Is it legal to refuse the part where a nurse has to carry your baby to your car? - Page 2

[Lizzie9984]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

Stephanie, what would happen if the mother was riding public transportation home? How would you handle that?

Excellent question, I'm wondering that myself .

[pumpkin]

I know there are laws that require them to be sure the babe goes into a carseat if you are getting in a car, but I've never seen one that requires the carseat be brought inside. That would be a hospital policy not a law. You are not obligated to follow hospital policy.

I had surgery 2 times this year and both times the hospital tried to force me to get in a wheel chair to go to my car. I have horrible motion sickness and riding in a wheel chair triggers it so I simply refused. I just stated that I would be walking and they were welcome to accompany if they wanted. They could even be pushing a wheelchair, but there was no way I was getting in it. I didn't argue, just stated the facts and did it. (I also insisted on walking into surgery instead of being wheeled on a gurney.) They can't hold you prisoner. So just tell them you will be carrying the baby and they can come with you to check the carseat if they want.

[the_lissa]

I walked and held the baby when I had a hospital birth. My husband brought the car seat up for them to look at.

When my mom had my sister, she walked home.

[Ackray]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

Stephanie, what would happen if the mother was riding public transportation home? How would you handle that?

We don't have public transportation here. So, I don't know what they would do at a hospital in a place that does have public transportation. Interesting. I think I might have to contact another hospital and find out. I have put people in cabs before though. They have to have carseats but it's OK if it's a borrowed one. And we don't allow people to walk home.

[onlyboys]

Originally Posted by Ackray

We don't have public transportation here. So, I don't know what they would do at a hospital in a place that does have public transportation. Interesting. I think I might have to contact another hospital and find out. I have put people in cabs before though. They have to have carseats but it's OK if it's a borrowed one. And we don't allow people to walk home.

Well, that's interesting. What would happen if they chose to walk home? How do you "not allow" them to?

[Ackray]

I've never had a problem with the patient not accepting that that they can't walk home. And I haven't heard of any of the other nurses having this problem. I guess we'd call social services and security if the patient was being "unreasonable" about this and figure out a way with the patient how they were going to get home. We wouldn't let the patient leave until they had a safe way to get home. I really don't think we have ever had this kind of situation though. We live in a strange place. It's a very small unique community. There aren't any side walks on the streets surrounding hospital so it would be unsafe to walk.

I live 0.2 miles away from the hospital and I wouldn't walk with my kids to the hospital.

[Lizzie9984]

Originally Posted by Ackray

And we don't allow people to walk home.

Why on earth not??? If I lived a few minutes' walk from a hospital, I'd be more likely to just walk it instead getting a ride of any kind....That really boggles my mind there, how can one justify interferring with what someone does off hospital property? I can see not wanting someone to walk a few MILES with a new baby, but come on, a few blocks?? Is it really that big of an issue?


EDIT: Saw you responded before I did. I see your point, but still disagree with it to an extent, especially with calling SS or security.

[wombatclay]

I'm in NY and a nurse comes with you to the car to ensure the carseat is in place. They do ask mom to ride to the car (mom carries babe, nurse carries everything else!) since it's hospital policy. You can say no of course and they don't push it, but personally I liked the ride since I knew it would be my last chance to "relax" before my toddler took over.

There is public trans at this hospital (we have the hybrid buses too) and they ask that you have a carrier for a newborn (bucket or cloth) that will ensure your infant's relative safety on the bus.

ETA- actually, this hospital doens't allow anyone to "carry" a baby in the hallways. You can do what you like in your room but parents as well as staff need to either push the babe in the protable bassinet or carry them while riding in chair if they want to take the babe out into the hospital halls. I think one of the nurses said it was an insurance liability issue as well as a security issue (though they do have the baby lo-jack )

[misskerri]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

ETA- actually, this hospital doens't allow anyone to "carry" a baby in the hallways. You can do what you like in your room but parents as well as staff need to either push the babe in the protable bassinet or carry them while riding in chair if they want to take the babe out into the hospital halls. I think one of the nurses said it was an insurance liability issue as well as a security issue (though they do have the baby lo-jack )

Same thing here. No carrying the baby in the halls.

On my way out of the hospital, they wheeled me in a wheelchair while my husband pulled the car out front, and I had the baby in my arms.

[s_kristina]

In both FL and LA I had to be in a wheelchair on the way out and it didn't bother me at all. In LA (Louisiana) they wanted to see the car seat in the room to make sure it was OK for baby. In FL they just wanted to see it in the car. Although we might have gotten a different answer here in FL if the IBCLC on staff hadn't taken us out to the truck. She had been enjoying chatting with a tandem/EN/CLW mom and knew I just wanted to get home so I could be comfortable.

Also when ds was readmitted to the same hospital at 1 month old due to breathing issues he had to be either held in while someone sat in a wheelchair or in the basinet while going for tests. It's a liability issue for the hospitals. I'm sure if I got motion sickness I could have refused. It's a really nice hospital where one of the nurses suggested I cosleep to keep ds comfortable in a strange place.

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by Ackray

I've never had a problem with the patient not accepting that that they can't walk home. And I haven't heard of any of the other nurses having this problem. I guess we'd call social services and security if the patient was being "unreasonable" about this and figure out a way with the patient how they were going to get home. We wouldn't let the patient leave until they had a safe way to get home. I really don't think we have ever had this kind of situation though. We live in a strange place. It's a very small unique community. There aren't any side walks on the streets surrounding hospital so it would be unsafe to walk.

I live 0.2 miles away from the hospital and I wouldn't walk with my kids to the hospital.

Yikes. I don't think it should be the hospital's business what you do when you are out the doors.

[Romana]

Originally Posted by Ackray

I've never had a problem with the patient not accepting that that they can't walk home. And I haven't heard of any of the other nurses having this problem. I guess we'd call social services and security if the patient was being "unreasonable" about this and figure out a way with the patient how they were going to get home. We wouldn't let the patient leave until they had a safe way to get home. I really don't think we have ever had this kind of situation though. We live in a strange place. It's a very small unique community. There aren't any side walks on the streets surrounding hospital so it would be unsafe to walk.

I live 0.2 miles away from the hospital and I wouldn't walk with my kids to the hospital.

This seems really wrong to me, sidewalks or no. I don't think the hospital should be restricting my mode of transportation or freedom of movement, or holding my baby hostage and calling CPS on me if I want to walk home.

[_betsy_]

They couldn't have cared less. We did have to use a wheelchair, thogh. They didn't care if we had a carseat - I guess they asked, but no one looked or anything.

No nurse helped us to our car.

[Marlet]

Originally Posted by Ackray

Where I work, we HAVE to walk the patient to their car and make sure that the car seat is properly installed before they can go. You would be amazed at how many people do this completely wrong. I usually let the dad or another family member carry the baby in it's carseat. We rarely have babies who don't have bucket seats. We ask that the parents bring the bucket seat up to maternity on the day of discharge. The nurse makes sure that the seat is properly put together and that the straps are at the right level. We secure the baby in the seat while teaching the parents how to do it. Like I said we HAVE to bring the patient to the car. I've worked in med/surge here too and we HAD to bring those patients to their cars at discharge too. I usually don't let the mom carry the baby but I usually don't carry the baby either. Oh and we hardly ever wheel the mom out in a wheelchair, if she can't walk, maybe she shouldn't be going home.

Why don't you let the mom carry the baby?

With DD1 we had to bring the carseat up to the room, put her in, and carry her down and out in it. The nurse didn't put her in or carry her. That was our job and we got to choose who carried her down.

[Nate'sMama]

My hospital let me walk out on my own with no wheelchair with the baby - after a cesarean. I'm pretty sure they don't care too much - at least mine didn't!

[eksmom]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

ETA- actually, this hospital doens't allow anyone to "carry" a baby in the hallways. You can do what you like in your room but parents as well as staff need to either push the babe in the protable bassinet or carry them while riding in chair if they want to take the babe out into the hospital halls. I think one of the nurses said it was an insurance liability issue as well as a security issue (though they do have the baby lo-jack )

This was the policy at the hospital where DD was born. They encouraged us to take her for a walk in the hallways, so we did what any normal parent would do - my DH picked her up and held her and we went for a walk. You would have thought we'd committed a felony... the nurses got all freaked out and we were told that we had to have her in the bassinet, we could not hold her and walk the halls in case we fell.

Then when we left, we had to bring the bucket up, strap her in, and then the nurses had to carry her out while the rest of us (me, DH, and my mom) walked behind. I felt like a total idiot. I'm surprised they let us go home with her because they seemed convinced she wouldn't make it in our care.

I'm hoping I don't run into the same nonsense where we live now; it was really insulting at a time when you've already got enough going on emotionally/hormonally.

[PreggieUBA2C]

I have to b honest here- all these 'haves' shoulds' and especially 'lets' make me want to :Puke

Whatever happened to 'women's bodies, women's choice'? This is exactly why I steer myself very clear of the medical industry- it's so backward in so many ways and that I would be told what I can and should and have to with regard to my birth experience is just baffling and highly insulting. If I were incapacitated and had nobody to speak on my behalf, then it would be a differnt issue, but as long as I am capable of communication and it remains my body and my baby, I think it's an assault and violation for anyone to assume themselves my authority and to make decisions and requirements from that perspective.

Our first two boys were hospital babes and I was not a popular mama in the hospy, let me tell you. I don't go in for white coat syndrome either though, which seems to be quite an obstacle for many 'credentialled' staff...

There is NO WAY I would LET a hospital staff take or even touch my baby unless I chose to. Even for weighing and measuring, dh held our babes and we NEVER LET any nurse or other hold our babes without our presence and consent. I also walked out after my first c/s, though I accepted the wheelchair for c/s #2 because I left 12 hours following and didn't feel well enough to walk all the way to the car (BUT it was my CHOICE to go home when I did and it was far better for me to recover in the safety and comfort of my own home where nobody was waking me every hour to take my blood and temperature, and where I could obtain adequate nutrition).

'Let'...

I won't even get into the philosophical ramifications and overt tyranny that the language I have mentioned implies... Maybe another thread for that.

[2bluefish]

Originally Posted by PreggieUBA2C

There is NO WAY I would LET a hospital staff take or even touch my baby unless I chose to.

Yeah, cause it just *that simple*

[Ackray]

My hospital is actually VERY layed back about just about everything besides the discharge stuff. Part of bringing a patient to the car and making sure they are safely secured inside it is so the patient can/will leave the hospital grounds in a safe condition, for liability issues. Obviously, I'm not going to walk my patient and their baby to the edge of the hospital property and wave at them as they walk out into a busy curvy road with no sidewalks. I'm sure you can all understand this.

I'm not sure why we don't let the mom hold the baby/baby carrier. And honestly in my 8 years at this hospital, no mother has ever asked me if they could carry the baby so it's never come up.

You have to pick and choose your battles. Something as minor as the nurse wanting you and your baby to safely get to your car and be secured properly inside, per hospital policy, doesn't seem fight-worthy to me.

[eksmom]

We asked, and we were told that we couldn't carry her out, that it had to be a nurse. And honestly all of the restrictions didn't feel minor to me. Again, maybe it was the hormones, but I felt like all of the rules were saying to me that I had no clue how to take care of a baby. Especially as a first-time mama, that was not what I wanted or needed to hear.

(We also got the nurses all upset when we stripped DD to her diaper after she had not nursed in 5 hours and wouldn't wake up. They rushed into the room and said, "Don't you know you have to keep that baby warm?" And I was thinking, "Don't you know she needs to nurse more often than every 5 hours?" We weren't even trying to be disagreeable, it just seemed we couldn't do anything right in their eyes.)