U.S mothers, do they really take your baby away to a nursery?

[LadySlipper]

It depends on the hospital and state it seems. I don't have first hand experience yet, but during the tour they said you have an option of either having the baby taken to the nursery or with you at all times. Also they allow your husband or support person to stay the whole time with you too. Even have a pull out bed for the person to sleep on & they are fed by the hospital as well. When we toured the nursery area, it was completely empty & the nurse said it usually stays that way but is there if needed. They also do the tag system others have mentioned. A tag on baby, mother, and father (or other support person). Every time the baby is moved they scan all tags. Not sure how they handle testing & bathing, if they do it in room or take the baby away for a short time. I will be delivering at Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minnesota if anyone is familiar with it. It has a level 3 NICU where they allow you to see the baby at all times, in person and via closed circuit tv in your room during off hours. Thankfully they are very midwife friendly & allow completely natural birth including a water birth if you want.

 

[paigeypoo]

in Canada mothers have the option, i think the nurses and dr's judge how well or not well you are doing with baby as well as taking into acount your medical state in some cases after birth. they bring the baby to the nursary if you fall asleep and or if its time for the bath or any needles but women can chose to have the baby in the room as much as permited. they dont let you have the baby in the hospital bed with you while you sleep. i think in some cases having the option for baby to go to the nursary for short bits so mom can get some rest, or incase of severe after care needs for mom such as medications that may make it unsafe for mom to be interacting with baby without a nurse or third party. only the father and or the support persons are allowed during delivery and only the grandparents sibblings and siupport persons are allowed to visit.

 

[Peanut78]

I gave birth to both my boys in South Africa. I ended up have an ECS with my first and a subsequent c-section with my second. Both times I was shown my baby, baby was taken to the paed (in the same room) AGPAR done (5-10 minutes) and then baby handed to me as they finished stitching me up. I was wheeled (in my bed) with my baby to my room where baby stayed with me. The nurses constantliy came and offered to take the baby to the nursery so I could rest, but I chose to keep baby with me. I bathed my baby on day 4 both times, in the nursery - but at least it was me.

With my second son thou, I had made a specific point that I wanted skin to skin for the first 24 hours, so baby on my chest in bed with me (I had some challenges establishing Bf'ing with my first so this was really important to me to get off to the best possible start). This was clearly not something they were used to. They incessently came and tried to convince me to take the baby to the nursery (it was actually very distruptive when baby and I could have gotten on with resting just fine). It's like they thought I had this weird idea in my head, but I'd soon tire of it One nurse even had the cheek to tell me I was "spoiling him and it would cause problems later on". Anyway, on day 3 he was jaundiced and had to go into one of the UV light things over night. I told them under no circumstances were they to give him formula, but I would come to the nursery to feed him when he woke during the night. They totally tried to tell me this was a bad idea; I should rest etc. I went to the nursery myself at one point as he hadn't been brought to me and sure enough there was someone about to give him formula

Anyway, besides those few points my experience with hospital staff and care were great in SA

 

[Cassandra1995]

She was in the same room with me the whole time.

 

[flubdub]

What tests are they taking your baby away for? After the apgar score and temp taken, my babies have always been left alone?

I've had three babies in the same UK hospital and not once has my baby ever been taken away (for ANY reason; no tests or anything) and they don't try and bath your baby. In fact in my hosp, they recommend you don't bath them until all the vernix has been absorbed and I feel very strongly about this. If anyone tried to bath my baby, especially with soap, I would hit the roof.

 

[korndogger123]

What tests are they taking your baby away for? After the apgar score and temp taken, my babies have always been left alone?

I've had three babies in the same UK hospital and not once has my baby ever been taken away (for ANY reason; no tests or anything) and they don't try and bath your baby. In fact in my hosp, they recommend you don't bath them until all the vernix has been absorbed and I feel very strongly about this. If anyone tried to bath my baby, especially with soap, I would hit the roof.

its different here in the us. i know my friends baby was taken to do a hearing test. And then again for her first bath, which here most people don't have a problem with it. i am sure if you asked them not to bathe baby they wouldn't. personally i don't mind them bathing my baby... and they will allow me or hubby to help them. (or them show us basicallya)

 

[MommaAlexis]

They bathed her for me as I couldn't stand for that long after c section. but they let me watch and I bathed her again a few days later. I wemt with her for her hearing test when she was a week old.

 

[MacyClara]

I was in labor for 38 hours and cherished my first (and last) night of good sleep while Mila was in the nursery. I can't imagine going through labor and then jumping right into taking care of the baby immediately afterwards. They put her on my chest after she was born and we cuddled and had immediate family in and then they bathed her and gave me a chance to clean up.

 

[Mummy Bean]

it deff interesting to see the differences from country to country and even hosptial to hospital. Im in the UK and we were advised to not bathe baby for the first 3 days to allow any vernix to be absorbed into skin and to allow the umbical cord to dry up.
Also the hearing test is done whilst in hosptial took all of 2 min. I also had to stay in for 24 hrs to check on bubba as we had serious meconium, but the only checks they did was check his BP and temp every 2 hrs no need for him to go anywhere.

 

[taylor197878]

when i had my first daughter nearly 17 years ago babies went in to the nursey i know amy did it was the norm they got taken away at night and u got them bk in the morning.

i live in scotland.

when i had brooke she never left me and i gave her a first bath the next day the midwifes are supposed to but she was my 4th a think they trusted me lol.

 

[marron]

The hospital I'm going to be at gives the option-- if you want baby with you, great, but the nursery is there otherwise. Not everyone has another person around to keep an eye on baby and they want to help the mom get some rest when they can.

 

[nikkchikk]

In the past, maybe. That's really not how the US does things anymore.

My hospital offers labor, delivery and post-natal all the the same room. It's like a hotel suite (en-suite) actually. They only took my daughter away to the nursery when she needed the newborn hearing tests, shots, or the first nights when I really just needed uninterrupted sleep. They would bring her back every three hours during the night so I could breastfeed. Security is tight too. The babies all have monitors strapped on their ankle that sends an alarm throughout the ward (code pink) when a baby goes past a certain point.

Here are a couple of pictures. The first shows the room, and the second shows the bed she sleeps in, right next to me!

 

[MommaAlexis]

Nikkchikk I think our hospitals shop at the same place. All the furniture, curtains, pictures are EXACTLY the same as mine was!!

 

[nikkchikk]

Nikkchikk I think our hospitals shop at the same place. All the furniture, curtains, pictures are EXACTLY the same as mine was!!

Oh they all look alike!

Lol, I didn't want to leave! It was so cozy and the food was awesome! We even had a slushie machine in the ward!

 

[MommaAlexis]

We had ice cream and a big pantry of free food lol!! Soooo good. They even brought me coffee

 

[Hopefull99]

Baby was with me the whole time, never took her away. I was surprised, and I even asked a nurse. Couple of years ago when my friend gave birth they took baby away for the most part...so I asked and they said they have changed so baby and mom could bond and also, because of crazy people trying to steal babies !!!