Maternity wards without nurseries

[EthansMom]

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

I had DS7 at Annapolis Medical Center (in MD) and that was the way they did things. DS was with me the ENTIRE time of my hospital visit, excepting about 10 minutes to perform his circumcision. Otherwise, all Drs. and Nurses came to my room to check me or him. I LOVED it!!!! It really gave us time to bond.

I had DD5 at Davis Hospital (in UT). They said they did "rooming in" but they had a nursery. They would take DD to the nursery for a variety of things (bath, drs. checkup, etc..) and wouldn't return her for hours. Every time they took her, I had to call to ask for her to be returned. It was a very busy hospital and I think they probably collected up all of the babies and then bathed them or had check-ups all one after the other. In retrospect, I wished I'd gotten out of that hospital bed, walked down to the nursery, and demanded they give me back my daughter after the first hour. DD5 never did nurse well and I wonder if it was partly that the nursery kept keeping her beyond when she needed to nurse when she was first born.

 

[Nennie]

My hospital gave you the option, but it seemed like most kept their babies in the room with them. That's what we did too! It was easier for breastfeeding, etc..besides, even when he was sleeping I wanted to hold him and stare at him!

My hospital was like a nice hotel. It was Me, DH, and baby in the room for 4 days, with 24-hour room service (and the food was really good!). My DH jokes that he can't wait for the next baby so we can go back to the hospital again and get room service! LOL!!!

 

[tzolkin]

All three of my children never left my room until I left the hospital with them. (3 different hospitals, 2 states) They were bathed, had their hearing tested, etc. on or next to my bed. I also breastfed my babies as contiuously as possible for medical reasons (mine), so it wouldn't really have worked to just bring them to me for a feeding here or there. I also did not feel comfortable with my babies leaving my sight and generally had good experiences with rooming in.

My middle daughter was born in the "birthing center" section of a large hospital. There was no nursery at all there. (There was one in the regular maternity section on the same floor, but both mom and baby would have to be moved to that section.) The rooms had queen sized beds so DH, baby, and I could all snuggle up together.

My only bad experience was with my oldest. I had a 47hr labor. She was born at 12:30 in the afternoon (I didn't sleep then either). My family left by about 6:00 and she just screamed the entire night. I just held her and paced around my room all night. (Not fun with stitches...) The nurse offered to take her a few times, but her way of offering was saying in a nasty tone "why don't you just let me give that baby a bottle?" Never once offered to assist me with breastfeeding or suggested any other means of comforting her. These were the same nurses that left me on pitocin in labor and didn't check on my for over 8 hours the night before. I was also a teen and they treated me horribly, so there was no way I would trust them with my baby.

 

[luvsJack]

You know, hospitals tend to change the way they do things everytime the "latest study" shows something to be better for the mother and/or child.
When my boys were born, for instance, breast feeding was not really encouraged. When I had dd it was almost insisted upon. I think things like that make it very hard on a new, young mother.

I do think rooming in is a great thing and is better for the mother and the child. I also liked the fact that I went home within 24 hours of having dd instead of having to stay for another night or even half a day. (She was born on Sunday and we were home and settled before my sons got home from school on Monday). BUT, I don't think any of it should be expected of or pushed on a new mother. If she doesn't feel comfortable with being alone with the baby at first, she shouldn't be expected to be.

I needed to add though that now, at our hospital, they do let you know that they expect someone to stay in the room with you. But that is pretty much for anyone in the hospital.

 

[luvmy3]

All three of my kids were born at differernt hospitals and when the first two of my babies were born I had the choice whether or not I wanted them to sleep in the room with me or the nursery. I choose the nursery both times. I did not have the choice with my third, and I even had to give him his first bath. Being my third I had no problem with it but I couldn't imagine if he was my first, I'd be so nervous. It turned out he had colic literally from the moment he was born, so after hours of him screaming and me crying they offered to take him to the nursery so I could get a little sleep. He was gone 2hours and then back again for the rest of my stay.

 

[Colleen27]

I agree with those who think it should be an option even for healthy moms & babies. None of my kids ever saw the inside of the nursery, but I had 3 easy, short, uncomplicated labors. Heck, I was up and in the shower within an hour of having each of my kids. But for women who have it harder, like my BFF who had a 30+ hour labor with her first, that option needs to be there for the new mom who needs the sleep. There's plenty of time for sleep deprivation after leaving the hospital!

 

[TomLovesBecky]

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

Yes, the hospital where my children were born has a nursery but it is always empty. They strongly encouraged full rooming-in, and I agree that it's better for the baby AND the mom, especially if you are nursing (which I highly recommend)!

 

[Sandy V.]

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

That pretty much sums it up for me as well. It all boils down to dollars and cents.

There is no "one size fits all" plan that works for all mothers and newborns. I am grateful that 21 and 19 years ago when my kids were born, there WAS a nursery available and I could put my newborn in it for a while so I could get some sleep. Thankfully, the nurses were wonderful to me then and not snotty about having them there for awhile. If this "trend" of not having a nursery is commonplace now, though, I kinda wonder if when my kids have families of their own, if DH and I need to be prepared to stay at the hospital for awhile and stay with the baby so that their exhausted parents can get some rest? Of course, I wouldn't mind, but medical care has certainly changed over the years, not always for the better (my opinion).

 

[Pakey]

My son is 28 and this is how it was when I had him. I hated it and couldn't wait to go home to get some rest. Between having to deal with a newborn and having the doctors/nurses coming in and out on their schedule, I was exhausted.

 

[HGD24]

The hospital I delivered at is somewhat small, but they had a nursery and gave us the option of having the baby in my room or brought to the nursery as needed. DH stayed in a bed in my private recovery room and we let them take DD to the nursery every night and as soon as we woke up I had her brought into my room where she stayed through the day unless I needed a nap or shower.

Our nurses were wonderful and really enjoyed being able to care for the babies. They actually got giddy when we asked for her to be taken to the nursery because there were only 3 babies on the floor at the time and the other 2 were rooming with their moms 24 hours a day. Part way through my 4-day stay, we found out that the nurses were bringing DD to the nurses station rather than keeping her in the nursery because they were just so excited to get to care for a baby since it's no longer the norm to send them to the nursery.

I had a long and tiring labor and it was nice to know that the nurses were there and willing to care for our baby when I (we) needed rest. Especially knowing that we'd get little rest once we were home.

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.

We had the same bracelets and security measures at our hospital - it was nice to know that we were all so safe.

 

[TwinsinCA]

There was no 'well baby' nursery where I had my daughters and it was honestly a nightmare. I never got a chance to sleep. I had already been through 20 hours of labor which resulted in a fever. Then I had to try to take care of TWO newborns, deal with all the vitals checks, and recover from a c-section. Dh was there as much as he could but I just could not move around much and I was exhausted.

We did have help that first day after they were born but then we got transfered to another area of the hospital where we were largely on our own. The WHOLE time my babies roomed in. I loved the idea of that, but there comes a point where you just need to sleep.

 

[PatsGirl]

DD was born in a birthing center without a nursery (there was an infant ICU) and she NEVER left my room for the 3 days, that is their policy. I actually had a tubal after her birth and they assigned a nurse to sit in my room to "babysit" All the labor, birthing, cleanup, weigh in, etc. is done in the same room.

Funny story OT: After my tubal, I remember a nurse shaking me saying "Mrs. H... you really, really need to wake up now... your baby has been crying for hours and needs to be nursed. I guess I was so tired from the labor the day before that whatever they gave me for the surgery really knocked me out

 

[SydSim]

I also think it is a $$ saving issue for the hospitals, and number of nurses.

I understand what you're saying. But, actually in my hospital, I'm not sure that's the case.

It is far easier to have the babies in the nursery (nurse-wise, that is) and more cost-effective. IF you have twenty babies in the nursery, feeding, burping and diapering them every 3-4 hours can be handled by 2 nurses and one nursing assistant. With 20 patients out on the floor, without their babies, we only need around 4 nurses to care for them.

If everyone kept their babies, only one nurse, and nursing assistant, is need in the nursery, but 5-6 nurses would be needed on the floor to assist the parents with caring for their babies. Believe me, it's far easier to care for a mostly sleeping mom, than it is to care for a (hormonal, sleep-deprived, in pain and anxious) mom that's up all night caring for her baby. To do that, we would need more nurses so that each nurse could have fewer patients, and therefore have more time to help each of them.

I know a lot of people think that nurses encourage patients to room-in because it makes it easier for the nurse, but it's actually the opposite At my hospital, many night shift nurses are elated to have a patient that wants her baby to be in the nursery all night

So in essence, rooming-in=6-7 nurses + 1 asst. on the entire unit. Babies in the nursery - 6 nurses +1 asst.

 

[Sandy V.]

If everyone kept their babies, only one nurse, and nursing assistant, is need in the nursery, but 5-6 nurses would be needed on the floor to assist the parents with caring for their babies.

I'm not arguing with your position or you at all, but in my personal experience, I've never seen that many (5-6) nurses on ANY wing/floor at any one time. But I haven't been in or around hospitals all that much, I will admit.

 

[DMickey28]

My hospital only had a small nursery for new babies to be in while they get the mom back to the room. They managed to keep DS in there for over 6 hours but ... otherwise they room in all the time. The nurses said they would take the babies so that you could get some rest but the literally left them in the nurses station, just in the open. Not cool ....

 

[Laura]

I understand what you're saying. But, actually in my hospital, I'm not sure that's the case.

It is far easier to have the babies in the nursery (nurse-wise, that is) and more cost-effective. IF you have twenty babies in the nursery, feeding, burping and diapering them every 3-4 hours can be handled by 2 nurses and one nursing assistant. With 20 patients out on the floor, without their babies, we only need around 4 nurses to care for them.

If everyone kept their babies, only one nurse, and nursing assistant, is need in the nursery, but 5-6 nurses would be needed on the floor to assist the parents with caring for their babies. Believe me, it's far easier to care for a mostly sleeping mom, than it is to care for a (hormonal, sleep-deprived, in pain and anxious) mom that's up all night caring for her baby. To do that, we would need more nurses so that each nurse could have fewer patients, and therefore have more time to help each of them.

I know a lot of people think that nurses encourage patients to room-in because it makes it easier for the nurse, but it's actually the opposite At my hospital, many night shift nurses are elated to have a patient that wants her baby to be in the nursery all night

So in essence, rooming-in=6-7 nurses + 1 asst. on the entire unit. Babies in the nursery - 6 nurses +1 asst.

I had my DD in February, and the nurses were practically pestering me to let them take her to the nursery.

 

[kidshop]

My hospital had no well baby nursery. By the time I had my third 2 years ago thay had upgraded rooms where everything was done labor, delivery, clean-up, ped checks etc. The baby never left the room except for 10 minutes for a hearing check. I much preferred it that way! Even though I wasn't 'supposed' to sleep with the baby in the bed, by the 3rd I got smart and did it anyway. Nobody is going anywhere with those rails, and nobody said a word. I got sleep and my baby never left me. I took the baby to the in-room bathroom with me for showers. It worked out fine.

 

[december]

I have 3 kids, all born in the same hospital, ds12, dd9, and dd(7 wks old). Over those 12 years, this part didn't change at all. I had the option to keep them with me, but it was recommended that they sleep in the nursery so I could rest. They spent all day in the room with me, but were picked up and taken to the nursery around 9. They were then brought to me to nurse during the night. I called after they finished nursing, and they came back to get them. This time I had a tubal, and had a hard time getting around for a few days. Plus I just wanted some time to soak in the big jetted tub they had in the rooms this time (didn't have those with the 1st 2 kids). Giving birth isn't so easy for most of us, and a couple of nights of help isn't a bad thing. I can understand some women not wanting it, but I think it should be an option.

 

[Kath2003]

Mum and baby stay together almost always in the UK. In fact, most women go home within 6-24 hours of delivery providing it's a complication-free birth so it's rarely more than one night. Dad gets two weeks off work to help care initially too, so the family can get back home and begin adjusting to life together. The midwife visits the day after you go home and then several times in the following few weeks to check mum and baby are healthy and happy.

 

[MichelleVW]

I have 3 kids, all born in the same hospital, ds12, dd9, and dd(7 wks old). Over those 12 years, this part didn't change at all. I had the option to keep them with me, but it was recommended that they sleep in the nursery so I could rest. They spent all day in the room with me, but were picked up and taken to the nursery around 9. They were then brought to me to nurse during the night. I called after they finished nursing, and they came back to get them. This time I had a tubal, and had a hard time getting around for a few days. Plus I just wanted some time to soak in the big jetted tub they had in the rooms this time (didn't have those with the 1st 2 kids). Giving birth isn't so easy for most of us, and a couple of nights of help isn't a bad thing. I can understand some women not wanting it, but I think it should be an option.

Especially for those people with a 2 year old at home and a bad newborn that never stops crying!! I knew there would be no rest once I got home!

Mum and baby stay together almost always in the UK. In fact, most women go home within 6-24 hours of delivery providing it's a complication-free birth so it's rarely more than one night. Dad gets two weeks off work to help care initially too, so the family can get back home and begin adjusting to life together. The midwife visits the day after you go home and then several times in the following few weeks to check mum and baby are healthy and happy.

I guess if there is someone checking on the baby every day for a few days that's not that bad, but there are so many things that can go wrong right after birth.