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December 2024 Moms
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Giving birth around the holidays

knottie7108e0d679105ccdknottie7108e0d679105ccd member
in December 2024 Moms
Hi everyone,

I am due on December 23rd and while I’m excited for the potential of a Christmas or NYE baby, I’m concerned about giving birth around the holidays. I can image that many hospital staff are not thrilled about having to work on holidays and I’m wondering if anyone has any experience giving birth around this time, thanks! 
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Re: Giving birth around the holidays

  • knottiea7e5d5d0edde1fc4knottiea7e5d5d0edde1fc4 member
    my due date is 25 december and i think doctors and nurses are commited to their professions
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  • MrsCaliRNMrsCaliRN member
    Seconding @shakespeareaddict as a fellow nurse. Whatever day of the year, whatever time of day, we’re going to give you our best care and celebrate big moments like this right alongside you. It’s almost a tad bit more special during the holidays as the decorations are up, there’s usually some holiday potluck leftovers in the break room and it’s kind of cool being a part of someone’s memorable Christmas story.  
    Also, time doesn’t pass the same way inside the hospital as it does outside. 

    Me: 31         DH: 34
    Married 11/09/2013
    LO#1: LMP 09/14/2014  BFP 10/15/2014  EDD 06/24/2015  DS Born 06/14/2015
    LO#2: LMP 09/18/2016  BFP 10/19/2016  EDD 06/27/2017 DD Born 06/27/2017
    LO#3: LMP 05/16/2018  BFP 06/18/2018  EDD 02/20/2019

      
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  • ccstateofsunshineccstateofsunshine member
    I've had this concern myself. I've been at the ER on the 4th of July when my mom broke her foot and seen staff come out into the waiting room and discuss going up to the helipad to watch the fireworks. I'm like, could you not, and just care for my mom! Granted maybe they were on their break and maybe they weren't essential medical personnel, but definitely rubbed me wrong.

    I also know how understaffed my job (state psychiatric hospital) is around the holidays with people calling off or the ones that are working being disgruntled. Just hoping for good caring staff around Christmas. 
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  • BraveheartKitchenSinkBraveheartKitchenSink member
    ccstateofsunshine said:
    I've had this concern myself. I've been at the ER on the 4th of July when my mom broke her foot and seen staff come out into the waiting room and discuss going up to the helipad to watch the fireworks. I'm like, could you not, and just care for my mom! Granted maybe they were on their break and maybe they weren't essential medical personnel, but definitely rubbed me wrong.

    I also know how understaffed my job (state psychiatric hospital) is around the holidays with people calling off or the ones that are working being disgruntled. Just hoping for good caring staff around Christmas. 
    My mom is a retired trauma nurse. She worked almost every holiday growing up, even with small kids at home. And because of that we also know that nurses are disgruntled every other day of the year too (being under staffed, under fed, and likely need to pee). When we had our boys we took 2 large boxes of donuts in to check in with us. We were having a scheduled c-section and knew we'd be there up to 5 days. We wanted our nurses happy to help us. And free food they don't have to hunt down always greases the wheels.  
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  • 00kim0000kim00 member
    Totally lurking and not in your birth group at all!

    I think your worries aren't unjustified, but there's not much you can do about it. I was induced a couple of years ago and was in the hospital over Christmas. Staffing was absolutely an issue. About half of the nurses were travel nurses who clearly didn't know L&D very well. My hospital has a team of 3 midwives and one obgyn, but 2 of the midwives and the obgyn were off, so they had 2 midwives and an obgyn that don't normally work that hospital (or even live reasonably close in some cases) subbing while I was there. The staffing issue was so bad they actually had to stop my induction on Christmas because one nurse got COVID and no one was in town to cover for her. They almost transferred me via ambulance to a hospital 45 minutes away mid-induction. Ultimately, they paused my meds, called in the obgyn and pediatrician so they were in the hospital on standby in case baby decided not to wait, and restarted the meds at 3:00am on the day after Christmas when they could get a nurse in. Granted, I was at a smallish rural hospital, but the holiday definitely had an impact. If you're at a large, well staffed hospital, I think there's less chance of the holiday making a big difference 
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  • BraveheartKitchenSinkBraveheartKitchenSink member
    00kim00 said:
    Totally lurking and not in your birth group at all!

    I think your worries aren't unjustified, but there's not much you can do about it. I was induced a couple of years ago and was in the hospital over Christmas. Staffing was absolutely an issue. About half of the nurses were travel nurses who clearly didn't know L&D very well. My hospital has a team of 3 midwives and one obgyn, but 2 of the midwives and the obgyn were off, so they had 2 midwives and an obgyn that don't normally work that hospital (or even live reasonably close in some cases) subbing while I was there. The staffing issue was so bad they actually had to stop my induction on Christmas because one nurse got COVID and no one was in town to cover for her. They almost transferred me via ambulance to a hospital 45 minutes away mid-induction. Ultimately, they paused my meds, called in the obgyn and pediatrician so they were in the hospital on standby in case baby decided not to wait, and restarted the meds at 3:00am on the day after Christmas when they could get a nurse in. Granted, I was at a smallish rural hospital, but the holiday definitely had an impact. If you're at a large, well staffed hospital, I think there's less chance of the holiday making a big difference 
    Even most large hospitals in my state are understaffed regularly, holidays or not. 
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  • knottief6933b032172837cknottief6933b032172837c member
    L&D nurse & doula here. It’s always a good day to have a baby. The holiday won’t change the fact that you’re there to have a baby. Someone will be able to assist you. ♥️
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  • bluecampanulabluecampanula member
    I have really found that l&d is a very different place than the other hospital departments. The ER might always be stressed and overworked and understaffed, etc, but l&d is a highly desired department for a lot of nurses. They want to be there. Plus, unlike the ER, you get the chance to get to know your providers ahead of time. So if your appointments go well, the obs/midwives seem caring and competent, they will probably be the same at delivery. (Conversely, if appointments aren't going well... change if you can!) They know babies come on holidays (and the middle of the night), they didn't go through all those years of school and training on a whim. 
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