Parenting

Would you be paranoid about leaving your child

alone in a hospital room at all?

ML is scheduled for surgery next month, and she has to stay overnight.  I don't really want to leave her at ALL.  If someone came to get her or do something to her, I'd like to be there to check who they are/what they want or to go with her, if possible. So, if I needed to go get something, like dinner, or whatever, I'd prefer H to be with us, too, so one of us would be with her constantly.  H thinks leaving her alone in the room for 30 minutes or so is not a big deal.  

She's 4-1/2.  When I ran to Starbucks during her ballet lesson, she came out to use the restroom and was terrified to find me gone.

But that would entail leaving TB overnight with my sister without ML.  I think he'd be OK, but not 100% sure.  

WDYT? 

Re: Would you be paranoid about leaving your child

  • I'd find someone to bring food or sit while you leave. I wouldn't think something would happen, but I think it would be scary for her. Couldn't your sister come relieve you for awhile?
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  • I think that I would leave my DD (also 4.5) for *very brief* periods of time (ie: run down to the cafeteria to grab some food, etc.), but I would make sure she knew before I left (ie: I wouldn't leave her sleeping if she was likely to wake up and be surprised that I was gone), and I wouldn't leave her overnight.
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  • I would never leave DS alone in a hospital room at this age.

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  • No way at all would she be out of my sight. 
  • No, I would not leave her alone.  But I don't think its necessary for your DH to be there the whole time, either.  Can't you guys switch off?
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  • DD1 was in the hospital over the summer and DH had to leave her to go get food for him and her to eat (I wasn't there at the time). He had one of her nurses sit with her. He was probably gone 15 minutes. She was in the hospital again last month and I had to leave her to run to the bathroom (we were just in the ER and they don't have attached bathrooms). I had a nurse stay with her and again, I was only gone for a few minutes.
  • I did when Lucas had surgery for pyloric stenosis at 8 weeks.  However the nurses were more than happy to hold him at the front desk while I went down to grab something, take a shower, or go get my car while we were discharged.  Granted, he was there for a week, and for the last 4 days, I was alone.
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  • I wouldn't leave either of the boys for any length of time (unless, of course, another family member he was comfortable with was there to relieve DH and I) .  I can't imagine how scary that would be for them. 
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  • No i would not leave without someone being there.
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  • No I wouldn't be ok with that.  for us it wouldn't be such an issue with all of the family around us, though. I can't imagine we'd be alone for long.
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  • imagehikerbeth:
    I think that I would leave my DD (also 4.5) for *very brief* periods of time (ie: run down to the cafeteria to grab some food, etc.), but I would make sure she knew before I left (ie: I wouldn't leave her sleeping if she was likely to wake up and be surprised that I was gone), and I wouldn't leave her overnight.

    I'd do this too.  running to grab food as long as dd was ok with it = ok, leaving her overnight = no.

    ETA - i'd probably make a specific plan for dinner - i.e. have dh come visit at that time so I could run out or have him bring it with him - just in case dd did get upset about the idea of me leaving for a short time. 

  • Nope.  I couldn't leave her alone.  She'd probably be fine but you just never know. 
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  • I've never thought about it, but I don't think I would leave my child alone in their hospital room.  I mean, I know that you have to leave babies in the NICU b/c there's nowhere to sleep/stay, but I imagine there is always a nurse in there with them...but if they were in their own room, I'd want someone I trust in there with them at all times (ie. a nurse or family member). 
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  • I'm glad to hear I'm not the only paranoid one.  H thinks I've been watching too much "24" (which is probably true).
  • it's not about paranoia for me; I'm not afraid someone will take him or do something horrible to him.  

    But I would not leave him alone for a minute in a hospital b/c it would be a scary experience for him.  If I had another child, I'd be perfectly comfortable leaving that other child home or in other familiar surrounding like a grandparent or aunt's house, w/ another family member.  

  • Ditto HikerBeth.

    Short periods of time to grab food, a shower, go to the bathroom, go feed the meter, switch places with dh, go outside to breath and collect yourself: yes, certainly. I think it would be necessary for logistical purpose- I mean, you're going to have to pee at some point, no? 

    Overnight or for any signifigant length of time? No, I wouldn't be comfortable with that at all although I understand that sadly some family have no choice- single parents with younger children at home with not much support, people who will get fired if they miss work and then won't be able to pay rent, etc. 

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