Should I take DD on hospital tour to prepare for #2?

Mango2

I want to do a hospital tour again. I don't think anything's changed at our hospital but want to be sure. Plus, I wanted to take DD, who is 2, so she could see where Mommy's going and so it won't seem scary when she comes to visit.

The tour is an hour, from 6:00 - 7:00. We'll probably go straight from daycare. We'll have her stroller and I'll bring her some dinner she can eat during the tour.

I'm starting to have second thoughts about taking DD. Will it be too much for her? Did anyone else take their DC on a hospital tour to prepare them for the next baby?

Brideofranken

take everything I say with a grain of salt- I am paranoid and I HATE hospitals:

 so I think it is a bad idea for kids to visit them (hospitals) if it is not absolutely necessary- my daughter came with my parents a couple of times while i was there with my son (3 days) and by the time I brought him home she was SO freaking sick with some nasty stomach bug ( not that it HAD to have come from the hospital...) but it made the whole having 2 kids transition SO much harder...I know maternity wards are mostly separate, but still, GERM FACTORY!!!

Also: she wanted nothing to do with anything while they were visiting, except running up and down the halls...so she wasn't getting anything out of the experience, and I was super stressed...

It's rough, though to not see your sweet first born for that long!

good luck!

VivaAmore

I think it's a cute idea although I don't know what your DD is like.

Mine would be fine. She's seen stuff on TV (thanks DH!) that I wouldn't think would be good for her and she has never had any issues.

Another option is to just talk to her about it, show her pictures online if your hospital has them posted, explain that this is where her bro/sis will be born and where she'll come to meet him/her.

KoriBrett

Children were not allowed at our hospital tours.  I'd check first.  Also, eating during the tour, probably a huge no-no on that one.

DD was 23m when DS was born and we just started talking about it a little more.  She was fine - she visited daily, I was there 5days, DS was there 9. 

We DID do a tour again with DS even though it was the same hospital.  They renovated & moved the entire L&D wing so we kinda needed to know where the F everything was ;-)

brightning

I wouldn't do it. The germ factor, first of all. And my 2 yo is active and curious, so I think it'd be an added stress to bring her. At this age, I don't think kids are curious about WHERE Mommy is, they just want her to come back. I don't think a tour would benefit her at this age, if she's anything like my DD.

Mango2

Thanks all. I think I've decided against taking her. My neighbor's did it with their daughter, but she's incredibly paranoid about separation anxiety with her DD. Plus, I'll probably get more out of it if she's not with me.

praline

My DH took my DD (2 yrs old) last weekend (I'm on bedrest and couldn't go) and she had fun.  She wore her big sister shirt and they got to see the babies in the nursery (from the window) and have a snack and draw a picture. 

I didn't even think about germs, but then DD goes to daycare three times a week so she is hardly shielded from germs. 

They had fun but it definitely isn't necessary.

 

ETA: This was specifically a "sibling tour" for kids two and three years old.