Maternity Unit Bans Children

[mrstgrlvr]

No really!!

Has anyone else come across this in their area?

My sister is about to give birth in a Glasgow hospital and it turns out that only sibling children are allowed to visit her and her baby in hospital. All other children are refused. It's their policy and its on their website!

It's causing us some upset in our family as I'll be looking after my sister's (now) 11 year old while she's in hospital having the baby. My neice is understandably keen to see her mum and first sibling as soon as possible, but I have a 2 year old of my own and most of the time have no one else I can leave her with. If we show up, my neice will get in but I'll have to wait outside with a (probably cranky) 2 year old after the 40 mile drive from my house to the hospital. So much for getting out the video camera to capture this special moment in our family.

The policy has never been mentioned in the course of my sister's care either. How many other unsuspecting families travel a distance with their kids, buy gifts etc, to visit a new member of the family and are refused entry?

Can anyone fathom what justification a maternity unit could have for such an anti-family and discriminatory policy? We're talking about family members visiting other healthy family members - not holding a creche in an intensive care unit! I'm really very grumpy about the whole thing.

Wondered if anyone can relate / explain..?

I hated restrictions on visiting times TBH and I think a partners and siblings only would be ok for the nice nuclear families but what about single parents?

This is why I left hospital as soon as possible!

Because of restrictions.

This was standard practice at the hospital I had DS at too, only siblings allowed.

Why are people only concerned about women who have had their babies.
I was on a mixed for nearly 2 months, thankfully had a private room once Ds was born.

Amberleaf, our policy is 'birth partner' plus siblings, so single parents are not cut a raw deal.

I don't have a problem with this... Most women aren't in hospital very long anyway and the main people who need to see the baby are partners and siblings! Everyone else can wait surely!

Women (like me) who suffer complications in birth and have to stay for longer wouldn't be keen on having the world and it's children turn up to see them anyway I don't think! (I could be wrong!)

Personally I'm quite pleased that after my elcs (booked for 5 weeks time) the only people who will be able to see me are my dh, dd aged 8... I'm sure I'll look and feel like death warmed up and I don't want the baby being passed round everyone like a pass the parcel.. What's a few days to wait really?

Highflying, I really don't think your 4 month old would have minded!

Same In bath hospital
Hygiene and infection control so I think it's fine too

The postnatal ward I was on with DC1 was so cramped it was awful (6 patients in a 4 bed bay...you literally could not move off your bed without banging into the next door cot or chair).

The woman in the next bed had 3 more under 5s and her husband just let them roam about. Then her sisters turned up and somehow argued their kids onto the ward AT THE SAME TIME - how restful! They were completely encroaching on my bed space, I wasn't even 24 hours post c section at this point and couldn't get out of bed cos they'd blocked me in and I couldn't climb over the other side.
I think there should be a no more than x visitors at once rule, age isn't the main issue though it doesn't help when people don't control small children (the woman in the bed opposite who had loud sweary arguments on her phone constantly all night was way more annoying than the kids of the woman next to me).

If there were enough midwives and enough space it might not be such an issue - I know myself that the likelihood of booting extra visitors out is in proportion to how many colleagues I've got to back me up.

WRT to infection control, I agree that childhood illnesses shouldn't be brought onto the ward but until doctors have to wear clean uniforms I don't really see an evidence base for getting our knickers in a twist about it...

Standard practice in my area which I totally agree with. You even put in your post that you think your 2 year old is going to be cranky after the journey!