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Pregnancy

Idiotic question

16 replies

iWILLdothis · 09/10/2011 12:44

Will post anyway, with the risk of being laughed at. What do you do with baby when when you go for a shower in the hospital?
With DC1 I left her in her cot by my bed in a 6-bed ward, while I went. Hated leaving her and fretted someone would take/harm her. The 2nd night I'd mved to a single room so had my own bathroom, and that was fine, brought her in the cot in with me to the bathroom!
But now due DC2 and had an overnight in hospital this week in a single room, on a different corridor from the last time and the bathroom was TINY, could barely even fit in there myself thanks to massive bump! Definitely no room for a cot in that bathroom. So what are we meant to do with babies while we shower? Leave 'em for strange visitors and unknown hospital staff to have access to while we aren't watching? This is keeping me awake at night thinking about this.... WWYD? Thanks

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Wurg · 09/10/2011 12:48

Actually a very good question. With DS1 there were signs everywhere saying Do Not Leave Your Baby Unattended.

So when I (in post-pethedine fog) was found taking tiny DS into the loo with me it caused many raised eyebrows from the MWs.

After that I left him if I needed a quick wee but never got round to having a shower as the one on the ward was permanently engaged

m1nn1em0u5e · 09/10/2011 13:28

I took ds1 with me, but the bathroom was huge, with ds2 I waited until dh arrived & he watched him for me!..

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 13:33

I either left him with DP, or with the midwives at the desk.

In the night I just nipped to the loo and left him by my bed though. There wasn't any access for visitors then anyway.

iWILLdothis · 09/10/2011 13:38

Yeah I thought of waiting 'til DH arrives, but that's only allowed for 1 hour in the morning and time is short & precious when he's there.... Also MWs/drs/physios etc might be in with you at that time and you miss the chance. Want to be clean and semi-decent looking at least by the afternoon visit when other visitors might arrive.... Might be in for a while due to CS so can't wait 'til I get home! I feel horrible if I don't get my shower every day. Oh goodness, I'm stressing over everything now....

OP posts:

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 13:45

What, your DH can only visit for an hour? That's crazy!

TickledOnion · 09/10/2011 14:06

Good question! I missed breakfast as it was in a room at the end of the corridor and I didn't know whether I was supposed to leave DD1.
I seem to remember hearing about an alarm on the crib that you turn on when you leave so that if anyone picks up your baby the alarm goes off, but I might just have imagined it.
I suggest posting this in Chat as you'll get lots of responses by people who know about these things.

AchtungBaby · 09/10/2011 14:16

I left DS while I had showers, but I hated it, and I wouldn't actually do it again.

One of the midwives told DH and I off for carrying DS to the family room - apparently we might have dropped him, and the only way that they could be sure that he was safe, was if we wheeled him there in his little cot, then took him out of the cot . In hindsight, I wish I'd just wheeled DS into the bathroom with me.

It was ridiculous degrees C in the maternity ward, and showers and clean clothes were pretty much the only thing that made me feel any better.

HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 09/10/2011 15:13

When I was in hospital they had a room where they put the cots while you went to eat/shower/get some sanity back etc. It was monitored by the midwives.

whackamole · 09/10/2011 15:20

Well I was on a ward and there was constantly midwives/nurses/people with tea and coffee in and out during the day. I would tell the midwives at the desk if I was off for a shower or bath. I wouldn't do it at visiting time, even though all babies were tagged!

m1nn1em0u5e · 09/10/2011 16:17

Really, 1 hour for partners! Thats crazy, our hospital offers open partner visiting from 10am to 10pm, even though my husband wont be able to stay for that long as we have 2 other children!..1 hour is crazy!

Hotpotpie · 09/10/2011 18:19

Thats not a daft question at all! although this one might be does everyone stay in overnight after giving birth? these are the sorts of things I have no bloody idea about and noone I can think of to ask

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 18:46

You can be discharged in 6 hours if all is well (and there are staff available to discharge you!). If you had a more difficult birth, you struggle with feeding or you give birth at night then they might want you to stay in.

Hotpotpie · 09/10/2011 18:49

Thanks Rita I have a LOT to learn!

m1nn1em0u5e · 09/10/2011 19:47

No, I went home straight from labour ward with one of my sons!..It was fab & im hoping to do it again :)

AchtungBaby · 09/10/2011 20:15

I had a 3rd degree tear, so I had to stay in for a few nights. They kept asking me if I'd pood (I hadn't), and they didn't let me go home until I had .

Claire129 · 09/10/2011 20:22

oh bless you, as if you havent got enough to worry about and you are spending your time worrying about this. Can you not arrange for your dh to be there for an hour in the morning to watch your new baby and then arrange for him to come back in the afternoon to spend quality time or give your baby to the midwives to watch thats what they are there for after all. I know what you mean i work in a hospital and the wards are so warm and all you want to do is have a shower. Maybe the health care assistants will give you a hand if you asked, Im sure they would love to have a cuddle with your new baby. Try not to worry and enjoy the last part of your pregnancy :D

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