I bit the bullet on the zulilly hanna andersson sale and got some matching PJ's for the girls. Still paid a bit more than I wanted to just because shipping is $7.99 but I haven't bought ANY new clothes for this LO yet, so I figured I'd splurge. I also got a picture frame for LO's hospital bracelet to go in, just like we have for DD1.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme those are really cute! I wish I had done something with the girls' hospital bracelets. When it comes to keeping track of that stuff, I'm useless!
Our hospital has the flu ban too. It also has visitor hours but they aren’t applicable to the father or grandparents of the baby. The flu ban is for any child under the age of 13 they cannot come in to visit unless they are a sibling with a record on file that they have had their flu shot up to date. We dealt with the same thing when we had DS at the end of March 2 years ago. My siblings threw a fit they couldn’t come visit after his birth (born at 7:01 PM with 90 mins of kangaroo care and then getting me changed, fed, and moved to a post partum room) it was then after visitation hours. Also had to hear last time about my nieces weren’t allowed to come to the hospital to visit due to the flu ban ... They still got to meet him within 24 hours of his birth. This time I sent everyone a picture straight out of the hospital guidelines of visiting hours/flu ban information.
How do you plan to deal with grandparents or other family members when you first bring in one child to meet their new sibling? This isn’t something I thought of until while laying in the hospital bed in L&D this week unexpectedly in walked my MIL (at 8:30 at night)! I was mortified and let me say that my BP didn’t “recover” until after she finally left! I don’t mind her and have an okay relationship with her but she didn’t even call/text first to make sure we didn’t mind if she stopped in (she works in the town we are delivering in and worked late night ... FIL was at our house watching DS which is the only way she even knew we were there). Now because I know our son will be with her and FIL when this LO comes along I can’t imagine her being in the room when we introduce them... I’m sure I’m thinking too much into it. What are your plans/thoughts?
@ashley14598 If DD1 is not already in the room when I deliver, because that’s the plan, DH will go out to the waiting to get her and bring her back. We’ve already talked to everyone and told them that she is the first one allowed back and that they will need to wait until later to visit. My parents and the ILs seem to understand that at that moment. At our hospital you are not just allowed to walk in and visit at L&D or mother/baby unit. You have to check in with the security desk on the unit first, and have mom’s info and room number to go back. Plus you can tell the security desk you are not accepting visitors at the moment. So that is also helpful for me to deter people if I’m not ready.
@ashley14598 That’s a totally fair question, and one that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. For me there’s really no way around it, my in laws will be watching DD while I give birth/am in the hospital, and I know they’ll be dying to come to the hospital to see the new baby. I am a bit concerned about them “taking over” the moment a bit with picture and video taking and generally noisiness and excitement as that’s their personality... not sure what to do about it. I guess the best I can do is remind them that this (DD meeting the baby) is a family moment and ask that they hover back at the edge of the room while our little family has our moment. They’ll probably still videotape it but as long as I make it clear that that video is not to be shared with anyone else but us, it could be ok (we don’t share many pics of our DD on social media and I certainly don’t want a personal video such as this being posted on social media or texted around). Then again my in laws texted my family members the sex of DD before I got a chance to tell my family myself (this was 3 yrs ago when I was 20 weeks pg with DD) so they don’t have a great track record for discretion.
The friends that will be keeping DD1 don’t live too far from the hospital so I’d probably have DH get DD to meet her little sis. I’m still debating if DH will take her home and stay with her or take her back to our friends’ house. It might be a game day decision depending on how everything goes.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
1. All of my births have been while our kids were sleeping, so they always come up to the hospital the next morning. 2. DH stays for the birth and the rest of the night while my mil sleeps at our house with the kids. If I stay another night (our small town hospital isn’t strict about when you’re kicked out), he stays at home with the kids. 3. We did presents for the kids from babies #2 and #3, but now they’re old enough that they’re happy to just have a new sibling. 4. When I brought baby #2 home, my ob suggested I go in the house first and spend a few minutes alone with my other child before bringing baby inside. It seemed to work out well.
1) Are you planning to have your older kid(s) visit you and baby at the hospital? How soon after birth?
My daughter is 5 (as of today!) and wants to see her brother be born. We have been preparing her since she is very adamant about it. We plan to have her there with us, but with my sister there as well in case she gets overwhelmed or needs to take a break from the intensity.
2) Are you going to have an overnight care taker or sending your partner home?
DH went home after my daughter was born, since she came 10 days early and we were not ready! I plan to have him go home with our daughter so her routine is not interrupted, and they will.come back the next day.
3) Planning any gifts from new baby to older sibling? DD loves necklaces, and her baby brother will be "giving" her a necklace that says "big sister"
Re: STM+ Question: Plan for Older Kiddos
At our hospital you are not just allowed to walk in and visit at L&D or mother/baby unit. You have to check in with the security desk on the unit first, and have mom’s info and room number to go back. Plus you can tell the security desk you are not accepting visitors at the moment. So that is also helpful for me to deter people if I’m not ready.
2. DH stays for the birth and the rest of the night while my mil sleeps at our house with the kids. If I stay another night (our small town hospital isn’t strict about when you’re kicked out), he stays at home with the kids.
3. We did presents for the kids from babies #2 and #3, but now they’re old enough that they’re happy to just have a new sibling.
4. When I brought baby #2 home, my ob suggested I go in the house first and spend a few minutes alone with my other child before bringing baby inside. It seemed to work out well.
2) Are you going to have an overnight care taker or sending your partner home?
3) Planning any gifts from new baby to older sibling? DD loves necklaces, and her baby brother will be "giving" her a necklace that says "big sister"