Anyone have to bring DC1 to L&D with them?

SweetHurricane

We have a pair of friends lined up to watch DD while I'm in L&D, but the wife is also pregnant and due a week after I am. There is a chance that she may be in the hospital at the same time as I am and we are having trouble coming up with a back up plan.

We don't have any family within driving distance. All of our parents work and there is no way they can come here and stay with us for an unknown amount of time (plus, we don't have the room). DH has a couple of coworkers that we could ask, but if they're at work when I go into labor, that'd be a no go.

So, I guess we will take DD to the hospital with us if we have to. I was wondering if any of you have had to do this, how it went, any tips, etc?

celiabwatson

You could also look around and see if you have a drop in or hourly day care in your area. Some of them have like a 4 hour max but that might be enough for a friend to get off work and come pick your daughter up. You could also see if you could find a college student who would be a good babysitter and would be willing to be on call. You'll want to have a good babysitter in your back pocket with 2U2 anyway. 

These ideas come from the fact that we went through the very same thing. No family lives close. My very good friend had agreed to be our back up but she ended up going out of town a week before my due date and I was having contractions so we were thinking about alternates. We ended up not having the baby until about a week later and she was back so I don't have any advice about actually having the older one there. 

CaitlinJ22

Can you join a play group, or childcare co-op soon? Or make friends with a neighbor? What about a sitter? Find a college or high school student who is off during the summer and is available. Look on CL, or ask around at story time, or other child friendly areas. 

mamabirdof4

We did not HAVE to but we chose to for the birth of our second child...Our son was there the whole time when our daughter was born. He was 13 months 1 day old...He did wonderful.  We brought the PS3 so we were able to play movies for him and DH...lol  We brought lots of snacks...and he ran the cycle of the maternity floor.  It was kind of neat since we delivered at the same hospital he was born at with the same dr and nurses. 

I was sad that we didn't have the same experience with the twins birth but I had to deliver in the OR since it was hospital/dr policy in case of emergency section for baby B.  Even then they came as soon as I delivered and spent the night and the rest of the stay with us. 

Luckly our hospital has no stupid policy about no kids allowed...no way would I deliver at one that did.

MammaBear81

mamabirdof4:

We did not HAVE to but we chose to for the birth of our second child...Our son was there the whole time when our daughter was born. He was 13 months 1 day old...He did wonderful.  We brought the PS3 so we were able to play movies for him and DH...lol  We brought lots of snacks...and he ran the cycle of the maternity floor.  It was kind of neat since we delivered at the same hospital he was born at with the same dr and nurses. 

I was sad that we didn't have the same experience with the twins birth but I had to deliver in the OR since it was hospital/dr policy in case of emergency section for baby B.  Even then they came as soon as I delivered and spent the night and the rest of the stay with us. 

Luckly our hospital has no stupid policy about no kids allowed...no way would I deliver at one that did.

We did the bolded part as well, all of the kids came to all of the births (Except DD2 which was born at 11:30 pm, I wouldn't wake them up in the middle of the night to bring them, I think that would have been a disaster).  Games, snack etc. they all did great.  My mom and MIL were there as well to entertain though so DH could concentrate on me when I needed him.

Kaiterz

Honestly, I would have MH stay home w/ DD before having her watched by someone or a daycare she isn't used to.  I just couldn't imagine having DD cooped up at the hospital while I was laboring.