Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Postnatal Ward - Do you take your baby with you to the toilet?

44 replies

BFPDec21 · 06/08/2022 02:18

Just that really...

Especially in the night when they're asleep soundly. No electronic tag that I know of though.

OP posts:
CaptainCarp · 06/08/2022 02:19

No, just leave them in the crib beside the bed.

Pollythedoll · 06/08/2022 02:39

How would you use the bathroom while holding a baby?

To answer your question, no I didn't take my newborns to the bathroom regardless of whether they were awake or asleep. I do remember going for a quick shower and coming back to my baby crying. A nurse told me off for leaving him. I'm still unsure what I was meant to do.....

Changechangychange · 06/08/2022 02:45

Pollythedoll · 06/08/2022 02:39

How would you use the bathroom while holding a baby?

To answer your question, no I didn't take my newborns to the bathroom regardless of whether they were awake or asleep. I do remember going for a quick shower and coming back to my baby crying. A nurse told me off for leaving him. I'm still unsure what I was meant to do.....

Yep I got told off for going to the toilet as well! DS was asleep when I went, awake and screaming when I came back. The cots didn’t fit in the toilet cubicle so not really much I could do about it.

Thenose · 06/08/2022 02:48

I pulled the cot into the ward bathroom with me... and got told off. I suppose we can't win!

CatSeany · 06/08/2022 03:08

I just left her in the bedside crib. I didnt think about taking the whole crib in actually, and obvs I woildnt have just put her on the bathroom floor!

BlodynGwyn · 06/08/2022 03:13

Here in the U.S. I just phoned a nursery nurse to come and get my baby when I wanted to nap or shower. They would keep him in the newborn nursery until I rang them again. I can't imagine getting told off by staff.

Cappuccino17 · 06/08/2022 03:46

I'm from the UK and the midwives on nightshift helped me. I just pressed my buzzer and the midwife watched my baby whilst I used the bathroom.
Iv also had midwives offer to rock my baby to sleep so I could get some rest.
Just depends on who's on duty. Some are very willing others can be cold.

Eek3under3 · 06/08/2022 03:52

Funny you ask that, because I almost asked the same thing. I was discharged from PN last night and wheeled the crib into the toilet when I had a wee, when DH had gone home to collect some stuff. Equally, the lady opposite me didn’t and no one said anything.

CakeCrumbs44 · 06/08/2022 04:01

I pushed the buzzer to ask this or ask someone to watch the baby. Nobody came so after a while I wheeled her in that fishtank for thing down to the big bathroom and took her with me. Went past the midwives station and nobody said anything so I guess that was what I was supposed to do 🤷

tealandteal · 06/08/2022 04:15

I asked and they said either wheel them in with you or press the buzzer and someone can watch him while you go to the loo.

minifigures · 06/08/2022 04:17

The hospital cots have a key. You take they key, it sets an alarm and of the baby is picked up the alarm sounds.

Loulou1712 · 06/08/2022 08:42

Are you in the UK? I was in for a few nights with my first, during the day my partner was there to watch her, at night I took her to the midwife station and asked them to hold her whilst I went ... She didn't sleep/hated being put down so leaving her in the bassinet wasn't an option 😂 and I didn't want to wake all the other mums/babies who may have actually got some sleep! x

Hohofortherobbers · 06/08/2022 08:45

We weren't allowed to hold the baby unless we were seated. Got told off for standing with baby in arms. Had to push cot everywhere, hell is a post natel ward

Ontomatopea · 06/08/2022 08:46

CaptainCarp · 06/08/2022 02:19

No, just leave them in the crib beside the bed.

Depends on the hospital. Mine made us wheel the babies to the nurses station so they could watch them. Don't want anyone stealing them.

BertieBotts · 06/08/2022 08:46

You can leave them in the cot. The ward is secure. It doesn't take long to go to the toilet, even the postnatal poo Grin I would leave DS3 in the cot while I showered as well - DS2 I showered during visiting hour but with DS3 it was corona and nobody visited me as DS2 wasn't allowed in so DH couldn't come!

LT2 · 06/08/2022 08:50

No, just left him in the cot. Never questioned it. Mind you, I was only there for one night so I probably only left him once or twice to pee, as my partner was there with me in the day. So was only gone for a few minutes.

BertieBotts · 06/08/2022 08:51

You get quite dextrous at using the bathroom while holding a baby though... I had to take my 3yo to the toilet the other day, had to bring 11mo with me because I didn't have another adult with me, then I thought I ought to take the chance to wee myself, I had to hold him on my lap while I did that, as I didn't feel comfortable putting him on the floor.

Admittedly this would be harder for sore/bleeding postpartum bits. Which is why I never took a newborn with me to wee.

I did get told off once as I had this three sided cot and had accidentally left one side down when I'd gone for a wee! I hadn't meant to obviously.

LT2 · 06/08/2022 08:53

@BertieBotts you're lucky you could shower! I only had the one immediately post-birth in theroom i gave birth in. On the ward I attempted to and the water just came out freezing cold - I alerted them and that's when they found they had no hot water. Didnt help that its boiling on those postnatal wards🥵 I asked to go home then!

Overthebow · 06/08/2022 08:53

Yes I took mine with. It was during lockdown so DH was t allowed in at all to help and the midwives were too busy to sit with my baby. There was no way I was going to leave her alone so I took her with. It meant I didn’t get to have a shower for the two days I was in there.

Hiddenvoice · 06/08/2022 10:05

There was a shower room in my shared room so I just nipped in when needed- no one said anything. When I wanted a shower I just buzzed and a midwife stayed in the room whilst I went. The other mums were lovely and we all looked out for each other when needed.

iilikerustyspooons · 06/08/2022 10:11

I left mine in the crib next to the bed (uk). I didn't shower until my husband arrived for visiting/to spend the day with us. I nipped to the toilet or to the kitchen with no trouble and left the baby in the crib.

I did get told not to carry my baby up and down the ward or to carry a drink while holding them Confused. I told them I'm a mother of two already and will be fine holding a newborn baby over my shoulder and a drink in the other. Wtf do they think we do at home?!

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 06/08/2022 10:21

I've always just left them by the bed while going to the loo/showering

Dyra · 06/08/2022 10:22

I did get told not to carry my baby up and down the ward or to carry a drink while holding them Confused. I told them I'm a mother of two already and will be fine holding a newborn baby over my shoulder and a drink in the other. Wtf do they think we do at home?!

It's incase, god forbid, you slip or fall/collapse while holding your baby. Hospitals are very risk adverse. Better to take to no chances than have something happen.

I left both mine in their cots to go to the loo. I only showered when DH was there to look after them.

Sandcastles24 · 06/08/2022 10:53

We were supposed to take them to the main desk and they used the room next to it as a nursery. They were also happy to do this if you want to go out for a walk. Try and remember it is not a prison!

No one thought to tell me this until the 3rd day there...

cushioncovers · 06/08/2022 11:11

Yes you take the crib that's on wheels with you where ever you go. You dont leave your baby unattended. That's what we were told by the midwives on the postnatal wards when I had mine