https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:40:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2656098 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:44:26 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2656098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree that as a friend I would be happy to leave DH home with the kids in the middle of the night and go watch someone else's sleeping kids if they went in labor. NBD in my book. I could probably snooze on their couch even if needed until other care arrived. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2656097 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:39:23 +0000 birdofafeather 2656097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my mom was 2 hours away, so i called a friend of mine in town who would be able to come over until my mom showed up. ultimately i was able to stay home until my mom came. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2656072 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:03:23 +0000 Foodnerd81 2656072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was the most stressful part of having my second baby. Our plan ended up with my BIL and SIL as our first call- day or night, we planned on trying them first (they lived very close to us and worked in the city near us, but I was worried they wouldn't be able to leave work quickly or answer their phones, or take a day off with no notice). Back up plans were three different mom friends who offered. They all lived locally and if I had gone into labor in the middle of the night, the mom probably would have come over to our place and stayed the night with my LO, then brought her back to their house to watch her with her own kids during the day, while their husband would have stayed home with their own kids. And some combination of those people could have traded her off day and night depending on schedules. It helped that all of these people were walking distance from us so we didnt need to worry about car seats. I would have felt like I was burdening the mom friends but I also knew that I would have been very happy to do it for them, so I was OK with it. </p> <p>As it turned out, labor started in the evening and my BIL came over and stayed the night with LO, SIL came over in the morning and spent the day with her, and DH went home and spent that night with her while I stayed in the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2656068 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:57:51 +0000 KayKay 2656068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our family is all a plane-ride away, but luckily my mom is retired and our LOs 2 and 3 were/will be born between Thanksgiving and Xmas. So my mom agreed to come out for Thanksgiving and just stay through Xmas for DD2s birth, and just got here yesterday to do the same for LO3s birth. It's nice to have one (or two! this time) less thing to worry about.</p> <p>Had either baby come before she got here, we would've just had a friend come here to stay with them and/or dropped them off with a friend, depending on time of day, availability, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2656034 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:00:06 +0000 brownepiano 2656034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had some close friends that we hang out with often after bedtime so DS was already used to sleeping at their houses. They both agreed to take him at any time day or night till my in-laws could come. </p> <p>Everyone who has kids knows what it is like. Don't underestimate people's willingness to out of their way to help you! One night of less sleep to watch your kids while your in labor likely is no big deal, but an honor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655923 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 13:34:12 +0000 PinkElephant 2655923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@raspberries: Yes, good idea on the day sheet. I had a page for each kid that gave their school days/times, the school phone #/address, and detailed directions for getting them to their classroom (sign in procedures, what they need to take each day, etc.). I also did a page with meal suggestions, directions for using our DVR, etc.</p> <p>Even postpartum, it's been awesome to have these just to hand off to my helpers, especially when someone flies in at night but is willing to jump right in and take over the next morning - sometimes without even having spoken to me the night before. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655921 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 13:32:15 +0000 mamabolt 2655921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a few different friends on call to watch DD until my parents could get into town. One was a family in our neighborhood, if I had gone into labor middle of the night I probably would have just suggested one of them come over to our house until the morning rather than try and resettle DD in an unfamiliar bed. I also had a coworker/friend who has no kids and would have been very flexible.</p> <p>But I went into labor at 10 am on a Sunday (very considerate of DS) and so we dropped her at the neighbor's house at noon and it was no big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655832 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 11:45:43 +0000 Chillybear 2655832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we have family in the area but its complicated by the fact that knowing my luck i we deliver during the holiday craziness. My parents live between us and our hospital. If its during a work day my dad or brother's fiance should/could be at the house until my mom gets home from work. </p> <p>I'm most nervous about going into labor at work - LO's daycare is about 15min from my office, then its about 45min-hour home then 20 min to hospital. And there is no one close to my office that could pick her up easily. </p> <p>While its certainly could be burdensome, I would be absolutely honored and excited if a friend asked me to be their "person" to help out with their kids during delivery. I would have no problem being flexible to accommodate, at most its one or two days of disruption in their lives, but for such a good cause. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655811 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 11:30:38 +0000 raspberries 2655811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Aimed121: Yeah, we're in the same boat - the closest relatives are a 10ish hour drive away, so anyone coming to help out would need to fly, and it's likely that they wouldn't get here until the following day. No one has volunteered to come, but if we get closer to the date and it looks like I'll be induced (I was induced two weeks early with LO1), then I'm going to ask my parents to come and tell them I'll pay for their flights if necessary. The only sticking point (aside from having to be induced) is that my dad has a week-long conference starting exactly on the due date - and my stepmom is afraid to fly without him. Ugh.</p> <p>@PinkElephant: That's a really good idea - I'll have to make a schedule, just in case. And maybe I'll also make a typical day sheet, in case someone who's not super familiar ends up watching LO1.</p> <p>Such a stressful situation! Maybe we'll just end up paying one of LO's daycare ladies to be on call overnight... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655777 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:54:34 +0000 catlady 2655777@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm stressing out about this right now too, and we actually do have family in the area. My dad will be the first one we call, but he works full-time in a medical field and would have a hard time getting away if it's during the day. He lives less than an hour away though. MIL would be next, she is retired but lives over an hour away and has other responsibilities and has basically given us a schedule of when she is and is not free to come up. I'm trying to decide if we should get our babysitter on call and/or one of LO's daycare friend's family who lives close by. </p> <p>Worse case scenario, we will be taking LO to the hospital with us while we wait for one of our family members to get her. Our hospital already told us that is fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655757 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:43:00 +0000 PinkElephant 2655757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I posted a thread like this a few months ago. Ultimately, I ended up with a scheduled induction, so we just had my in laws come the night before. But before the induction was in the game plan, I had a big spreadsheet of friends, family, and babysitters. I organized it by there general availability on each day of the week (ie, Babysitter has a regular job from 4-6 on weekdays, and takes a class from 8-10 on Tuesday AM -s so she's never available those times) and a calendar showing what specific dates people were not available (ie, Friend B is out of town x through y). That way, anyone who was helping me when I went into labor could look at the spreadsheet and quickly see who might be available without bothering to call people we already knew weren't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655754 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:40:38 +0000 GreenThumb 2655754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in the same situation... I have a friend who has assured me that it is ok to drop off DD anytime - day or night - until my parents can come to get her (they are 2.5 hours away), but it certainly seems like a burden on her and her family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655753 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:40:38 +0000 Aimed121 2655753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@raspberries: This has been stressing me out no end. My family live in a different country and my in-laws are all several states away, so I had hoped that someone from my family or DH's would travel to help us out with this but no-one is willing to actually travel so basically the cavalry is not coming. :sad: So I have asked one of LO's daycare teachers who also babysits him sometimes if she could be on call and stay with him over night for night or two. So that is our plan for now. Plan B is one of our friends - but like you, most have little kids/jobs/lives of their own and it's tough to put them in that position. Plan C, which is my least favorite plan but I have to prepare for it is, if we just can't find someone and I have to go it solo and DH will stay with LO. I will be having a c-section so at least we will have a certain date but have to prepare if I go into labor before that date. I thought about hiring a doula for support in the event that DH can't be there but I think I have decided against it as I'm not sure how helpful it would be in a c- section situation. Having kids far from family is TOUGH - but my advice fwiw is hire people and just get into a mentality that you can do this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655740 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:28:20 +0000 Smurfette 2655740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister is going to be on call to come and stay with her. She is single so it will be easy for her to pack up and come over. We are installing the extra car seat that my parents have over Christmas so she is ready at anytime. If for some reason we can't get a hold of her, our neighbors will watch her till my sister can get there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/childcare-for-older-kids-during-labor#post-2655728 Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:12:31 +0000 raspberries 2655728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What did you do with your older child/children when you went into labor? I'm curious especially if you don't have family nearby, but all stories/solutions welcome!</p> <p>We have friends who have offered to help, but they all have their own kids so if it happened after LO1 is in bed, no one would be able to come to our house. It'd be a matter of driving about a half hour away from the hospital to their house in the middle of the night/day to drop off LO1 and getting him set up in a pack n play before we head to the hospital, which doesn't seem like the best solution for anyone. </p>