I emailed a couple friends today to ask about a couple things since they delivered at the same hospital as I will be. They both said that take the hospital up on sending the baby to the nursery and getting some sleep. They will bring her back when she is hungry to BF. But other people have told me not too. On the one hand, sleep would be great, esp. after labor. But I am not sure I am going to want to let her out of my site. I also am afraid the nurses would give her a bottle.
What did you do?
squash / 13764 posts
I didn't, because I asked the nurses if they would pick him up if he were crying, and they said something like, "If he were screaming". I didn't like that so I kept him with me. It would have been really nice to get some rest though, so maybe next time I'll do it differently!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I didn't have that option but I definitely would have taken them up on it the first night after my surgery.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
I didn't - but I delivered her at 9:27p, got a room by 11:30/12 midnight, and was still so obsessed I didn't want her out of my sight! I held her all night and stayed mainly awake.
nectarine / 2886 posts
I did, and I'm glad I did because I really needed the rest! They brought LO in to BF, and didn't give her bottles.
coconut / 8305 posts
She most definitely stayed with me. Breastfeeding on demand was incredibly important to me & I've experienced first hand nurses give pacis & formula when specifically asked not to.
grapefruit / 4823 posts
The first night I had them take him to the nursery but they brought him to me to eat. The next 2(I had a csection) I kept him in the nursery the whole night(I ok'd formula). I got a lot of push back from the nurses, that's for sure. But I don't regret sending him.
Do what's comfortable for you, everyone's different
pineapple / 12793 posts
I didn't have the option. Our hospital only sends infants to the nursery if they need nicu care.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
I didn't have the option either. Same as @oliviaoblivia: the only time you don't room in with your LO is if they need extended care.
pomegranate / 3516 posts
I didn't. I wanted her near me so I could get used to her and ask any questions I needed to while I was there plus I wanted to breastfeed her on demand. I also just wanted to stare at her all the time.
bananas / 9118 posts
No, I figured there wouldn't be a nursery at home, so we needed to figure things out then and there. We got pretty decent sleep the first night anyway. He ended up in the NICU at 24 hours old due to high bilirubin. I still didn't get much sleep because I went there to breastfeed him every 3 hours for the next few days.
persimmon / 1427 posts
I planned to keep LO in our room, but we sent her to the nursery. I had a very long and hard labor and LO was born in the middle of the night. I desperately needed some rest and so did DH.
LO was EBF and we had no problems. The nurses brought LO to me when it was time for her to feed.
Take advantage of the nursery and rest up. The first few days at home are exhausting.
honeydew / 7687 posts
@Smurfette: I honestly don't think you'll get any more sleep - the nurses have to come in a billion times anyways. For me it was important to establish breastfeeding well, and I figured the proximity would help. Plus DH got to snuggle with him as well.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
I did. I delivered at a very breastfeeding friendly hospital, so I wasn'tworried about pacifiers or formula in the nursery. They happily woke me up when it was time for LO to eat
grapefruit / 4819 posts
No, our hospital only takes babies out of the room if they need special care. Once LO arrived, I didn't want her out of my sight anyway. DH spent both nights at the hospital with me (even though he wasn't supposed to - our hospital encourages husbands to go home at night) and I was able to get plenty of rest with him watching the baby. He went home in the early morning for a few hours sleep and I felt plenty rested to care for LO on my own for a few hours. I also really liked that we had plenty of time to bond, work on BF'ing, and there were no concerns about nurses doing something against my wishes.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
I did for overnight! I asked the nurses to bring her to me if she cried or every 4 hours.. Whichever came first. She slept the whole time she was in there. And I was able to get rest because I knew the nurse had an eye on her (I was terrified she would suffocate in her sleep for the first few weeks). My milk came in 36 hours after she was born and she has been EBF her whole life. My hospital would never give formula without being explicitly instructed to do so.
coconut / 8279 posts
I didn't want to but DS had a collapsed lung and a few other complications. I was terribly sick myself from postpartum high blood pressure, not having him with me, definitely didn't help with that. People came to visit and only got to see me. (Do I still sound like I'm depressed about it? I am a little.. boo)
honeydew / 7589 posts
If it's important to you that your baby not be given bottles or pacifiers, I'd say keep her in the room. I've personally seen nurses completely disregard parent's instructions about things like that.
You probably won't get any sleep anyway, the nurses come in constantly to check your vitals/vag/random things.
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
I didn't - I wanted her in my arms so I could stare at her all night 
watermelon / 14206 posts
It's not an option at the birth center, cause baby stays with mom and we go home after only a few hours after labor.
BUT, if I were to give birth in a hospital, I wouldn't. But, I think it's more personal, since ds was whisked away to the NICU right after birth, and this time I'm looking forward to just being with my LO as soon as I have her.
nectarine / 2054 posts
I did, though for the second night I didn't get much sleep anyway, because they kept bringing him to me to feed him whenever he started crying, so they brought him in all the time. In the end I kept him with me, as he seemed to sleep better there. It made me nervous to be completely responsible for him though!
pear / 1698 posts
We did, because I was exhausted and wanted to get some sleep. It was only between midnight and 3 am though, since they prefer you room with the baby. . We were at a very baby friendly hospital that was pro breastfeeding, mandatory 1 hour skin to skin immediately after birth, lactation consultants etc and they still gave her a pacifier while in the nursery. It didn't impact our breastfeeding at all though. If you do send your baby to the nursery, give clear instructions on your preferences for pacifiers and formula!
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
I tried not to, but my LO was very alert and up, and she cried and cried til the nurses came in and said that I needed to get some sleep and to let them take her.
pear / 1579 posts
My dd was immediately sent to the NICU since she was pre-term, but had she been full term, I would've kept her in my room.
nectarine / 2994 posts
I didn't have the option because babies roomed with their mom's unless they needed to go to the nicu. Dh wasn't allowed to stay with me at night time so I was freaked out that I wouldn't hear LO crying during the night. But since I was in a room with two other moms and their babies, I ended up barely sleeping anyway and had no trouble hearing Lo when she woke up.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
I did, on the 2nd night but only for 1.5 hrs bc he was hungry.
When he was in the peds unit when he was 2 Wks old the nurse took him for 4 hrs when he was fussing nonstop for me...the first (and last) 4 hr block of sleep I've had since he was born 6 Wks ago.
coconut / 8475 posts
I didn't, but next time I will.
Honestly, he slept the ENTIRE time anyways, so I think if he were in the nrusery he would have been fine:) But I couldn't sleep because everytime he even breathed, I freaked out and I stayed up all night just watching him.
Needless to say, 3 days later when we got home, I was a zombie, I was so tired.
I would actually feel 100% confident in my nurses to take care of baby #2 while I sleep. Does that mean the whole time? NO. But, maybe like 4-5 hours after labor so DH & I can re-cooperate.
p.s: my hospital is dead-set against bottles and they would never give LO a bottle without my permission.
pomelo / 5789 posts
Yes! Luckily I was in the recovery room right next door to the nursery so we could check on him whenever. I had a hard c-section and blood pressure issues, so I was too medicated to take care of a baby.
They fully complied with our wishes....no paci or bottle...but after my milk taking a while to come in, they asked if I was open to formula, and I decided to go ahead.
Baby was cleared to leave the hospital after 48 hours, but since I was in for 5 days, they mostly keep him in the nursery until day 4.
nectarine / 2163 posts
We didn't because that's not an option here. I probably wouldn't even if it was though, just because I'd want to see him and BF and cuddle etc
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Thanks everyone. I just talked to DH and he thinks we should take advantage of trying to get some sleep at night. Then just have her with us in the room all day.
I guess we will just wait and see how we are feeling at the moment. I know I would feel 100% better about sending her if my friend is on duty that night and she is watching over her. I really hope I go in labor over the weekend!
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
@TurtleDoves: Me too! Except I may FF the next one since it's worked out so well this time around, so I'd be fine with them giving bottles..
@Smurfette They will bring LO to you to BF if you're BFing too.
coconut / 8498 posts
I didn't. We got decent rest anyway, but I'm not sure how. If the hospital I will deliver at had a nursery, I would definitely send my next LO. Alas, there's not one.
pomelo / 5321 posts
We didn't. Our hospital didn't have a nursery but I think we would have kept him with us anyway. FWIW, the nurses woke me more than the baby did.
nectarine / 2886 posts
@Arden: Agree with your pacifier advice. I wasn't worried about the nurses giving bottles but every time LO was wheeled in, she had a pacifier in her mouth. I didn't mind but if you don't want your LO taking a pacifier, I would make sure the nurses know that.
cherry / 236 posts
I swore I would keep LO in the room with us, but I ended up sending her to the nursery (for a variety of reasons). They brought her back every three hours to eat and didn't give her anything (pacifier/formula) without permission. I still didn't get great sleep, but I know I got more than if she had been in the room...I would have stayed up just to make sure she was breathing
pomelo / 5093 posts
My hospital doesn't have a nursery, just a nicu, which is where my baby went and stayed for a week. It broke my heart to go back to my room all alone. I may have felt differently had I had a more positive birth experience, but I had planned to keep her with me.
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
I did! I wasn't planning on it, as my hospital did rooming in. They only have a special care nursery, but they will take your LO there if you request it. We got ready for bed, wheeled her little bassinet right beside me, and as soon as we shut our eyes she spit up a ton. She started choking, and it freaked us the freak out. I couldn't sleep after that... I just kept staring at her. Next time the nurse came, I asked her to take S for a little while. Getting just those few hours of sleep was WONDERFUL. The nurses actually took her a few times over the course of our stay, and getting those few hours of uninterrupted sleep really helped us to be more in the moment & enjoy those first few days with her more. I wouldn't have slept at all if she stayed in the room! I won't hesitate to ask the nurses next time. Sleep is so, so important those first few days when you're healing and hormones are going nuts.
FWIW, the nurses asked about bottles & pacifiers before taking her each time!
persimmon / 1479 posts
A lot of hospitals are jumping on a new breastfeeding initiative and don't even supply babies a pacifier if parents ask (unless they are in the NICU, and then it is used for other purposes). So hopefully that won't be much of a concern. It is too bad the bad experience some people have had with the nurses. When my floor in the hospital isn't busy I will help out in the nursery and they do pick up the babies if they are crying and they 100% stick to the parents wishes on feeding.
I sent LO just for an hour so they could do an assessment and bath. Otherwise she was cluster feeding so I was pretty much feeding her non stop. We were running on adrenaline anyways and really didn't rest too much.
I think your plan to see how you feel is a good idea. You never know really how you are going to feel.
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