How did you organise visiting times with DC after birth of new baby?

[Mamalexi343]

So I'm currently expecting our second baby due in August and I'm just wondering how you organise visiting with DC after baby is born?

I'm due an ECS at the nearest hospital which is a 30 minute drive (we live in a rural village) DH will obviously be with me for the birth and then DGP will bring 5 year old DD along later to meet her new DB, which is all sorted for the first day, no problem there.

Now the issue is I'm going to be in for a few days due to CS and other health issues and we've found out the ward only allows DC in between the hours of 4 and 7pm (which we do understand) however we don't really know how we're going to be able to work out my DH being at the hospital with me and DS during the day.

As it will be the summer holidays when he's born, DD will be out of school so she will need looking after all day and as much as DGP will try to help out, they have a business to run and we can't expect them to be watching her and driving her out to the hospital each day, which again we understand as we ourselves wouldn't be able to afford the fuel of DH driving back and forth with DD and on his own to the hospital, multiple times a day.

DH is thinking that he'll have to stay at home with her all day and only come in at 4 with her which he's worried he won't have that bonding time with DS and he's worried about me as I had quite bad PND after we had our DD so the thought of me being on my own worries him. (Not that he thinks I'll hurt baby but that I won't cope, and not gonna lie it's on my mind too)

And to add to it all DD is having some separation anxiety with me atm after I was recently admitted to hospital for 4 days and she could only visit for a set couple of hours which she found quite tough so that with the added bonus of a new baby we worry she won't cope at all with it.

We don't really know what to do and I'm so sorry if none of that makes any sense 😣

Sorry for the long post I've just been going over every option in my head and just can't seem to make it work. Wwyd?

I had mine at home so slightly different as no visiting hours, but we just arranged and paid for childcare for the days when we needed it. If you know the dates, I’d book a mix of holiday club days and days with grandparents. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t be able to at least take a day or two off to help if they are able and working. We have no family help though, so for us, it was just childcare when we felt we needed one on one time.

I’d put DD into a summer holiday club or holiday care provider for those days that you’re in hospital. It will help take her mind off you and the baby. A lot of the summer holiday camps/clubs/childcare finish at about 4, so your DH could pick her up then and take her straight to the hospital. When she sees you at the hospital, she can share all the activities and crafts that she’s been doing.
Gradually get her used to it in the few weeks before the birth, possibly attending one day per week.