Toddler plans during delivery

kscarlett5683 · September 2011

If you have a toddler, do you have a plan for what to do with the LO when you go into labor? Do you bring LO to the hospital with you (and then maybe have someone come to babysit)? Take her to a pre-arranged place, even if it's 3am?

DD #1 will be almost 2 1/2 and I feel like I have to think of every single labor scenario and have a plan for it!

What are you planning to do?

desmerelda317 · September 2011

I had a few friends lined up as being "on-call" for when I went into labor. I made sure to have a few just because if one couldn't take DS, I didn't want to be stuck without care for him. I didn't want to bring him to the hospital because I planned a med-free delivery and needed my husband as my coach, so nobody would be able to watch him.

julygal · September 2011

My ILs have been in town for the past week. They are renting a condo in our neighborhood that is within walking distance. My parents will be joining them in the condo today. This makes our out of town grandparents accessible (we have no family in town) without us having house guests.

If I go into labor during the day, then my ILs will come take the kids and go do something with them. They will bring the kids back when I leave for the hospital and/or for bedtime. My ILs will spend the night here with the kids.

If I go into labor during the middle of the night, we will call my ILs to come over and spend the remainder of the night, so we don't have to disrupt the kids' sleep.

My ILs will stay with the kids at our house while we are in the hospital. They might take the kids over to the condo for an overnight with all 4 grandparents if the kids are up to it, but our house is easier since it has toys, their own beds, etc.

ETA: Prior to my ILs' arrival, we would have called a neighbor. That plan wasn't really set in iron and was a more play it by ear scenario, as it was a back up plan if I went really early.

Snooks · September 2011

I guess the truth is you can plan and plan and who knows what will happen. My DD turns 3 on the 12th of October, I'm due on the 30th. If I go into labor at work then she'll either already be with my parents or at daycare and they'll have to pick her up. If I'm at home then they'll have to meet us at the hospital (we live about 30-45 minutes east of the hospital and they live about an hour north of the hospital). We don't know anyone well enough around our house to leave her with them. So I guess she'll most likely end up with us at the hospital for a bit.

DarthNBJenni · September 2011

My parents are 5 minutes away in case I do go into labor on my own. For my scheduled c/s, the in-laws will probably take one twin and my SD if we have her, and my parents the other twin. Divide & conquer!

rebeccaontherocks · September 2011

If the baby stays in until my induction date, my IL's will be staying with us and we will just leave him at home with them. If I go into labor naturally, I have two friends on call.... one that lives near my house and one that lives near the hospital. The one that lives near the hospital has told me that DS is welcome to arrive on her doorstep anytime day or night.

christiney06 · September 2011

im having a scheduled c-sect. but if i go into labor before then , esp. if it's at night when DS is sleeping, than our good friend who lives close by on call. my mom will come up at some point to take care of him also. luckily the hospital is 4 miles away so MH will be back home by nighttime to put him to bed and then he'll come back to me and the baby at night.

KimbaleeZay · September 2011

We're having a scheduled c-section so it's a little easier to plan out. Going to schedule it for the weekend so my inlaws can take her over night the 1st night and then DH will have her the other few days I'm in the hospital.

babes12 · September 2011

If i go into labor i'll call BIL to come over (he's 5min away) and watch DS until my mom can get to my house to watch him. If i feel like i don't have to go to the hospital right away i'll just wait for my mom to come up (she's about an hour away)and watch DS.

adri77 · September 2011

When I had DS2 (DS1 was only 21 months old) we had planned for a neighbor to come over in the middle of the night if needed. Well, it was needed, and the neighbor fell through. We had to get DS1 out of bed and take him to the hospital with us. I had to labor alone for 3 hours before someone got there to take him. He could not tolerate being in the room with me....he was (is) VERY active and busy and it just wasn't working with him in the room. It was EXTREMELY stressful for me, mostly b/c I was worrying about my little guy and feeling guilty about having to drag him with us. and being in pain alone was no fun!!!!

This time around I have 2 to think of...same plan, different neighbors, choosing different family members to come to the "rescue" but I'm still very stressed about it all.

mrsgabus · September 2011

I dont have a toddler but I do have a school ager (5 year old).

Our case is kind of hard, we have no local neighbors that we know or trust (not a great area). I have had a few babysitters through craigslist and care.com (all never worked out very well). My DH's brother is 2 hours away but is rarely home. My family is a 10 hour drive away. SO.... If I am early we will have a bit of a struggle and my son will be at the hospital with us for at least a few hours. If I go on time or over due than my mom will be here as she is flying down the week of my due date.

xtencornfield · September 2011

MIL is on-call from here on out...she's about 25 minutes away. If for some unlikely reason we need to get the hospital ASAP, we'll take DS with and have her meet us there since it's in the middle. Otherwise, she'll come to our house and take him back to their house when he's up etc. If he's at daycare when I go into labor, she'll just pick him up when we normally would.

EveryNameIWantIsTaken · September 2011

We have it a bit easier since it's a planned c-section, but if it weren't we would take him to my parents if it weren't the middle of the night, or my mom would come here if it were the middle of the night so we wouldn't have to wake him.

amy_rski · September 2011

My mom is about 30 minutes away so she is on call for when I go into labor. She'll take care of DS (either pick him up from daycare, come here to sleep or wherever) until my FIL can get here (he's about an hour away). My mom wants to be at the hospital (which I think is silly since she's not going to be in the delivery room), so once FIL gets here he'll take over with DS.

Or if it is a non-daycare day I'll call to see if DS can go to daycare for the day so it is a little less chaotic for everyone and it will be a normal routine for him.

silivren · September 2011

Mine is a scheduled c-section, and my mother shares a house with me, so it's a pretty easy no-brainer. Mom will be with my DD

dejavu · September 2011

If it happens during the day, then DS is at daycare and I know being watched over. I would send DH to pick him up or other family. If it were to happen at night then MIL will come over and watch DS (he'll be sleeping of course), my mom will be at the hospital w/ me 7 DH. DH can pick up DS in the morning when he wakes and either bring him to the hospital to visit or to daycare.

mrsjenniferg2010 · September 2011

My SIL lives right next to us and she will be watching him when we go into labor.

HappyHealthyGlo · September 2011

Thankfully, my mother is retired and has been put on notice to come to our house when labor begins in order to stay home with DD. Hubs and I decided we did not want to bring her to the hospital just to sit and wait. She and my mother will come once the baby arrives.

jennrenee09 · September 2011

my dad has been here for about a week and will stay til my LO comes so he will be watching DS when i go into labor

babyAutumn · September 2011

When DS was born, DD was 20 months old. We called our in-home daycare provider at midnight to come watch her. In the morning, she took her back to her place as per usual. We have no family in town so we were very lucky that she offered to help out when the time came. This time around, we will probably do the same thing if I go in the middle of the night. If it's in the daytime though, we have several scenarios. It all just depends on the day and the time baby decides to make his grand entrance. Ideally, I wouldn't want to bring them to the hospital with me.

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