Ridiculous worry they’ll swap my baby

[QuietlyStorming]

I’m 23 ½ weeks pregnant and fully aware my hormones might be a bit wild right now, but I’m struggling to shake the thought all day.

I saw a headline this morning about two babies being swapped at birth and only finding out years later after a DNA test. I didn’t even read the details in the article because it suddenly triggered the worry.

With our first I had a c-section and DP stayed with her right from delivery until I was closed up and joined them both, she never left our sight.

But this time our baby will likely be early (another c-sec), and there’s a chance she might need NICU time without us. What if, even accidentally, there’s a mix-up? I know it’s not logical, that mix-ups are rare, and hospitals have procedures, but it’s niggling at me.

And yes, I’d hope I would know my baby from looking but I might also have to be put under either during or straight after so this adds a bit of an extra layer to my (admittedly ridiculous) worry.

How do hospitals make absolutely sure that each baby goes to the right mum these days?

My first did have a little armband but it was a little lose. What if it just slipped off?

I don’t know what I expect the answer to be, I just want to feel a bit better about it (and I have now given myself the challenge to not read or listen to the news until delivery if possible because it clearly has a terrible effect on me right now!).

Well i have to have a c-section due to high risk, complications and as I said in my OP i’m expecting an early baby needing nicu time so that’s not possible as it would highly likely kill us both.

But thanks for your suggestion, super helpful.

After birth the baby gets a little wrist identifier put on immediately- this is essentially a tag- and doesn't come off until you cut it off at home.

Every baby has one. It's really safe now.

Yeah, just a home c-section, no bother. 🙄

Well its pointless worrying isnt it. The NHS will do their best but shit happens sometimes.

Since the 1980's babies have been tagged essentially seconds after birth to prevent any possible issue. This case was far earlier.

@Crossingstreams that’s extremely unhelpful. Did you read the post?!
OP - I had to have an EMCS with my second, she had a band around her lower leg rather than her wrist. She also had a brief stay on the unit and the nurses were so attentive that I just can’t imagine how a mix up would have happened. It was something that I worried about though too! DD was wearing the hat that we’d brought for her and everything happened in her bed (nappies etc). I was also able to be present for as much time as I could manage as the ward didn’t have visiting hours for parents.

I would read the article properly! It said how astonishingly rare it is. The births were in the 1960s so before the bracelets existed (they’ve been around since the early 80s) and it was the era when babies used to go a nursery. It couldn’t happen today.

If this baby is being delivered by Caesarean the scary theatre sister will not let ANYONE leave until the WHO checklist is completed.
This includes the question “is the baby labelled”.

Thank you, that’s good to know. I didn’t read the details as I worried I would feel worse if I did. But thank you that does make me feel a bit better

Forgot to add how tough the bands are to get off without scissors as well, I couldn’t see one slipping off from normal newborn moving around

I feel from your response that you'd have been best to bypass this post. If you only have responses like yours, you don't need to reply. There's no rule that states all readers of the post must reply.

And honestly, if your best friend shared this worry, knowing it was unrealistic but still losing hours of worry to it, would you really just rely, "well shit happens sometimes"?

No, as PP say, this shit does not happen. You seem to be on a mission to make supremely unhelpful comments.

That was 55 years ago! Don't you think they have processes in place that would avoid that now! Also they took the babies away to the nursery in those days. Now your baby will be with you all the time or in special care if necessary with labels on them and all over their incubator! It's not possible now.

They wristband them as soon as they come out with a wristband that matches yours. They also put one on the ankle as well incase one comes off which I'm sure is very rare

@Barleysugar86 thank you that is very useful to know the tag won’t come off until they come home. First time around we were in hospital for less than 24hrs and everything was such a massive haze! Thank you

I worried this after having dc1 because I had her under GA and she also had fairer skin than we sort of expected (mixed race family). So I kept wondering out loud if she was really mine.

But, two things: firstly she has ears and toes just like mine. Secondly she clung to me desperately as soon as she was placed in my arms, and screamed when I wasn't holding her...she knew me for sure.

Yours will probably be the same! They've known you for 9 months by then!

The artical said this is only known example of this happening in the UK!
And it happened because baby went to nursery to be looked after. That doesn't happen now. In icu baby will have its own board and nurses know which baby is who and what needs what!
Completely understand your worry thought especially when it sounds things might be not straightforward.
Are you able to visit hospital to look round first? And these questions ( I'm sure you won't be the first to worry)

It’s great to know they have a checklist. I mean of course they do! I know i’m being silly and I should probably have read the article and would’ve known it was so long ago. Other news stories have really gotten to me recently (i’m pretty sure it’s hormones!) and this has been a massive trigger to just cut out the news for a while as it’s not doing me any good 😅

When my son was born last year they had two ankle tags ready before I went in to theatre and we had to cut them with scissors when we got home as they really are strong

@Mumof2namechange aww that’s lovely to hear. We’re similar (mixed race family) and first DD looked very different from me at birth 😅

@Sailawaygirl I think this might be a good idea and my hospital have been great so far and mentioned we could have a peek at the nicu and speak to a nicu nurse closer to the time so I think this will completely ease my worry

I think i just need to keep my mind busy on other things for a while because I am feeling a tad sensitive at the moment 😅

I completely get you OP. I got obsessed with this when the midwife took ds to wash him in the next room and then said "another baby boy was born at exactly the same time". From that moment on my hormone-addled brain was convinced that she'd accidentally swapped him. 🙄 But no, that really can't happen nowadays and I would say it's even less likely with a csection.

Our hospital does two bands. One on wrist and one on ankle would that help your fears any? They got put on within minutes of being born.

Speak to your midwife she should be able to tell you the process of how they avoid swaps now days

@Whetherornotyoutry oof that would’ve got me too! Sometimes logic chases us but we’re faster 😂 You’re right though, it’s been good to hear from others that it really is almost impossible for that kind of thing to happen nowadays

Oh bless you op.
They will out a label on your baby.
Get DH to take loads of pictures of him/her
Good luck with your Csec and congratulations! 💐💐💐