cding in hospital?

[terese17]

so I'm really going to try the cd this time. I'm really addicted to the convenience of disposables though....I did just find a diaper service in town though that seems really inexpensive to me. But to what I was talking about, I have hospital births; there are no free-standing birth centers in my area, but the one hospital that I had my last birth out is amazingly handsoff. My midwives there are great and I'm going back there for my third birth. what iwas wondering was about the whole disposables in the first few days thing.. what do hospitals say about cloth diapering? Is it really all that important to not use disposables at all? Would the nurses/other people working a the hospital think Im nuts for bringing my own diapers with me? Would that even be allowed? If anybody has any experience in this kind of thing let me know. Thank you!!!

[Michigan Mama]

Lots of mamas here take their own cloth to the hospital. Nurses, etc might think it's weird, but who cares?

I'm still a little up in the air myself for #2 (due Aug) but I think I'm going to take my cloth, too. Why not have something soft and natural next to baby's bum from the first moments...

[skolbut]

Why don't you give the hospital or your midwives a call and see what they say?? You don't have to identify yourself so if they say no you can play dumb later. They might tell you to bring em in... worse case they say no... the ONLY reason I could think that they would say no is if the hospital has some kind of hygiene policy.

That being said, I know lots of mamas that take their cloth with them! Just make sure you have it out and ready to go on, since the diaper is like the first thing they put on the new baby once you let go. Also, I know some mamas that have brought their cloth only to have someone (nurse, family member, etc.) offer to change the babe and put the sposie on... so just be ready for that, or have your cloth out and ready and make sure you tell them to put the cloth on.

Me? I didn't really bring any baby stuff to the hospital, just used what they gave me, but that's just me. I have *other* medical things to worry about when I give birth.

[samikashi]

I don't know what the typical hospital policy is concerning CDs, and I haven't found out yet about where I am birthing- but I am going to insist if I'm told it's a problem.

My baby, my diapers, my baby butt to diaper!!!
Also... I'll be turning down most everything "routine" so they may already think I'm crazy.

[kriket]

I have heard that sometimes hospitals get huffy about needing to weigh diapers

I would say if you want to do it the do it. I will probably use the 'sposies while we are in the hospital but I am bring some for going home and if we get a rashy butt, which is very likely given my skin!

[haurelia]

Our son was born at home, so no issue w/diapers after birth.
However, he had to be admitted to the NICU for jaundice treatment at a week of age (and a week of successful CDing under our belts). I didn't bring CDs with me to the hospital (it was an emergency sort of thing) and he was in sposies for 3 days. He had a rash on his bum after the first 12 hours!!
Needless to say, we got back to cloth the moment we set foot in our own door.

I work in a university hospital birth center, and have never had parents bring their own CDs. We don't have any policies concerning this, as we don't weigh diapers there, but just keep track of wet and poopy diapers.
I say go for it! Your LO deserves to have his or her bum well taken care of from the first!