special care/neonatel - visitors?

[amylw1]

hi,

can anyone advise me as to what the rules are on visitors if LO is in specia care/neo? i'll explain why below.

as per other posts i have had dull low backache and crampy pains since sunday, tightenings of stomach and a blood stained muscas show, i'm 31 weeks. was taken in wed night and they did tests etc, the machne wasnt picking up the tightenings and MW said they cant be happening. they did an internal and the swab thing for labour showed as a feint line but not strong enough to say i was in labour so sent me home, i'm still the same.

the reason i'm asking about visitors is quite strange. obviously the hospital are not being very helpful and when i asked at the hosp was told "worry about that if it happens early". my inlaws havnt spoen to me or OH since march when they reported me to social services for no reason (long story). anyway, they know i am pregnant and dont care etc - to extent that MIL even said she hopes social services take baby and other 2 kids from us!

who do special care allow in as visiitors? i'm quite concerned that the inlaws may found out i have had baby (especially if he comes early), turn up when me or OH are not there and play the loving grandparents! do we as parents get a say in who can see baby? is it only us allowed in?

 

[DonnaBallona]

SCBU will NOT let anybody in, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE, unless you are there to say yes let them in.

My stepmum works at the hospital where Brooke was and, unless I was there to say yes, then she was not just allowed to stroll in whenever-even though she was a worker.

everything is on your terms, and if you dont want them there-dont let them come. If baby ends up in SCBU you will feel mixed up enough hun, without adding that to the mix.

Try not to worry-but if baby comes, then scbu will do everything they can to help you and the baby.

My little girl was born at 32 weeks and weighed only 2lb 4oz as my placenta was dying. . .she is now 5 months old, wehs 9lb 5oz and thriving.

hang in there chicken xxx

ETA. . .if you want to ask anything else or I can help in any other way-please just ask

 

[amylw1]

thanks hun. i'm not too worried IF he does come early as i know that scbu do a great job and they can do so much for LO's. as i put above my concern is on visitors (namely inlaws!) i couldnt care less about friends and my sister etc coming and going as they have all been really supportive against the inlaws for what they did.

 

[Christine33]

When Ali was in the Neonatal Unit the only visitors allowed in was:

1 sibling at a time
grandparents

obviously you give the permission to staff to let them in. Friends/other relatives were not allowed in from my understanding.

also, the area is secure, you have to buzz to get in and staff won't let unauthorised people in so don't worry.

 

[DonnaBallona]

When Brooke was in from January to March this year, we were allowed 3 at a 'bed' at any time-including parents, but those three could be whoever you wanted.

My best friends came to visit little B, our family Priest, my fiancee's friends, then siblings, our parents. . .

the only people that were NOT allowed in for definate were any children that were not siblings of the actual baby in the unit. My little sister is 12 and she was not allowed in due to the risk of passing on infection-Im glad about that though as it meant it kept the babies safe.

everything will be ok

 

[AP]

The Neonatal here allows 4 visitors (not including me and OH) per day, at limited times, and only 3 people are allowed in at one time.

Me and OH are given special passes to show we are parents, and we have 4 green passes which we give to those we choose to visit. No-one else is allowed up at neonatal without a pass, they simply dont get in as it is a locked door and intercom service before you get anywhere near the babies.

 

[MissMandieMitz]

I guess it's a bit different here, lol.

When Max was in the hospital only two people were allowed in at a time (except during shift changes - then no one was allowed in). So it could either be two parents, or one parent and one guest. But atleast one parent had to be present. You were not allowed in unless you either had a hospital wristband on or you were with someone who had one on. I do believe that if you had twins each parent was allowed one guest. Also, at the time, no siblings to the babies were allowed in incase they were sick.

No one is EVER let in unless a parent is with a guest. So don't worry about that

 

[embojet]

When Molly was in hospital, we were only allowed 1 parent and 1 visitor at a time. The unit was REALLY secure. Dont worry about that at all

 

[Mamafy]

Our Nicu had the rule parents and grandparents only, not even siblings

but they told me that I could choose 4 people in total and so long as the nicu had their names they'd get in. Its hard for parents to get into nicu so anyone else should be no problem

Actually if you're worried you can mention to them that no-one should get in unless you authorize it

 

[amylw1]

thanks. i dont have much faith in the hospital as it is due to being made to feel like i wasting ppls time and making the pain up etc (on 2 occassions now). and the fact that i have had low dull backache, crampy abdo pains, lost part of plug and getting tightenings every 12-15mins (hospital said its a urine infection! gave anti-biotics which did nothiing - i still like it 10days on) i think its slow labour and have the added worry of the inlaws!

 

[ALI]

it differs slightly with every Hospital. Whilst our little one was in Portsmouth we were only ever allowed two people in at any one time and that could include grandparents and siblings only so myself and my other half had to take it in turns to be in there with one grandparent or one brother/sister.

When she was transfered to Frimley Park i think it was the same.
We had to be buzzed in and and if there were more than two the others had top stay in a waiting room before being allowed into the main nicu/scbu unit.

 

[avabear73]

Here it was 2 at a time - and only parents, grandparents and siblings were allowed. Grandparents were not allowed to touch the babies unless a parent was present. Parents had 24/7 access but grandparents were just between 3pm-7pm.

I'm pretty sure if you said no in-laws, they'd note that down and make sure they didn't get in, plus it was an intercom, signing in book and there were always nurses present who would have no qualms about asking someone to leave!! You could always say that grandparents were only to be admitted if a parent was with them, which would make it easier for the NNU to identify who they should/should not admit.