Crazy Hospital!!! Please help me vent input wanted!!!

[sistershevy]

I hope some of you guys read this. I went to visit my friend in Nyack hospital here in Rockland county NY. She gave birth to a beatiful baby boy yesterday after a nice short labor. The hospital is in the middle of renovating, they were over packed. My friend was put in to the pediatcric unit across the hall from maternity!!! She has to walk across 2 wards of the hospital to nurse her baby in the nursery b/c she can't take him out of the maternity ward!!!!
She delivered in a room that wasn't even set up for delivery. Her room in ped. didn't have working a/c. She didn't complain about anything. I didn't want to make her upset. But I'm horrified!!!!!
I also met a woman who was picking up her daughter who was told that she has to leave after 48 hours b/c they need the room. What is this hospital thinking? If it were me I would have had a lawyer there today. How can they keep mother & baby so far apart. Does anyone know legaly if the hospital did anything wrong. I think that it is crazy that my friend speaks to ped. Nurses when she buzzs & not maternity. I'm totaly outraged & wish that I could send a message to this hospital that they can't do this to their patients.
Please give me your input

[BensMom]

That is the most rediculous thing i have ever heard - putting mom outside of the maternity ward and then not letting her have her baby because she is outside of the maternity ward.

I would have raised the biggest hell ever. That is WRONG WRONG WRONG!

I cannot beleive people can check into a hospital and suddenly become a child again, asking permission to pee, allowing staff to treat them like they are stupid and allowing something like this.

Wow.

[amanda2b2]

I have no idea if they are doing anything illegal. Does yoiur friend have any other children at home? IS there any health issues, for her or the baby? If there is no reason for her to stay I would take my baby and leave. I can tell you I would raise HOLY HELL if I was told I couldn't have my baby in my room. I know you don't wnat to upset your friend but howmuch do you want to bet that baby is getting binki's and formula. You know that the nurses are not calling or going to get her everytime he needs to nurse. Maybe it would be in your friends and her baby's best intrest if you mention that.

[orangebird]

I don't have advice, just to say that's really messed up! We have to overflow alot of our postpartum (and antepartum) patients to the old pediatric unit down the hall but try to only have antepartums, fetal demises and moms with babies in the NICU there to avoid the problems you describe. Really sad they can't get her to the regular floor so she can be near her baby, I would be pissed!

[gentlebirthmothr]

This definetly outragous for the hospital to do something like this. Would sue them for it. Where I volunteer, if theres overflow of patients there, they go to Womens Health Unit and babies are there with their mothers and families. Thank you.

[TCMoulton]

I know that my hospital had space issues when I birthed my 2nd daughter, the nursery was quite a hike but I was able to have my babe in my room whenever I wanted! I would have thought that there had to have been a better location to room moms!
As far as a legal issue, I would guess that while it is inconceivably cruel to separate a mom and baby by not allowing the babe to the mom's room, I would guess that the hospital would just say that it was for safety reasons that the baby wasn't allowed off the maternity floor - the monitoring on a maternity floor is much different than other floors and if something were to happen to that baby or the baby were to be taken out of the hospital by someone other than the family the hospital would be at fault. I know that I was not allowed to take my baby off of the maternity floor - no exceptions!

[glimmerglass]

Yikes! I'm supposed to have my baby there (due in 11 days). I was already having doubts about Nyack Hospital after the disaster of a tour we took a few weeks ago. You'd think a TOUR wouldn't upset me, but, well, even my husband was PO'd when it was done.

Anyone out there with a good experience there? I am seriously considering just staying home. The midwife group that delivers there is fabulous, which is why I'm driving an hour, but....

[hunnybumm]

That is absolutely horrible! I would also make a huge fuss and check out AMA and head home. You really should tell your friend that she doesn't HAVE to stay at the hospital as long as she and baby are in good health. As far as the legal part of it I highly doubt there is any thing anyone can do. I mean, there are moms that only ask that their baby be brought to their room when the baby is hungry, baby stays in the nursery the rest of the time. I just feel so bad for your friend and the rest of the mothers who have to leave their room to see their own child.

[gentlebirthmothr]

glimmer glass,

I would sue Nyack hospital for doing that to you and sistershevy friend. Thank you.

[alegna]

Terrible. They wouldn't be able to get my baby away from me. But I wouldn't be in the hospital unless something was seriously wrong.

Another reason to homebirth.

-Angela

[meowee]

I gave birth in a hospital once where the l&d all shared one common toilet in the hallway. Then I was put in a storage closet just big enough for a bed until there was room in the recovery ward. At least I got to keep DS with me in the storage closet. Hoepitals suck. She should look for a different hospital next time or try for a homebirth.

[mweb]

That's awful! In addition to looking into legal redress, this should certainly be publicized through the media. Also, look at the hospital's website to see who/where you can write or email, starting the the board of trustees and hospital president. It's entirely possible they're unaware and would be outraged too.

(Angela - do you realize that your responses are actually flames? No amount of hug smilies covers up your judgmental attitude. No one asked whether you'd be in a hospital. If you don't have a constructive response to the questions actually asked, why not seek other threads where you do?)

[TCMoulton]

:

[MamaTaraX]

I don't think it's illegal. HOspitals have overflow all the time. I'veheard many stories of moms put in closets (like one posted above) and such. The hospital I work at is the opposite. Our L&D is so quiet that other places overflow to us LOL That's kind of sad, actually....
Illegal or alegal or totally legal, it's still disgusting and disturbing. The bestthing I would tell that friend is to sign out AMA. There are security reasons why she can't take the baby off the maternity ward,that doesn't mean she can't camp out over there herself, however (most likely anyway). Best wishes to all involved!!

Namaste, Tara
Mama to Doodle (6), Butterfly (23mos), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[Eman'smom]

Is this sad, yes illegal, no. At least not here, our hospital was totally for rooming in, however they said if there was an overflow that moms would move and they'd keep babies, I was like um and how often does that happen, the nurse said once in the last 3 years.

I'd check out early or something. Remember it's also hard when you are so new postpartum to speak up, however "easy" labor was it was still labor, this is where a supportive partner comes in.

[tayndrewsmama]

As much as it would be great to sue the crap outta them, I doubt it's illegal. They couldn't have prevented her from staying with the baby 24/7, nor could they have prevented her from checking out immediately. Unfortunately, those that remain quiet about their frustrations just continue to be frustrated. I am sorry this happened to her though. Maybe this will be the boost she needs to speak up in the future. I really laid into them at the hospital when they had ds in the NICU for a few hours and gave him some formula. I freaked them out so bad that someone from their legal department was trying to smooth things over so I wouldn't sue them. The only reason I didn't was 'cause dh told me to drop it and that if I did call a lawyer he wouldn't pay for it. I tend to be very protective of my little ones. :