Worried about those hospital tests

[GracensMom]

Hi, I was planning a home birth, but now need to have a hospital birth due to gestational diabetes, which I am controlling by diet.    I went to my hospital tour and am concerned about being separated from my baby for the hearing test, and the Jaundice and metabolic tests.  Also there is a chance that my baby may be whisked away from me if he has low blood sugar.  I do want to make sure he is healthy and well, so if their is an emergency I will comply. However,  I truly believe a parent should be with him throughout.  What tests should I make sure he has, despite having to hand him over to the doctors without a parent there.  For example, the hearing test is suppose to take a 1/2 an hour, and I will be able to see my baby during that time, but behind glass...is this necessary?  Thanks for the advice.  GracensMom

[APToddlerMama]

Weird.... I wasn't separated from my son at all in the hospital including when he went into the NICU (for jaundice), and they certainly didn't poke his heels without me being there holding him.  I don't know if he had metabolic tests done, but he did have some blood work done and the lab tech came up to our room to do everything.  Did they tell you their policy is to separate you for all this? I would look at a different hospital if that was the case or insist that I be present for everything.  You can always decline the newborn hearing screening too.  DS was tested for his hearing again at age 1 and I was holding him the entire time too. I don't get why they have to separate the two of you. 

[GracensMom]

Oh thanks, this is most helpful to see that there is a norm for not separating baby and mom or dad.  I know I have to be separated for the hearing est.  I was told we can accompany him to the nursery for the other tests, but I need to clarify if I can be with him, or behind glass for this as well.

[tjjazzy]

this all sounds so odd but we don't have nurseries here really. it's all rooming in. the hearing tests (we were there so long ds1 ended up with more than one, if i'm remembering right) were done in my room, he was put under the lights for jaundice in my room (it was bright in there!) and DH went along for anything else.

[tjjazzy]

p.s. does the baby wear an ankle bracelet (and you one to match) so the alarm goes off if anyone leaves the floor with him/her?

[katelove]

I don't know why you would need to be separated for the hearing test (or anything else). It can take as long as half and hour but it doesn't always take that long, it depends how quiet and settled the baby is.

I have worked in several hospitals and none of them separated mother and babe for hearing tests. When I had my baby, the test was done in our room and I held her for it.

[XanaduMama]

Just say no!   Prepare your dh/dp to stand up for that--to fight for it if necessary--in case you're too exhausted/blissed out/etc to do so at the time.

[Evergreen]

I just had my baby 6 days ago. They did the metabolic screening in the room and could have done the hearing test in there as well, but it was midnight when they did it and I allowed my (awesome) favorite nurse to take her because I was sleepy. I probably wouldn't have let any other nurse take her but I really bonded with this one during labor and she was assigned to us the next night as well. She brought her back in about 20 minutes but dd passed first try. Sometimes it takes longer if the baby is restless.

[konayossie]

i know they did the hearing screen in our room, and DH or I accompanied DS for all the other tests. Our hospital is trying to achieve baby-friendly status, though, so they're all about no separation if at all possible.

[crunchy_mommy]

Well when DS was born he was taken from the room multiple times for various tests. This was not what I wanted but we had many issues with the hospital. So I just mention this since so many are saying not to worry about it -- some hospitals DO separate mom & baby, even if you are rooming in and all, so I would find out ahead of time what YOUR hospital does.

[Alenushka]

Everything was done in my room

[kdhfly]

Like a previous poster, the standard was to take the baby to the nursery (dh could watch through the glass) for tests.  She had to be tested for low blood sugar.  It rose rapidly and was never dangerously low.  My midwife, I was a birth center transfer, even asked if she could stay in the room with me for the test, but the nurses refused.  At that point I probably could have declined the test or refused to allow them to take her but didn't know that at the time.  For us, it was problematic because every time they took her she got cold, so then she'd have to lay there under the lights until she was warm again.  They refused to bring her to me to get warm skin-to-skin. Anyways, hopefully you have a baby friendly hospital that encourages togetherness so you don't have to worry about it.  If not, definitely educate yourself about their policies and what you are comfortable with.  Remember, it is YOUR baby, and YOU have to give consent for them to take him/her away and for them to do whatever tests.

[penguintattoo]

They didn't do the hearing test in our room with dd, but they did pretty much everything else in there. They usually only took her when I was going to shower or was eating, so it really wasn't a huge deal to me. She wasn't gone very long any of the times. I did let them take her early in the morning the day that we left so I could sleep which was a huge mistake! The nurse gave her sugar water:-( But thats a whole different story!