https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:56:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2255975 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 20:23:30 +0000 irene 2255975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I were not in good shape (and there was a time I did go to the ER and I was "confused", DH took me to the hospital), then I probably won't even have a choice. I would call 911 (If I could) and lay there. I don't think they'd expect me to handle the kid situation?</p> <p>Back then with my ER episode, if I were by myself, I think I would have died in the house as i wasn't able to call anyone. Or LO would have died of choking or falling because I wasn't able to watch him.</p> <p>If I were actually OK.... I am really thinking if I would take my kid or leave him with neighbor. My neighbor has a son who is 4 months older too, but they also have a new baby, and it would be a big favor to ask to watch a third child. I guess I could call my friend to come over to my house..... I guess my answer is, I would try to take my son with me to the hospital as long as I am in tolerable pain. Tough one. Hope it never happens to any one of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2255964 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 20:02:42 +0000 lady grey 2255964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you had to call 911, I would just send your DH in the ambulance and you and your kiddo could drive separately in your car. I work in healthcare- its highly unlikely the hospital will provide anyone to help watch your kid.<br /> So you'd just have to keep her with you until maybe a friend could pick her up. Alternatively, yes, I would leave my LO with a neighbor in this situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2255626 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:04:48 +0000 littlebug 2255626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: We would only call CPS in extreme circumstances - like a parent with absolutely NO ONE available to come by and pick up the kids after sevreal hours of trying to brainstorm someone or even having a plan (like, MIL is flying in and will be here in a few hours). While the patient waits for family or friends to come for the kids, we or someone on the staff would help watch the kids. I've definitely had coworkers take kids to lunch and sit in the waiting room with them for a few hours. It's not unheard of.</p> <p>I just get a little defensive when people are like, "Oh you don't want a social worker involved" because, as I said, so many people assume that we're just going to come down and call CPS right off the bat. We get a bit of a bad rap sometimes of being the "Big Scary Social Worker Who's Going to Take Your Kids!" And that could not be farther from the truth of our role. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2255607 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 13:53:41 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2255607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My brothers live close, so if it was a situation where I had to take LO to the hospital with me (or I was taken by ambulance), I'd call them to either immediately come over to get him or meet us at the hospital to bring him to their house. We also have a neighbor who we're close to and would be willing to come over to get him at any hour. In fact, if I go into labor in the middle of the night and don't have time to wait for my brothers, she's on call to come over and get him! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2255597 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 13:48:45 +0000 BSB 2255597@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: I'm currently in the hospital on bed rest so the nurse I asked just happened to be the one helping me that shift. So she wasn't a friend. </p> <p>I guess the question really should be who should be watching your kids in the hospital. Paramedic, nurse, social worker, or someone else like family, friend, babysitter or neighbor. I know professionals would prefer to do their job instead of babysitting but I can see how in emergency situations, they can't really do much about it. I am grateful that people in the hospital are understanding and adapt to situations. I think maybe that's why the nurse answered my question as she did. </p> <p>Also, from your response, I didn't know that you, as the social worker, would then call CPS, if needed. I wasn't sure if social worker meant CPS. The distinction was blurry to me. I see now that having a social worker there is not necessarily a bad thing, but like I said I wouldn't want to 'use' you as babysitter.<br /> Thank you for commenting. I'm definitely learning more about how hospitals work now that I'm stuck in the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254945 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 21:23:38 +0000 macintosh 2254945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm glad you brought this up because it's something I need to think about. My DH has a few medical conditions that could potentially be life threatening if something suddenly went wrong. Luckily he's been healthy and stable for a long time, but just a year ago I had to take him to the ER after a fall that caused a broken arm.</p> <p>I have a 3 month old. If I was taking DH I'd probably just bring DS along. We live close enough to the hospital that I could go back and forth if he was admitted. If I had to go in I'd probably ask my neighbor to watch DS. I could potentially leave DH home by himself, but not for more than a few hours or overnight. I'd need my mom to call a caregiver service for him. She lives 6 hours away, but I imagine she'd come out to help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254930 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 21:02:37 +0000 MamaBehr 2254930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was 37 weeks pregnant, my husband broke his leg in two places playing hockey. I woke up at 3 am and realized something wasn't right, and called him immediately. Even though I did have neighbors who helped during this emergency, I couldn't ask anyone at 3am. So, I had to wait until they woke up and drove them (DD was 3 at the time and DS was 1) to the hospital with me. After that, I would have someone watch the kids while I went to the hospital, but I wasn't there when he needed me in the ER or when he went in or came out of surgery. The whole thing was very hard. </p> <p>We have since moved and I don't know anyone here that I could leave my kids with during an emergency (shoot, I had to drag three kids to my 20 week anatomy scan yesterday, because we don't know anyone!) I would have to take them all! Sure hope I don't have to go to L&amp;D unexpectedly.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254915 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:51:34 +0000 catomd00 2254915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@matador84: omg I don't know how I missed your birth story but just had to go find it - that is crazy!!!!!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254907 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:42:25 +0000 catomd00 2254907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would take the kids with me and call my in laws to meet me. If I needed to I could leave her with my elderly neighbor whom we chat with often and she knows, but it would have to be an extreme situation. I wouldn't want to make dd any more uncomfortable than necessary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254884 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:14:12 +0000 matador84 2254884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've thought about this because I solo parent so often. When I went into labor with lo2, we had to just leave lo1 home alone until a friend could come to the house because it was such an emergency. It was the middle of the night and he was sleeping, but had it been different I don't know what I would have done. Now I think if there were an emergency with me, i would call a neighbor or 911 if bad enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254871 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:01:19 +0000 skipra 2254871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I recently had an issue where I had an episode while alone with my kids and getting them to bed. As soon as it started I called DH to let him know and have him come home asap. I would have called 911 and then our neighbor if that turned out to be necessary. Luckily it was not so when DH got home he asked our neighbor to come over while he took me to the er. That only worked out because she was luckily working at home, which is not always the case. If it were really serious I would just see what the paramedics would suggest I guess or call another sahm mom friend.</p> <p>Eta there was another time I got really sick when I was pregnant with lo2 and ended up going to the er for fluids. It was the weekend so DH was home but we couldn't get anyone to watch lo1 so he came with us until one of our friends was able to babysit. Not ideal but we had no other choice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254870 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:00:48 +0000 Mae 2254870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't (really) know my immediate neighbors. I mean I know them to say hi but not to hand my kid to them. I'm lucky that there is a hospital literally less than 5 min from my house so in a real emergency I'd pack her into the car or call the ambulance and take her with me but be making calls on the way to DH, all of our friends, my brother, etc to have someone come grab her and take her back to our house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254856 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:50:05 +0000 winter_wonder 2254856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a couple of co-workers who live in the same area. I would probably try one of them. We aren't super close, but I know they would help out if necessary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254854 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:47:14 +0000 Jess1483 2254854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My neighbors would watch the kids if DH wasn't home (they are retired and almost always around), and I'd call my mom or dad to come be with them ASAP. If all three (DH and my parents) were out of town, I'd call a Mama friend. Failing all that, I'd just take them with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254852 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:46:52 +0000 loki 2254852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think about this often mostly because I wonder about carseats in an ambulance! When my daughter was 4 days old, I had to call 911 and was rushed to hospital. My DH called his parents to come but they live an hour away so my poor husband had to stay home with our brand new babe and watch me leave! I think about what would've happened if I was alone with her all the time! I assume a paramedic may have stayed with her? That would've been significantly more awful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254847 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:41:17 +0000 Smurfette 2254847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Drop her off at the neighbors. We are good friends. If I thought it would be a while I would call my parents to go pick her up. They are 45 mins away </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254822 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:17:07 +0000 PinkElephant 2254822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: That's really smart. I carry insurance cards in my wallet and have an ICE number (my husband's mobile) on my phone lock screen, but hadn't considered having a go pack like that accessible for emergency personnel to discover.</p> <p>I've been in this situation when DD1 jumped off the back of a sofa directly onto her forehead a few days before her second birthday. My friend and my babysitter both happened to be home with me, so they stayed with DD2 (who was only a month or two old, so I didn't want her in the ER) while I took care of LO2. But if I were totally alone...they'd probably go with me, depending on how severe the emergency was and how quickly I could get alternative care. Most likely I'd call someone on the way to meet me and take the unaffected LO(s) home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254820 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:16:02 +0000 twodoghouse 2254820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Depends on what time of day it is (I would try to avoid waking them up at all costs!), how old they are (Could we keep them in infant car seats and stick them in snap n go vs having to drag out the huge double stroller), and how urgent it is (could it wait 45 min for my in-laws to get to my house?). I would generally try to avoid taking them because there are two of them (you'll understand that soon enough) and they are all over the place now. They don't sit quietly in their stroller like when they were tiny! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254797 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:47:07 +0000 BeachMama 2254797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents live 10 min away so I'd call them to see if they could come watch the kids. If not I'd take them with me to the ER and hopefully my parents, or someone, could come help eventually. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254774 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:29:17 +0000 littlebug 2254774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a hospital social worker, I resent the "advice" your friend gave you. Undoubtedly, the physician or nurse in the ER would call the social worker, because that's always who they call when they don't know what else to do. We wouldn't necessarily watch your kids, but we would help you get in touch with someone who could come and pick up the kids or at least stay with them. </p> <p>I imagine your friend said you don't want a social worker called because - of course - the prevailing thought out there is that getting a social worker involved automatically means a call to child protective services. On the contrary, we would do everything we could to avoid calling CPS. We don't want to see your kids "taken away" any more than you do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254769 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:27:07 +0000 birdofafeather 2254769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would take my daughter and figure out a plan B if needed as we don't have any neighbors that we know anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254768 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:26:58 +0000 PrincessBaby 2254768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would deal with the emergency first- especially if it's one of my LOs and just bring my other LO along. I'd worry about making arrangements for the other child once I knew what was going on and the situation was stabilized. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254757 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:15:03 +0000 blackbird 2254757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My neighbors would totally help. They're great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254755 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:10:38 +0000 sunny 2254755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would ask my neighbors. We are friendly with a few of the families around us so hopefully one of them would be able to assist in case of an emergency! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254754 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:09:21 +0000 Finfan 2254754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would take the kids with me and figure out something once we got to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254738 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:39:16 +0000 MsMini 2254738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would just take them with me. I dont know my neighbours well enough to ask them to watch my kids, even in emergency. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254733 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:29:39 +0000 Corduroy 2254733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would take her to a neighbor or to her in home daycare a few blocks away. Or just turn on Frozen on repeat. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254727 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:24:37 +0000 ShootingStar 2254727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had an emergency happen when DS was about 3 months old. DH had some serious stomach pain and I thought it might be his appendix. So I drove all of us to the hospital. I brought my mei tai and wore DS for hours. I kept walking in circles to keep him calm. </p> <p>We were really unprepared and didn't have any kind of plan. I was also bf-ing and didn't want someone to take DS because it was too complicated to figure out. After hours at the hospital we almost had FIL come to stay with DH so I could go home. But then he got released. </p> <p>Later, friends of ours told us we should've just left DS with them (they have kids and one is just 9m older than D). Next time we'll take them up on it especially since we've now helped them when one had to go to the ER. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254726 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:22:47 +0000 MrsRcCar 2254726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ended up at the ER following being shocked by our clothing dryer. I took my boys with me. They did fine while I was looked over. I had no option, the hospital was great at helping me.</p> <p>Eta: I drove myself to the er. Probably shouldn't have but it turned out fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-solo-parenting-and-had-an-emergency-and-needed-to-go-to-the-er#post-2254723 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:19:15 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2254723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it couldn't wait til MIL or DH could get to our place I would take.her with me. We just moved and I don't really know my neighbors and more importantly dd doesn't know them. I would take her in the stroller so she was able to be contained with her leap frog or something (like when she hit her head and I took her in just in case.) If I were unable to do that I would either wait for dh/family to help or I would call 911 depending on the situation. </p>