Hellobee Boards

@Applesandbananas: yep the second time around. We actually got put in a huge corner room between two sets of doors so our door couldn't be seen from the hall. LO's tag on her bassinet thing was the doctors name not her name.

HIPAA only prevents the hospital from releasing information on your condition. They can confirm you are a patient, but can't disclose why (though on an L&D floor, that's pretty obvious). As a hospital employee, it is generally not my practice to provide room numbers to random callers, but I think that's just me; it's not a HIPAA violation to do so to my knowledge. If people are showing up at the hospital, staff generally assume they know you're there and are just not sure of the room number. If you want more control over your visitors, you have to let the staff know when you get there.

At the hospitals where I've worked, security won't do anything about it, but the staff can put a sign on your door directing people to stop at the desk before entering your room. Then the staff can tell people they can/can't visit.

I didn't realize this was a thing, and I wish I had. I am estranged from my mother and she was able to call the hospital and be connected to my room -- really stressful less than 12 hours after I gave birth.

I had the nurses put a note that any visitors had to check in with them first when they would then go ask me if I wanted the person allowed in. I did this because I was emotional about D's trouble and because I didn't want random people dropping in like they did for K, for example my parents' pastor.

I did not. When DD2 was born, my mom, sister and DD1 came right to the hospital. They were sent into the delivery room (we weren't even on the postpartum floor yet) without anyone on staff asking me if that was okay. When they knocked, a nurse opened the door and greeted them with "Firstname Lastname?" He used the baby's name, of course. We had been Team Green, and that is how my daughter, mom and sister learned my kid's sex and name. Also, I couldn't even sit up yet, and now I had visitors and a toddler climbing on me. I knew they were coming to the hospital and was happy for that. I didn't think they'd just be sent in without permission and have the birth announced to them.

Privacy fail, hospital.

I didn't choose the privacy option so I can't really comment on it. When I did my hospital tour I noticed one of my friend's names on the board. It was disguised with first four initials of her last name or something like that. Regardless it was enough for DH and I to recognize it. We texted her BFF to inquire - she was on bed rest and some bad drugs. We ended up taking her husband out for a burrito.

My hospital has a waiting room outside of the secured L&D area. If visitors come the nurses ask if the mom if they can come in and then they are escorted back. If mom says no the nurses play the had guy. To me, even getting notified there are visitors is stressful. We aren't sharing where we are giving birth (my mom has asked) and I doubt any of my family is that curious to play super sleuth to figure it out.

@oliviaoblivia: does interior design run in the family?

This was an option at our hospital but I don't have any need for it per se as I was happy to have any visitors. Just my parents (with DS) and brother and SIL came and then my MIL later.

@littlebug: I worked in registration for a while at a hospital. If someone checked in privately we were supposed to pretend like they didn't exist if someone asked about them.

We have no need to use it though.

@regberadaisy: no they can, it will show up as private when the operator looks you up to give the room number.

@Bao: interesting. I guess it makes sense. I can think of a few scenarios where this is necessary.

@LBee: same, we also had DND signs we could put up at any point.

@LBee: OMG that is so terribly awkward !!! If I see the doctor and there are visitors , I'll make sure to usher them out !

As for me : I wish I had known about the privacy feature for the first time (gramma came to
Visit while I was being induced and having contractions , etc). This time we won't tell anyone we are at the hospital (except whoever is watching LO1 and we will swear them to
Secrecy ) until After baby is born !

Family (parents and my sister) was in the waiting room( my parents were there the whole time). But they respected us when we said it was just us during labor and right after. When we were ready we told them to come back and meet her. I also told them my Mom got to hold her first and no one said anything about that either.

I didn't tell any other family we were in labor cause I didn't want anyone at the hospital. My friend is a nurse where I delivered and happened to be there visiting someone else. I had texted my girlfriends so she knew I was there but not that I had her yet. The nurse asked if she could come in and I said no, I wanted the grandparents to meet her first. She was totally fine with it.