When did newborn nurseries stop being a thing?

[Al991]

Just a question stemming from a conversation with my mum, who said she slept all night after birthing my sister while she was cared for in a newborn nursery in hospital. I’ve only seen this on American TV shows.

I was in labour for 48 hours then had a 1.5L postpartum haemorrhage, a 3rd degree tear and moderately serious surgery but I had the baby with me the whole time and thereafter.

just curious as to when we stopped having newborn nurseries and what the history of this is! Was it part of the push for breastfeeding? My sister was born in 2000.

I wonder if it varies between hospitals. With my first which I had in hospital hadn't been a thing with first even for very ill c-section mothers on same or ward or help TBH - and then Dads went home from 10pm to 9am.

My next one were HB - but DSis had her in different are when I was having my second and she was ff from off. She got really poor anti natal care for reasons and DN had a club foot but birth was straight forward - she was in 6 days and day and night she could and did leave DN in nursery they brought her back for bottles and visitors.

I was surprised as thought such things no longer existed though I was bf with Velcro pfb so wouldn't have used - though having someone to watch and hold her so I could go to loo and not get shouted at and so I could get food from breakfast room would have been hugely helpful

Sorry that was 2007.

I don't disagree with mums requiring help but surely the default expectation should be that a partner/loved one/friend helps not medicalising things further by sticking baby in a room with a bunch of other babies being juggled by a complete stranger. It goes back to the 'it takes a village' philosophy. Would most people genuinely prefer that their newborn was whisked off and looked after by a midwife/similar that they're probably never going to see again rather than someone who's going to love and care for that baby for the rest of its life. Would most mums not prefer baby to be near them and able to touch them and mum and hear her voice even if she can't do a lot? Yes some mums may be isolated but surely most have somebody who can provide this.

I can definitely relate to a lot of your post❤️❤️ honestly I wonder if some midwives really understand the impact on new mums and how distressing it is to cope with this new world of being a parent, thrown in the deep end but lack of sleep made it such a difficult time. You need time to recover after a birth. Not everyone just bounces back after they have a baby!

What do they do when the mother had a C-section? One PP said she had to look after C-section baby for another mother but please dont tell me it a common thing?

They seem to expect visitors in day time to look after them and at night when no visitors - seem to just leave them and expect other mothers to help - even though when I was in there were only 4 of us on entire ward.

I didn't help much I'm afraid as was stiffening up having literally just given birth and dealing with baby that wouldn't be put down and getting BF started and hadn't grasped that staff wouldn't help and was shocked I wasn't getting help- other two mothers were awful - loud music and guests and phone calls so poor c-section Mum with one twin in ICU was in right state when her husband turned up next morning - DH got us out after one night - they keep waiting on their paper work and he said lets just go.

I had my son in 1994 and he was taken away to a nursery overnight but bought to me for feeding during the night and taken away again. It must depend on the hospital rather than it being a national policy.

1981...nephew born in nhs hospital and in the nursery downstairs for a week. Babies were induced on Mondays and discharged the following Sunday. Small local hospital.
1991...ds born in big nhs hospital following ventouse and massive episiotomy. Five days in hospital with the loudest baby ever and no real help. Cs women also not helped.
1993...ddborn as domino delivery as I might as well have no help at home!
Pp mentioned private birth in Ireland...my ds had a colleague whose baby was born in Dublin in Mount Carmel which was very expensive and now closed. On the night before discharge the staff kept the baby and mum and dad went out to dinner. About 35 years on Im still pondering this.

1984 in Canada the babies were all lined up in cots in the same room and brought to mothers as needed - like in an American film. (I was a volunteer on the ward)

1996 in U.K., every one had their babies with them all the time unless there was a reason not to.

They did take my eldest away for 3 hours, bless them, as after 48 hours of labour, emergency section and all day and night trying to establish feeding I was absolutely on my knees and weeping.

Baby born on Friday, I was home on Monday. By third baby (although planned section not rather catastrophic emergency section) I was home the following day.

My parents and aunts, all used to a week in hospital, were stunned.

I was literally crawling along the postnatal ward holding on after my EMCS. Really struggled. DH was at home caring for the other three DC. One lovely midwife, helped me by taking my arm and we slowly walked up the corridor together so I can drop off my colostrum loot for it to be transferred up to NICU for the youngest. She was very kind as I was in agony with my stitches. Could hardly walk properly.

I asked after the birth if someone could help me with my shower and was told to just get on with it though. This particular midwife wondered why on earth I would support after the CS?? Really!

There was a nursery when I had my first in 1971. Babies in there on night one, then we found out one student nurse was trying to feed up to 12 babies and as I wanted to breastfeed I wasn't happy with that and no one was happy when the student told us she ended up crying with the babies as she couldn't cope. Standard to be in for a week back then but no one on my ward used nursery after night one except for one mother who had a very difficult delivery and seemed quite depressed. The nursery was for 2 wards with 24 in each ward, God knows what the student would have done if she had all 48 in there.

This happened to my mum in the 60s, when I was born. They brought the baby to her for feeding, and she said, "That's not my baby". The nurse argued with her, but she was adamant - "my baby's prettier than this".

It was only because I had been born with forceps and had marks either side of my head that convinced them that they had, in fact, brought the wrong baby.

Like you, I've often wondered who I would have been and what my life would have been if they'd not realised.

I had a similar birth situation to you OP and had to go for surgery for the tear, my DD was given to my husband within 30 minutes of the birth so I could go in for surgery (I had emergency forceps in the delivery room and not theatre) and I didn't hold her for a few hours. Obviously I cannot be sure but I have always felt not being with her for those first few hours had an impact on our bonding.

It’s the norm. I had an emergency c section and a broken leg and had to take care of baby. My husband was in and out but we also had a 3 year old at home so he was limited in what he could do. I had to buzz for a nurse if I needed the toilet but beyond that it was all on my. It’s surprisingly hard to carry an infant on crutches but we made it work.

I answered further up post, but also wanted to mention how it was in my mothers day.
First, my DPs told me that there was a campaign for 'midwifes for all'. I am thinking of the days similar to the 'Call the Midwife' TV prog (UK), in which mothers had their babies at home and midwives would visit (1950s) Obviously the campaign of midwives for all, implies that often it was still just a local woman who had DC of her own who attended.
The new mother was expected to stay in bed for 10 days.
When my DM had my younger brother, he was born in a hospital, and they then reflected the norm of new mothers staying in bed for 10 days.
When I had my first DC, (1980s) I was expected to stay in hospital for 8 days, but was allowed home on the 7th day, as my baby was born around lunchtime, so they decided to count that as the first day.
So gradually over the course of 50+ years we went from babies being born at home to being born in hospital with long stays, to short stays.
When I had my last baby I was told I could stay in for the minimum of 6 hours if I wished!

It's a thing that happens in the UK too 🤷🏻‍♀️ metro.co.uk/2024/04/17/mum-feared-newborn-stolen-hospital-gave-wrong-baby-20663534/

I also had two traumatic deliveries. The first my husband was here and took the baby. The second he was not but baby had a 1:1 midwife who stayed with me and baby until I was stitched up. He was then given to me. There was a discussion before I went in to theatre about what to do if I didn’t make it or if I was placed on life support and they said that there were nurseries baby could go to. The priority is to be with parents but there are still nurseries available.

Yes some mums may be isolated but surely most have somebody who can provide this.

We were a bit put out DH was thrown out as soon as I was put in post natal ward - but I wouldn't have wanted other men there at night - they were really inconsiderate in day time.

With final birth family not nearby couldn't help with having existing kids and friend in that area disinclined to help (previous area had friend who take pfb if we needed to go in). They tried to stop HB but also insisted DH had to be in hospital with me - I think that ward left labouring mothers alone a lot. I don't think I'd have been only existing mother struggling with lack of help.

I had my first by EMCS in 1996 (born 2039hrs) and he was looked after by the midwives that first night as I was totally out of it from a GA following a 48 hour labour. He was with me all the time for the remaining week we were in hospital. #2 was born by EMCS at 0525 in 1998 and they took him to the nursery next to the midwives station so I could sleep that first night. #3 born 2000 by elective CS and boy was it different! No intention of helping me as "its your third you should know what to do by now" and spent the first two nights walking the ward to try and settle the baby without disturbing the other new mums too much. I think it was about 3am on night 2 when a very grumpy midwife finally took the baby for a couple of hours when I almost collapsed whilst walking!

then reflected the norm of new mothers staying in bed for 10 days.

MIL got annoyed with me that I wasn't doing housework and waiting on them few days after birth - it was FIL who pointed out she was still in hospital getting help and DH being brought just for bottle feeds.

Mine were early 80s. Eldest definitely went to the nursery. I was woken for feeds. I think No 2 was left with me (first was a tricky birth tho)

My elder one was born in 1987 and I was expected to keep him with me then.

This made me think, I had my babies over a 21 year period. First was in a hospital, induced, everyone seemed to have episiotomies, Sister ruled the ward with a rod of iron. God help you if she found a dressing gown on the bed rather than hung up on the hook behind your bed. Strict visiting times of 1 hr per day except Wednesdays and Sundays when there was a 45 minute afternoon visit. No dads on ward outside those times.

Baby two born at home, I wasn't going through that again. I had midwife and student with me for 15 hrs before baby appeared. Midwife had to fight off another midwife who arrived with her student and offered to relieve them. Home births were rare at the time and they were all keen to do the delivery.

Baby three again back in hospital, week long stays had gone, EMCS and in for 3 days I think. Little support. With my first there was one CS on the ward which I suppose over the week was maybe 40 or 50 mums, this time I found I seemed to be in the majority with CS being so common. Lots of dads around but sent home at night.

Baby four in hospital horrible forceps delivery. Apparently my bruising was a sight to behold and I eventually informed the student midwives that I was going to a pay per view model as I was sick of displaying said bruising for their entertainment? education?

Best was home delivery and baby tucked up in bed with me with toddler sneaking in as well.

I gave birth in an Asian country and was heavily encouraged to put my baby in the nursery for the first night, so I could recover. I refused but this is standard practice. Mothers usually stay in hospital for at least a week after birth and can use the night nurseries whenever they choose.

Interestingly breastfeeding rates are far higher there than the UK, and certainly anecdotally i didn’t know anyone who didn’t breastfeed their baby, although most mothers will technically combi feed on some level.

I didn’t use the nurseries at night but I did ask them to take my baby when I showered or went to the hospital shop. I didn’t worry about my baby being mixed up - she was the only non-Asian baby there!

Nurseries were definitely a thing when I was born in a London hospital in the early 80s. My mum was in for 8 days and I was taken off to the nursery overnight aside and brought back to her in the daytime and for feeds at night. She was stunned when I had my children and was out within a day or two after a c section.

I've had 2 c sections over the past 4 years, including at the height of covid in 2020 and during that time I was in for 3 nights and had no visitors. I couldn't move off the bed for a good 24 hours as I had a catheter in so had to call someone every time I needed to pick up my baby or put him back in his crib. In the end I managed to work out how to just about stretch enough to grab him and put him back in but it was hard work and I was terrified of dropping him so spent many hours just holding him trying not to fall asleep. I had my youngest last year and my husband could visit in the day which helped but I was still on my own at night after another c section.

There was a kind of nursery at the hospital where I had my sons but that was more for babies that needed extra checks or some light therapy for jaundice, I had to take my son there for weight checks but it definitely wasn't a nursery as it used to be. Which is a good thing in my opinion, babies should be with their mums but extra help from staff and allowing partners to be present day and night is needed much more.

Exactly. I can't think of anything worse than having my baby taken away from me and put in another room. And worse, they are now being looked after by random strangers around the clock as well as being in a room full of other crying babies. Sure if it is necessary, but this shouldn't be seen as a good thing or the desired default. I'd rather the money was spent towards more private rooms. I do think staying is hospital longer if you want to should be an option and for the midwives to help you with how to breastfeed, change a nappy etc as that can all be overwhelming as a first time parent no matter how many books you've read or courses you've done.