Birth plan - what did you do with your other children?

[theprincessthepea]

I’m thinking about my birth plan now that I’m at 30 weeks. I have a tween and I’m wondering where to put her!

I don’t really want her with me and I’m planning a hospital birth.

Does she stay with me until I go into labour and I arrange for a family member to pick her up?

Do I leave her with a family member a few weeks before the birth - so that her routine isn’t messed up.

Does she just come to hospital with me and I can make arrangements at that moment.

What did you all do with your other children?

Family set up is me, DD, OH (who will be in charge of getting me to hospital) and I have family less than 5 miles away. Plus a few friends who are local too for anything last minute.

We didn't bring our other children to the hospital while I was in labour. My mum came and sat with them in the house until I'd delivered then I was home a few hours later.

She's a tween not a toddler..? Surely she doesn't need a practice run for a change to her "routine". Can't she just... go and hang out with a friend, with sleepover stuff?

My DC was with grandparents when I had #2, and I had multiple back-up plans involving friends and our nanny. But my DC was 2.

With dc2, dc3 and dc4 it was a slow build up so in-laws came and picked them up from our house and then we went to the hospital. Dc5 was an emergency so dh dashed home from work while I shoved things in my bag that I couldn't pack in advance, packed the dc teddies etc. We took dc3 and dc4 with us to the hospital and when we realised we had some time, dh took the younger 2 to pick up older 2 from school and in-laws came and took them back to theirs. Baby was born by emcs just before 2am. Dh went home at about 5am I think and in-laws dropped younger 2 home after taking older 2 to school.

Since you have family nearby, surely have someone on standby that can have her from when you go into hospital?
Definitely wouldn't expect her to have to stay elsewhere for a few weeks.

You might come home same day!

What’s the issue she’s a teen and you have family near by?

We had DH’s cousin on standby for when I went into labour with #2. She just came over when we told her it was time!

For #3, my MIL came to stay with us because I was quite ill and needed surgery shortly after the birth, so needed help with all 3 kids.

In your case, I’d just have someone available who’ll come get your tween when you need to go to hospital.

I have a DC but they are much younger than a tween. My mum came to stay in the week leading up to my due date. But if I’d have gone into labour sooner we would have called my in-laws who live more locally and they would have collected DC.

As you have a tween I’d ask a family member to be on call to collect them when you go into labour. The hospital won’t allow them to be present at the birth.

When I was due with DC2 I had a 3 year old and no family nearby (over 2hrs away). The plan was for family to come and look after my 3YO while I had the baby but I lined up three friends who were happy to have my 3YO at short notice should I need to go to hospital in a hurry and my family weren’t there yet. I gave my family members the contact details of my friends in advance and also typed out info on my 3YOs routine so they had everything they needed. I prepped a little bag of stuff for my 3YO and talked to her about what might happen when the baby arrived. In the end my family were here before I went into Labour. One of my friends took her 3YO to hospital with her as it was the middle of the night and everything happened v fast.

As you have people locally, can't you just have them on standby to be with your daughter when you need to go in?