Co Sleeping in the Hospital - Page 5

[Neldavi]

Originally Posted by JSerene

If I walk into a patient room and the mom who has fallen asleep with her baby pops awake as I enter, I leave her alone. On the other hand, if I need to say her name repeatedly and shake her awake, I insist the baby go to the crib. I've entered rooms and found mothers sleeping soundly while holding their screaming baby. Not everyone is in-tune with their babies at first.

This seems pretty appropriate .. if I wasn't waking up easily to someone TRYING to wake me, I'd wonder how safe my baby was in those narrow beds too.

[mamadelbosque]

Yup!! I had my own super big nice room, and got to labor (though I didn't birth, out of choice, I was just WAY to hot by the time the time came, in a tub. Then, they wheeled out the hospital bed that I gave birth on and pulled this super comfy, queen-size bed out of the wall!! It was AWESOME! DH, me and baby all slept on it for... 2 or 3 nights, twas wonderful!!

[2 in August]

I co-slept in the hospital. I made a nest of pillows around us so that he was safe and wouldn't fall out of the bed.

[crysmomofthree]

I coslept with all five of my babies in the hospital baby #1 I was so exhausted and a single mommy I just had to sleep with him in my bed I was too exhausted to put him back, the nurses knew, she just put pillows up against my rails so he wouldn't fall out

Baby #2 was preemie, but once the nicu released him to peds we coslept

baby #3 stayed one night and coslept I don't even think the nurses came in the room

Baby #4 we coslept, then when we were readmitted to peds for phototherapy I slept in a chair with my hands on her, then once she was off the phototherapy she slept in my reclining chair with me (I don't know why they didn't get me a bed, but I had a reclining chair to sleep in for the 5 days she was there)

Baby #5 spent the first night in the nursery because he had an awful birth and needed ressusitation, but our second night we coslept and the nurses never said anything about it

[BlueSkyJennifer]

Technically it was NOT allowed. But, yes, I did it anyway. When I got busted I got up, put the baby in the bassinet and waited for the nurse to leave again so I could bring her right back into the bed with me. I will say I am a very light sleeper and I am almost always fully awake before the baby. With both my kids I felt like I could read their sleep-stirs in my own sleep and always wake just before they were ready to nurse. That is truly a beautiful thing about co-sleeping - the baby wakes and never needs to cry to call you. You are already there and often already awake! My daughter is so funny lately when she wakes in the morning if I have my back to her she sits up in bed and says very loudly "excuse me" and pats me on the back. I am usually laying there awake already but it is funny to wait and see what she will do

[FLMama092485]

I co-slept with DS in the hospital and no one said anything about it to me.

[~Megan~]

I had my first child in the hospital. She slept in my arms the whole time. The only time she was in the bassinet was for diaper changes and when I'd walk with her (I couldn't carry her because I was took weak from the surgery).

Some of the nurses didn't like it but no one made a big deal out of it. Just told me to be careful.

[JanB]

1st baby: Wasn't a problem, although DH did remind me not too long ago that they did ask me to sign a form indicating that I had been informed that it was a risk or a hazard or something. I have no idea and barely even remember signing the form. Do, however, remember drifting off to sleep next to my snuggly baby every night that we were there.

2nd baby: No problem. None of the staff even lifted an eyebrow.

3rd baby: Same as 2nd baby.

[SandraS]

I was only there a few hours, and yes, I did. I'm the customer, I'm paying them, they would've had to call the police to take my babies out of my bed. Really.

[AllisonR]

I slept with both of my babies, even though the hospital beds are made so you almost can't do it. Big metal bars with wide gaps, too narrow.... DH put blankets and pillows against the edge, and then DD and I squeezed into the other side. What are they thinking in a maternity ward!!???:

I'd love to see this as a poll. It would make more sense. ie Yes, No, Wanted to but bed was too narrow....

[lolar2]

You people got sleep in the hospital????

[onelilguysmommy]

co slept with my first, the second night some crazy nurse kept pinching my boob and taking him from me on her shift. i rabbed him back out of the plastic thing and went back to sleep. :

then at 23mo, and 5mo pregnant, he stayd wth me when i was almost dead sick in the hospital..

second, i had a bc birth and got home around 1245am, and went to bed around 3, and am still cosleeping with them both.

[StephandOwen]

Was I "allowed" to? No. Did I do it anyway? You bet. The first time the nurse came in at night and saw it she said to put the baby in the bassinett to sleep. I did, and got him right back out when she left. Every time she came in after that I just pretended I was nursing him and "yeah, I'll put him back when he's done" I'm a light sleeper so was wide awake by the time she opened the door and walked into the room every time. Fortunately we were only there one night.

[Rylins mama]

Yes I did and the nurses would come in and say, "oh shes sleeping soo well". I didnt even know that some places you were allowed. Ill have to keep that in mind.

[Ubelle]

Originally Posted by 2 in August

I co-slept in the hospital. I made a nest of pillows around us so that he was safe and wouldn't fall out of the bed.

:

We ended up with alot of pillows in our room, no one said anything negative about DD sleeping with me, if I needed a break she slept in DH's arms.

We used the plastic bassinet for changing DD twice, I think Itried her in the bassinet, but found I couldn't sleep that way (I was practically trying to crawl in it with her - it was not a good fit)

The nurses would let us be if we were asleep, especiallt at night, puting off vitals and everything.

The only comments we got were that the nurses just disregard the temps they get if the baby has been all snuggled up with mom, apparently they are higher. But they never bothered us about it. Heck the LC is all for co-sleeping at home, we discussed it durring the birthing class.

[elanorh]

We were sure that cosleeping wasn't for us with dd1 () - we thought we both slept too soundly to do it and it would be unsafe in our case. Ina had to teach us that we were wrong -- we are 100% converted to cosleeping now. Anyway, with her, we just "roomed in," and I slept with my hand on her in the "bassinet." They did encourage me to leave Ina in the nursery etc. ("This is your last chance to sleep without worrying about her"). I didn't ....

With SJ, we knew we'd be cosleeping at home. I couldn't figure out how I could cosleep with her at the hospital (high bed, narrow, gaping holes in the railing etc.). So I'd resigned myself to the "hand on her in the bassinet" route the night she was born .... But, I couldn't get the bed right to do that, either. The nursery nurse came in (before I went to sleep anyway) and said, "Would you like me to help you fix it up so she can sleep next to you?" And then rolled up some of their receiving blankets etc. and very quickly had a secure barrier in place so I could have SJ sleep in the crook of my arm with no worries. I don't know if she could just *tell* I needed to cosleep, or if she does that with most moms the nights she works, or if she does that with the known breastfeeding moms, or what. But it was very appreciated! They didn't push the nursery on me this time either - although they did keep pushing pacis. And, they didn't give me a formula bag at discharge either. I don't know if they're trying to become more Baby-Friendly or what.

However I agree with everyone who notes that they don't get sleep at the hospital. They would come check SJ every two hours, and come check me every two hours. Why they couldn't sync that up and check us both at the same time, is beyond me. It was NOT very restful at all, I was really glad that the docs agreed to an early discharge for SJ and me.

[bdavis337]

Originally Posted by JSerene

I work at a birth center and we have a no cosleeping policy. Just last week, a mom fell asleep and dropped her baby to the floor. This doesn't happen often, but when it does it's a pretty big deal. We've also had one baby smother. I tell my moms that co-sleeping at home is great, but not here. The beds are too small and too high off the ground.

If I walk into a patient room and the mom who has fallen asleep with her baby pops awake as I enter, I leave her alone. On the other hand, if I need to say her name repeatedly and shake her awake, I insist the baby go to the crib. I've entered rooms and found mothers sleeping soundly while holding their screaming baby. Not everyone is in-tune with their babies at first.

Thanks for posting this! I did hold my babies in the hospital bed after birth, but i did not sleep w/them. There are liability issues for the hospital/birth centers, and legitimate dangers (some people do sleep after birth!). What's appropriate for home is not always appropriate elsewhere.

[ewins24]

I had all three of my girls in the hospital (different hospitals at that) and co-slept in every one. I was given a hard time w/ my 2nd DD but I told the nurse that this is the way we were sleeping at home and there was no way I was going to be away from my baby. I did have to sign something about knowing the "dangers" of co-sleeping. Other than that I had no problems.

[~PurityLake~]

With my first, they wouldn't let me fall asleep with A in bed with me.
With my second, at a different hospital, I did sleep with S in the hospital bed. They checked on us, to make sure S wasn't going to get squished, and that I wouldn't be unaware.

So, two hospitals, two different policies, same city.

The beds were super-wide for one person, had rails near the top, but horizontal bars, spaces about a foot apart, so I packed them with my pillows and cradled them in my arm, too.

[bebern]

i used a nursing nest (http://www.peacefulpea.com/nursing_nest.html) while in the hospital and at home until dd was bigger...like one post said, this is YOUR experience....i would NEVER trade those first precious hours with my baby because some nurse (who won't remember you, like another post mentioned) doesn't think you should. my husband got in the the bed with us, too, it was great, and it was special because it was us.
good luck! don't let those nurses push you around!