didn't have any babies to cuddle.

Our hospital had DH, me and DD wear matching alarms on our wrists (her ankle). If you got within 10 feet of a door that exited the unit, alarms went off and you were swarmed with security. DH saw one poor guy get too close with his baby and made sure to keep away from all doors after that.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I have never heard of it. I sent all of my kids to the nursery overnight while I was in the hospital.