Hellobee Boards

I think most of it was pretty standard stuff. But they had all day room service for mom and her partner- I could just call and order whatever I wanted off the menu for me and DH and they brought it to the room. I appreciated that! And all the rooms were private.

That frozen lasagna is pretty sweet though!

@snowjewelz: I mean it was embroidered with the hospital name. but I didn't care and my son definitely didn't care

Day 2 of my visit, they had "cannoli day", and went around to each room with a cart of different flavored cannolis and toppings. It was kind of amazing but pretty sure not typical. And while it wasn't 24/7, we had a nice big menu to order whatever we wanted for both of us, including soft serve ice cream, which I put in the freeze and ate at 3am while breastfeeding.

This is probably not above and beyond, but having food brought to me for three days, and no dishes or other chores, was pretty heavenly. It felt like a hotel stay!!!

@Jennibenni: holy crap, thats not cool. We ended up having to have our ped do our son's in office because my insurance was in network at a different hospital than my husband's (son was on his) so the delivering hospital wouldn't do it before we left. They loaded us up on gauze, vasaline, and triple antibiotic.

My hospital has a massage therapist come in and give all the new moms a massage...it was pretty great.

Nothing really special or fancy, but they were just generous with supplies and had a really smooth operation. You get one single nurse for an 8 hour shift so you only have to deal with that one nurse, they introduce you to the next nurse before shift change and go through all of your preferences and requests, and they offered cluster care, where they tried to group as many different tests/exams/etc in one visit so that they weren't in and out of our room constantly. I actually requested that my nurse be a gatekeeper to my room so every time someone needed to enter (except for a doctor) they had to page/call my nurse first, who would clear it with me, so that I wasn't disturbed otherwise.

We also got a welcome bag that was a big canvas diaper bag with basic supplies in it like a package of diapers and what not. I got sent home with a garbage bag full of stuff - formula nursettes, hats, a zillion syringes for medicine, a zillion tubes of Vaseline, chux pads, snot suckers, as many of those mesh undies as I needed, lanolin, nipple shield, a support band after my C-section, all of the tubes and parts from when I had to use the hospital's pump, etc. Both times the nurses actually told me to take anything that wasn't nailed down and that they would bring me more of anything I wanted. We also got a lovely hand-knit hat for the baby that I guess volunteers made for the hospital.

@josina: our first hospital provided us with a really nice meal for DH and I on our last night. The second hospital didnt do anythinf super special

@Mama Bird: I have slipped and called the hospital a hotel multiple times! We went home a day early after my second LO was born (day 3 after c sec) and once we got home I was like crap, no more room service. The food was totally good too.

When we were leaving the nurse encouraged me to take all the supplies in the room bc they’ll just be thrown out when you leave. I’m actually kind of horrified by the amount of trash hospitals must produce, we had so much trash every day.

They gave me a belly binder after my second section. Can’t think of anything else above and beyond.

As a Canadian, we took home exactly nothing. Like, literally the only thing they gave me was the first “pad” (less a pad and more a mattress). We even had to bring a diaper into the OR (I had two c sections) for them to put on the babies when they were born.

For my first born the only “above and beyond” thing we got was an A&A swaddle blanket emblazoned with the hospital name/logo.

For my 2nd we were at a different hospital and we got fancier swag. I was hooked up with way more supplies that are pretty standard.
But also, and this was crazy, but a Chanel gift. It had a drawstring Chanel pouch, a full size Chanel No 5, and a mascara. Ive always heard about it at this hospital but thought it was a myth.
They also gave us a diaper bag with hospital branding and I think it had some little baby supplies in it - and a onesie with the hospital name. But for sure the Chanel gifts were above and beyond.

ETA: to clarify - the Chanel swag was provided by Chanel. They give them to the best women’s hospital every year or something like that. And this hospital gets it like every year.

The above and beyond thing I got with my 2nd babe, who was born in Austria, was a Do Not Disturb sign for my door. After my doctor made his evening rounds, I would hang it on my door and rest/sleep until the next morning (with baby in room). It was soooo nice compared to my experience in NYC, when people were walking in and out of the room at all hours, ensuring that I didn’t get any meaningful amount of sleep.

Our hospital has all private rooms and they did a continental breakfast for the new parents each morning. Also got the "fancy" dinner the night before going home. But my favorite was the dessert cart that came to my room.

@erinbaderin: RIGHT?! Fellow Canadian here and this thread is blowing my mind....though I realize we don’t have to pay for anything other than a room upgrade. We had to fight to get a private room, ask for a tiny thing of diaper cream, and as the partner I wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom in the room (I did anyway!) or even have a glass of water from the communal kitchenette. DW got standard hospital food (I couldn’t get anything) and we got a half pack of leftover diapers, a peri bottle and a sitz bath...maybe a couple leftover pre made formula bottles to take home? I had no idea US hospitals offered a fancy dinner and massages

@bhbee: yeah, that’s probably the difference. I was also in a university hospital, and it didn’t have these perks.

@LCTBQE: I wonder if we delivered at the same NYC Hospital?

Nothing too fancy, but I had a private room, so DH got to stay with me every night. Lots of supplies (mesh undies, pads, few bottles of formula for DS, baby blankets (only kept 1 though), and some diapers I think. I was able to order food (free for me) and have it brought to my room. Also a tote bag that and some things in it, but never used any of it.

The massage therapist was amazing - I think she came twice? We were told during the birth class to try to go into labor during the week since she didn't work weekends We got a "birthday cake" and fruit basket and a special meal one night too. Plus a onesie saying "I was born at X hospital." Then the usual supplies and hat. It was a very nice experience at a very small local hospital.

Not a thing. Also Canadian.