MH called our parents while we were driving to the hospital, even though I didn't want him to. Then his dad decided that he needed to make the 3 hour drive when he got off work that night, so he showed up at the hospital at 4 am. That was exactly why I didn't want to call anyone. Thankfully hospital security wouldn't let him up since it was 4 freaking am. He was mad. My parents thankfully were smart and didn't leave to drive there until 11 am.
Post by humpforfree on Mar 17, 2016 7:14:08 GMT -5
With #1 I ended up with a surprise csection thanks to low fluid and breech baby. We called our parents on the way to the hospital. And a friend who was getting the dog. With #2, I thought I was having another surprise csection thanks to low fluid again. We called the parents between the doctor and hospital again so his could come get the toddler and mine because I was worried again. Got to the hospital and they tried a surprise induction for VBAC instead. We didn't really update our parents much, so when it took over 24 hours for the baby to be born they got a little worried. Oops. Lol.
I sent a text to my sister right after the OB told me to go to the hospital. It was 3am so she didn't get it till 530am. She called my parents for me around 7am.
I told my parent that I didn't want them around. They actually were at their shore house 2 hours away. They ended up leaving and tried to go into the delivery room to give H lunch (which I thought was a dick move since they knew I wasn't allowed to eat). I had my nurse throw them out.
I had been texting all evening the night before with my mom when I had my bloody show. We planned on having her in the delivery room, so we called the next morning when my contractions were consistent enough that we'd decided to head to the hospital.
Eta - I realized afterward that my parents have their texts sent to both of their phones and their iPad. So my dad was getting real time updates on the bloody show that evening. Sorry dad! Lol
We called them when we were headed in, and then again when we knew I would be admitted. My mom and grandmother came up from two hours away and waited in the waiting room, they did come see me a few times but not once I was pushing. My in laws waited once they knew it would be soon.
I'm not even pregnant again and my mom asked me last night if there was a chance of her being in the delivery room next time.... I told her no, but I think she's going to keep bugging me about it. And then she tries to play a guilt trip about how I would feel if I had a girl, but I told her I would never pressure her because I know how it feels....
I was induced. I told my parents that I was going in Monday morning when I was actually going Sunday night. They are not local, but we didn't want to have to worry about updating people.
About 8 hours after she was born. I was in labor for 38 hours; I would have hated knowing everyone was waiting for news. It was bad enough that people at work knew since I wasn't coming in. Then after she was born we slept a while before we named her, then called people once she had a name.
We called on our way over to the hospital when I was being sent to be induced. We said we'd update as this progressed. Both my parents and my ILs were in the waiting room once I was pushing and they stayed there once I went in for my csection. I was cool with how it all went down.
My husband put it on Facebook. Apparently we needed to have the conversation about not doing that. My family went to bed and were unavailable after the delivery.
I hated the thought of everyone waiting around too. The only person I was ok with was my mom because I would have likely let her in the room at some point but had told her maybe not since I didn't want MIL in there at all.
Anyways, my plan was to tell when admitted but insist people stay home until further notice. In also warned that the first hour minimum was to be me, DH, and C.
My "plan" didn't work. I was induced (which everyone knew about), sent home first night with Foley bulb, and second night resulted in a c/s rather quickly (C was born at 2:33a vs lunch dinner time everyone was thinking). DH called everyone while in was being prepped for surgery and my parents came immediately. ILs came later.
My mom was staying with me because H was working the day I went into labor (the plan was for me to be induced a few days later). She called my dad right away. H called his parents once I was admitted.
Post by chickadee77 on Mar 17, 2016 7:54:53 GMT -5
Our family is all pretty far away (except in the winter, when snowbird MIL is pretty close). We still waited until baby was born to call, but mostly because it went so fast. I texted my sister between contractions on the way to the hospital, and once we got there, we didn't have time for anything other than medical stuff.
Starting about 2 weeks before, I had prodromal labor, so we told all the parents to be ready.
I ended up being induced, so we asked our parents to come that morning. My mom and ILs arrived about 2-3 hours before E was born, and my dad and stepmom about an hour after. It was perfect for me.
Post by starburst604 on Mar 17, 2016 8:04:23 GMT -5
I'm not a private person so it was no big secret. My labor was forever so I kept friends and family up to date via text (and the GP board!) until I was like 9cm lol. I dropped off the radar when they took me in for c section after 3 hours at 9cm. My mom, aunt and sister were in the room with me until that point and then they went down and waited till we were out of recovery so they could see the baby. My delivery was definitely a circus lol.
I have saved a text thread between me and 2 child free friends from that day. I love reading the part where I say "I'm 7 centimeters. That means I'm close. Omg I have to push a baby out of my vagina soon. Did I think this through?!" Of course that ended up not happening anyway.
DH told them when I was admitted at 6cm. They both live an hour away from the hospital, and they understood that they wouldn't be able to see the baby until I was already settled in postpartum, so about 2 hours after the baby was born. It was fine, and I have an amazing video of DH coming into the waiting room and telling them it was a girl.
My first was an induction, scheduled a few days in advance. So my parents, in laws... basically everyone, ever, knew exactly when we'd be at the hospital. We went in at 6 am, my mom was there by 8, and my in laws were there around noon. Declan was born at 4:30. Vagina picture posting shenanigans ensued.
It would have been impossible to keep it a secret, because the in laws were staying at our house. If I could go back, I'd tell them absolutely no visiting until November (I was due 10/15.) With that said, I liked having my mom there, and didn't mind that everyone knew the induction date ahead of time. I loved having visitors in the hospital, though, I know some don't.
I told my parents when I got admitted to the hospital so they could start driving (they live 400 miles away). My H also called his parents to ask them if they could go to our house and pack an overnight bag for him (I went into labor a month early so he wasn't prepared) and to get our cat, who can't be alone overnight. MIL refused because it was too late (it was around 8 pm). So my H had to leave me to go home and pack a bag. And sure enough, the cat barfed while we were gone from anxiety.
Eta: I was texting friends and giving them the play by play the entire time I was in labor.
Post by sunshine608 on Mar 17, 2016 8:26:28 GMT -5
We called our famalies. I was supposed to have a planned C-section on Monday when I went into labor Thursday morning. We called them once I left the doctor who sent me dirclty to the hospital. My parents and sister made it before I went into the OR and MIL and SILs came while I was waiting to be transferred to a room.
DS - I called my parents when I realized that I was in real labor since my Mom was planning on coming for the birth (she lives in FL). Predictably, she couldn't make it since labor only lasted 10 hours and she couldn't get a flight until early afternoon the next day. We called both of them 20-30 minutes after he was born.
DD - I went into labor at like 2AM. I don't think I texted anyone until 4-5AM when we realized that it was real and we had called the MW. It was intense for the next few hours and I called them after DD was born.
I called my mom when I started having labor pains because I was nervous. I called her again when we actually went to the hospital, but they didn't come to the hospital until much later, and they brought DH lunch.
My water broke at 5am and labor didn't start. We called our parents after I was all settled at the hospital and hooked up to things. I think we called my folks around 9am or so. They hopped in the car and drove drown (~4 hours). Baby arrived around 6:30pm, we called again to let our relatives know, and everyone came to the hospital a little while after (e.g., 7:30pm).
It was Super Bowl Sunday so my folks were at DH's folks' house watching the game when they got the call. Everyone cheered in the background!
ETA: I personally called my mom's cell and meekly said "He's here...." My mom recalls that moment often and completely tears up every time.
Thanks for all the replies! It's reassuring to read all the different perspectives, and unfortunate to hear some family members not honoring requests.
I think I'm still in the "it depends" mindset right now, as I really don't like the idea of people waiting around and I like the idea of alone time with DH, baby, and I immediately after birth BUT I do love the idea of DH coming to the waiting room to announce whether the baby is a boy or girl.
You never know how it will go down, I think it's fine to make some game time decisions. We didn't tell our families his name until they came to the hospital. Some news needs to be shared in person! ETA: DS is named after my late grandfather (both first and his surname) and boy did my mom well up again when we announced the name.
Unfortunately my mom was staying with us at the time because I had a broken ankle and couldn't get around. So she was literally sitting next to me on the couch when my contractions started. I played it cool and secretly timed them for a couple of hours while texting H (he was upstairs getting the nursery ready, talk about last-minute preparations!) Otherwise we probably would have called from the hospital immediately after M was born.
Though he is our first-born human, we also have a dog that we didn't want to leave at home alone all night. So we dropped him off at the ILs' at 11 pm on the way to the hospital, and they also knew what was going on. I didn't love having everyone up in my business, but at least we managed to keep them out of L&D until after M was born!
It was the middle of the night so I didn't tell anyone until morning. Well I called my sister at 3am before going to the hospital but only because she teaches birthing classes and I had questions about if we should call the OB yet or not.
Once we were at the hospital and admitted and I had the epidural I let DH call my mom and his parents but we asked them to wait until our okay to drive up, which they did.
Post by awkwardpenguin on Mar 17, 2016 9:06:04 GMT -5
We told both our parents when we were headed to the hospital, so 7 hours after DW's water broke. Both are far away and weren't coming right away, but we wanted to keep them updated. DW was in labor for 39 hours and at some point both our sets of parents started to get really anxious and I was annoyed (as the non-laboring one) that I had to keep them updated, so I'm not sure what we'll do with the next.