https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:31:09 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857371 Sun, 18 Nov 2018 16:53:48 +0000 SweetiePie 2857371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>First a neighbor (we live in a big apartment building) and then my MIL took over.<br /> The neighbor was really not planned! Nor my MIL, actually. My mom was supposed to come, but she’s a flight away.<br /> I was supposed to have a scheduled CS at like 39+4 but this baby had other plans. I went into labor at 36 weeks on the nose (and he was measuring big too, FYI.)</p> <p>-When did you go into labor? 36 weeks to the day.<br /> -What did you do with your kid(s)? I frantically called one neighbor and she was out of town. Then called another neighbor friend and she knew immediately why I was calling. She was at our door in 2 mins. She took my then 3.5yo to her apartment and he played with her 2.5yo. We called my MIL when we got to the hospital (thankfully we live 3 blocks but I still needed a cab!) and she was here within I guess 2 hours. She went to my neighbors apt and got my son and brought him to our place. She didn’t even pack anything becuase she didn’t believe it was the real deal!<br /> -If they came to your house, when did they arrive? Mentioned above, neighbor got to us within minutes - that was about 5pm. MIL arrived about 2 hours later, 7pm. Just in time to get him to bed. She stayed for almost a week since I was in the hospital for 4-5 days. So my husband could easily go back and forth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857354 Sun, 18 Nov 2018 14:48:07 +0000 mamabolt 2857354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our neighbors were “on call.” If I had gone middle of the night one of them would have sat at our house until morning and then taken her to daycare with their son. As it happened, went into labor at 10 am Sunday so we dropped her at their place. My parents relieved them once they got into town. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857312 Sun, 18 Nov 2018 07:22:06 +0000 lioneyes 2857312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a repeat section scheduled for 38.5w. Even though DS has been born at 35w, I really didn’t believe this one would come early so I only had a plan for my scheduled date/a weekday when DS would be at school.<br /> At 7am on a Saturday when I started bleeding heavily, I had my dad come over to watch DS. But then I wanted him at the hospital (he is a doctor there and I was having a very difficult time dealing with the on-call resident before my doctor showed up) so I was literally in OB triage calling every babysitter in my phone, and had a mom friend doing the same with her sitters. It was stressful, but kind of good to have that distraction to focus on.<br /> Ended up cobbling together 3 sitters including the 15 year old who lives nextdoor, it was both parents weekend at the college where many of my sitters go, and the SATs so my usual high schoolers were out. The 3 sat for DS in shifts and it was fine, he watched tv and ate junk food.<br /> When i lived in NYC before kids, i was the middle of the night emergency contact for a friend of DH’s wife. I went over at like 2am and slept on her couch while her daughter was asleep until her in-laws arrived in the early morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857286 Sat, 17 Nov 2018 19:13:03 +0000 MrsSRS 2857286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My aunt and uncle live 5 minutes away. I went into labor in the middle of the night, water broke at 5, called them a bit before 6 and was at the birthing center around 7, if I recall correctly.<br /> Our emergency backup was my next door neighbor. She would have struggled to manage an active two year old, but she would have been fine sitting while he slept in his crib waiting for back up. I asked a SAHM friend to be a backup, too. Another back up was my mother but she was integral to my birth team so that was a last choice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857213 Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:30:49 +0000 Iced Tea 2857213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Two families in our neighborhood were our immediate care plans until my sister could arrive (two hour drive). She ended up enjoying playing at the neighbors so much that she stayed there all day, and my sister just took her back to our house to go to bed. By then I was pushing and headed to the hospital. </p> <p>I worried about it a lot (my LO was only two!), but in the end it was no big deal, really. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857193 Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:26:06 +0000 pachamama 2857193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: following bc I'm in the same situation but I am dying at "'im probably over-thinking this....but isn't that what hellobee is for?" Lol so true </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857191 Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:11:10 +0000 lindseykaye 2857191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Making our plans over here too. We will be calling the in-laws to come but they're a 3-hour drive away and I expect will need some time to get packed up and head out so it would be more like 5-6 hours before they arrive.</p> <p>So with that in mind we have the below lined up - all families below will be local for the Thanksgiving holiday thankfully! And I'm not sure if we will take her over or have people come pick her up.. I think it all depends on the time of day and how far into labor I am when we decide it's time for either her to go to a friends house or we need to go to the birth center.</p> <p>1) Next door neighbors with young daughters. The mom offered to be on call basically and come over to just sleep on our couch if it's the middle of the night and we need to leave. It's assumed in-laws would be able to arrive at some point to relieve her in the early AM. Honestly our monitor for LO would probably get reception at their house they're so close haha!</p> <p>2) Close friends (also in the neighborhood) with a SAH dad who would be able to take/pick up LO#1 from school if there is a need for that. Kids are super close and play together weekly. She could also be with them through an afternoon/evening and sleep over if needed. They are also backup middle of the night-ers and regular babysitters.</p> <p>3) Another close friend/family set. LO's "best friend" is their older daughter. Less of an option for school drop off/pickup as both parents work FT but if it's a weekend or evening they're candidates. LO has already had a sleepover at their house if that is needed.</p> <p>4) Last option is to just bring LO to the birth center. It means I would lean more heavily on my support team there and my hubs would be with LO more, but it's 100% an option available to us if we needed it.</p> <p>Crossing my fingers it all goes smoothly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2857189 Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:57:19 +0000 LindsayInNY 2857189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a work in progress for us... We have zero family nearby. Like all are a plane trip away. SO I'm trying to piecemeal a bunch of options. Our college sitter will still be around so I'm hoping she can be our evening/overnight option. We'll have the car otherwise I would just have someone drop DD off at daycare and pick up. BUT I have two girlfriends nearby (one across the street and one the next street over) who I think could manage together. They each have two kids but SAH and their oldest is DD's age. So I'm kinda trusting that they would figure something out. I'm really hoping for a quick L&amp;D and that DH can come home and be with DD. Wishful thinking but we'll see! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856726 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:05:39 +0000 PawPrints 2856726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In-laws. I went into labor at 2am and was expecting a super fast delivery after #1, so we immediately called them and they were at our house 45 min later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856668 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:31:45 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2856668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: grandma both times. Went into labor at 3am for lo2 (woke with painful contractions) but was able to sleep on and off til about 8, called her somewhere between 830-10, can't remember exactly, went in as soon as she got there and was a 5+ if I remember right. Had a really slow first labor so that factored in. Lo3... called her about 9-10 again I think but labor moved quicker. She got there maybe 1130 and we left almost immediately. Hospital by 1230, baby out a few hours later. We just didn't mess around and called as soon as there were intense contractions. If we had to we would have just called over a neighbor to bridge the gap, or brought the siblings. My parents had to bring me in the middle of the night! I think every second time mama has this concern! 💗 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856657 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:22:46 +0000 Foodnerd81 2856657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Childcare for LO1 was my biggest stressor about going into labor for LO2. I had plans and back up plans and back ups. </p> <p>So the plan was my BIL and SIL who lived five minutes away as the first call. They were instructed to keep their phones on at night and a few times when i felt off before bedtime, I would text them a reminder to keep the ringer on. I also had several local friends who were stay at home parents and would watch my LO until BIL or SIL could get there during the day. I wrote out her whole schedule and important info so I could give it to anyone who happened to be watching her, and I emailed it to my BIL and SIL around 37 weeks. Worst case and BIL or SIL weren’t available at all, both my sahm friends had said they would come sleep at my house while their husbands were at home with their kids, then bring my kid back to their house before husband had to leave for work and watch them all there. I was so paranoid! </p> <p>What actually happened was I felt weird around 7:30, texted BIL and SIL that tonight might be the night. By 8 I had put LO to bed and told them to come over ASAP. BIL came over and stayed at our place for the night and we left for the hospital, had her before midnight. The next day SIL stayed home from work to watch LO, but we also could have brought her to my friends house for the day. </p> <p>It’s super stressful but it does usually work out fine. My friend is 7 weeks pregnant and I already told her I can always come over in the middle of the night and sleep at her house if she’s in labor, then bring her kids back to my house and have a movie day until back up arrives. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856647 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:53:26 +0000 misolee 2856647@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So LO1 was super late and I was expecting the same thing for Lo2 and didn’t really think of anything. Just figured we could drop off my LO and my parents (they are local half the week and go work couple of hours away the other half). Well, Lo2 went into super fast spontaneous labor at 37 and half weeks at 2am. I didn’t pack a bag, I didn’t have anyone on call. My parents weren’t here. We had to call several single friends before anyone picked up, it was a mess. Someone finally managed to come around 3. She (single)watched LO throughout the night, dropped her off with another friend (With kids) for the next day and night. I believe that day was a holiday bc no school. My mom managed to come after that. </p> <p>So for Lo3, I was paranoid. I wrote out detailed list of the two’s school schedule, after school schedule, etc. I emailed it to several ppl to have on hand just in case. We made sure our on call friends had their phone with them in the middle of night. I begged my mom not to go to work starting at 38 weeks just in case. (She didn’t listen and went to work) but I was so worried about the older two. Well LO3 ended up being induced at 41 weeks because she took forever. My mom had stopped going to work at 40 weeks just in case and was staying with us so it worked out. That week before baby came, I also had her come with me to all the pickups and drop offs etc and that super helped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856639 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:27:21 +0000 QBbride 2856639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: yup, my Mum would drive 4 hours on a notoriously dangerous highway for us, or hop on a flight and be here in an hour... my in laws live 1.5 hours away and I cannot count on them at all. Sigh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856635 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:20:58 +0000 LCTBQE 2856635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: haha, I'm picking up what you're putting down. I think the couch is not ideal but also a totally decent plan if your friend is 1000% reliably home and going to pick up the phone at 2:30am. You could help dd pack an overnight backpack (just in case) and sort of make a little adventure out of it without getting too dramatic. I still remember my older sibling and I staying over at a friend's house when my mom went into middle of the night labor with her third baby. That's nice that your own folks could come, but then what if your labor is super rushed :meh: ? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856632 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:07:05 +0000 mediagirl 2856632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: yeah. They're great. I can't even get into it. I have a good friend who offered to let M sleep on their couch if I have an emergency in the middle of the night. We talked it over with her and she understands. I figure what we will do is drop her off there, my friend will take her to school, the inlaws will pick her up from the bus stop.</p> <p>If all else fails, I'll call my mom who is 2.5 hours away and she and dad will drive through the night for us. Because...that's what parents are supposed to do... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856629 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:02:41 +0000 LCTBQE 2856629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ALV91711: gosh I know so many people who got sent straight from the OB to the hospital! glad that part was sort of drama-free :)</p> <p>@mediagirl: wow, I guess I don't know your in-laws :bummed: your FIL is seriously incapable of putting a lid on it *just the once* while you're in f-ing labor?? sheesh. I take it you don't have a trustworthy or available girlfriend nearby or you wouldn't have posted. I'd be concerned too, but I honestly wonder if you might get induced sooner if you're measuring that big, like do you think it's possible you'll get sent from the doctor like @ALV91711 ? otherwise you should read the study that just came out on the 39w inductions--they suggest that 39, not 40w, is the best possible time to go into labor and yields the lowest rate of c-sections and complications. might make you feel better about asking for one. good luck :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856626 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:01:13 +0000 QBbride 2856626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I went into labour with baby#2, my Mum had been “on call” so I texted her at work and asked her to come by when she was finished (gave her lots of notice). We went to the hospital that night and baby was born shortly after, she stayed overnight with my son and we came home early in the morning. </p> <p>I’m not sure what our plan with #3 is. My in laws live 1.5 hours away, so I’m hoping then can come... but my MIL is super unreliable. The other option is asking my mum to come but a last minute flight is expensive (we moved since the last baby). It’s abour 4 hours driving, 40 min flight. Soooo we will see?? Otherwise we might have to ask friends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856625 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:00:04 +0000 Pollywog 2856625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have quick labors. Our plan was my mom was going to stay with us from 38+4 until our induction. If the baby came early we were going to drop my toddler off at his home daycare in the middle of the night. Well, baby came early and our daycare provider didn't answer her phone. Husband didn't think to call the landline. So husband woke up his unsuspecting parents in the middle of the night and they met us at the hospital. Luckily they had a carseat installed (forward facing and expired, but my husband knew to omit those details). They brought J home and my husband relieved them once the baby was born.</p> <p>My timeline was realizing I was in pre labor at 2, calling my midwife at 230, calling daycare/in-laws at 240. At the hospital at 3. Labor started around 330. In laws showed up at 345. Baby was born at 530. Husband was home by 7.</p> <p>Before birth I was 100% adamant that I didn't want my in-laws to know I was in labor or to be at the hospital when I was laboring. I was so relieved they came. They didn't see me and I was so happy my son was in good hands. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856623 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:53:05 +0000 hellobeeboston 2856623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My in laws live the closest, so they came to stay with my older son.... They were on high-alert leading up to the birth of my second, and then I was overdue, then I scheduled an induction, so that made it easier to plan. They stayed at our house until I came home from the hospital with the baby. I only had to stay 1 night, and I sent my husband home overnight to be with my other son and come back to visit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856621 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:46:19 +0000 kiddosc 2856621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a scheduled induction so we took E over to my parents house the night before and they took him to school in the morning and brought him to the hospital that night to see baby sister. He stayed with them while we were in the hospital. </p> <p>Had I gone into labor spontaneously, they were on call to come to our house any time of day or night. They would have gotten E ready for school and then just took him back to their house after school. </p> <p>When my little brother was born (I'm 10 years older, my older brother is 12 years older) we went to our neighbor's house in the middle of the night. The neighbor got us off to school in the morning and our grandparents were at our house when we got off the bus. </p> <p>I'd ask a neighbor if you can shuffle DD there when you go into labor and then see if your ILs can come over during the day while she's at school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856616 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:42:07 +0000 mediagirl 2856616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: ugh, you do not know my inlaws. They would never let someone else drive them, my FIL would be telling the driver what to do the whole time - why he's driving wrong. I'm really considering 39w0d at this point to help my stress level. It would also get me home by the weekend (probably?) so that would be awesome. The reason I'm worrying more than usual is because I'm 36 weeks, measuring 41. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856615 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:35:43 +0000 codeitall 2856615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was lucky and had a brother in college who lived across town. He didn't have a car, so DH had to go pick him up when I realized I wasn't going to last till daycare started. But he watched the kids at home. Next time I'll probably have my sister in law who lives in the area on call. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856614 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:28:04 +0000 ALV91711 2856614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: I was at a doctors appointment for something else and got sent over to the hospital. So I had driven myself. Didn't know until after I was there I'd be having baby that day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856604 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:43:25 +0000 ElbieKay 2856604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I made it to my induction date, but I had a plan in case that didn't happen.</p> <p>I had a couple of younger (in their 20s) local babysitters on call overnight. One of them would have come in the middle of the night if we needed that coverage. My son was at camp over the summer and got picked up via bus every morning, so the sitter would have just gotten him onto the bus, and then my parents would have picked him up at the end of the day. (If it was a weekend, then my parents would have just come to pick my son up the next day.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856586 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:03:05 +0000 LemonJack 2856586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents live relatively nearby, so they were our contacts and purposely stayed close starting a few weeks before my due date. We had our daughter’s sitter as a backup, since she lives super close by. My mom ended up coming to get our daughter in the middle of the day, then she stayed with my parents for a few days. It worked out well. We had a night at home with the baby before my parents brought back our older daughter, so we were all settled in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856585 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:02:50 +0000 LCTBQE 2856585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ALV91711: damn, so how did you get to the hospital?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856582 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:57:26 +0000 ALV91711 2856582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH's aunt was our call to come to our house day or night. We had a friend who lives across the road and another friend who lives nearby lined up just in case. </p> <p>I ended up with an emergency csection and called DH when he was driving with DS home from daycare. He took DS to the aunts and came to the hospital. It was crazy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856577 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:49:19 +0000 erinbaderin 2856577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents came to our house and stayed with my son, but I had a scheduled C-section so it was easy - I had the same concerns as you before I knew it was going to be scheduled. I think @LCTBQE: of having a car pick them up if it's at night is a great one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856575 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:47:16 +0000 LCTBQE 2856575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also wondering if you can get the induction scheduled for 39w0d if it’s not that or sooner, just to better your odds of it working out that way. I was induced for #2 on my due date but was very worried about the plan if it had been spontaneous. I had all these neighbors and my son’s daycare and everyone all patched together but I could have potentially had to take a 2-hour uber (alone) to my hospital which would have been... bad. So I understand the stress :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watched-your-older-kids-when-you-went-into-labor#post-2856573 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:40:01 +0000 LCTBQE 2856573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: can you have an uber/Lyft/cab come pick them up if it’s spontaneous labor at night? And then just plan for them to drive themselves over if it’s during the day? Or do you have a reliable friend/neighbor who could cover night shift and then in laws come over at 6am? ETA agree with muffins about not worrying about sxhool—- your dd will always remember this being a special day anyway :) </p>