Hospital-visitor question

Happy2BPregnant

So, I will be delivering at Northwestern and I just read under visitors that you are allowed four (including SO).  Both my parents and my husband's parents want to be there.  Am I really only allowed to have four people visit me while I'm in labor?  I plan on having only dh in the room when I deliver but I'd like both our parents to be able to be in the waiting area.

 

jesusita2002

From what I can recall, only one person is allowed to be with you in triage (where you check into and wait to be transferred to your delivery room). In Labor & Delivery as well as Post Partum, there is a four person visitor "limit". I personally didn't have more than three visit us in the Labor & Delivery floor, but I'm assuming that there is a waiting room located on the floor where family members can wait their turn since I know when our families did arrive, they were not too far away from our Post-Op room when I ended up having an emergency C-section.

I do remember for a fact that Post Partum does have a waiting room on the floor where any number of guests can sit. I can also say that when our son was born in 2011, the nurses never once asked any of our family members to leave the room (unless they were about to do a procedure) even though there were usually more than four. The only thing that I do remember them being "sticklers" about is no children under a certain age on the floor unless they were siblings. So unless they have become stricter about their policies, you should probably be okay with everyone being in your room as long as you are not going overboard and everyone is being respectful and staying out of the nurses' way. Otherwise, the waiting rooms are just down the hallway so they won't be too far. Hope that helps!

jessie23Wed209743

I suggest asking your physician on your next appt or email them (if you use mychart). We too are delivering at Northwestern and are having a scheduled c-section, I know it's not delivery like you specified, but we were told only ONE visitor in the room besides myself and the baby after delivery. She went on to further mention that my own husband will have to leave the room while my mom visits, than she'll have to leave than my dad can come in. We're all pretty bummed about this as we were definitely wanting to be surrounded by family. So check with your dr next appointment, hopefully she'll be able to clear it up fo ryou. 

jesusita2002

jessie23Wed209743:

I suggest asking your physician on your next appt or email them (if you use mychart). We too are delivering at Northwestern and are having a scheduled c-section, I know it's not delivery like you specified, but we were told only ONE visitor in the room besides myself and the baby after delivery. She went on to further mention that my own husband will have to leave the room while my mom visits, than she'll have to leave than my dad can come in. We're all pretty bummed about this as we were definitely wanting to be surrounded by family. So check with your dr next appointment, hopefully she'll be able to clear it up fo ryou. 

 This is true with the post Op room after our C-section. My dad had to leave Chi to go back to MI and it was taking forever and a day to be transferred to PostPartum. So my husband switched out with him for a minute. However, once we were transferred up to Post Partum the "4 visitors/room" rule applied. I'm not sure how vaginal deliveries work in the sense of how many people are allowed in the room between transfers and while they are cleaning & stitching you up. As PP said, your Dr. may know a bit more about that transitional period. 

Happy2BPregnant

Wow, they are pretty strict.  My mother and MIL are going to love this!  I really hope I don't have to have a c-section.  That is so odd that only one person is allowed with you.  I don't like that at all.  I will ask my doc at my next appt.  Thanks for the information ladies!

PregnantLaura313

Hi, I just took a class and went on a tour there. You are allowed up to four people at a time in the room but there is a waiting room on the delivery floor. The nurse teaching the class said though especially on the post partum floor that as long as your visitors are quite and things are going well, the floor nurses don't come in and do a head count and kick people out. HTH.