Post by liveintheville on Jun 18, 2012 19:25:27 GMT -5
For kid 1, our friends hung out through the whole thing. Thinking back on it now, I can't believe they stayed all night but it was awesome having them there.
Kid 2 was just my husband and me. Everyone had kids by then and they were nice enough to watch kid 1 for us while I was in the hospital.
Post by badtzmaru22 on Jun 18, 2012 21:18:28 GMT -5
Just me and DH. Our families live 6-7 hours away, and I thought I'd be sad, but it was so nice just the two of us. We called everyone on the way in to let them know. I wasn't in labor that long, and it was all overnight anyway, so it wouldn't have been fun for anyone. I got admitted around 7pm and dd was born at 5:11 am.
Post by fortmyersbride on Jun 18, 2012 21:22:03 GMT -5
No one when I was in labor either time.
With DS, we lived a 12+ hr drive from family. My coworkers and friends visited me at the hospital when I was in labor. My parents flew up the day we came home.
With DD we still lived far from family. My mom and sisters flew in for my induction and stayed with DS. When DD was born they came with lunch.
I dont see the appeal in having other people there. I was either very uncomfortable pre-epidural or taking a nap post-epidural. Either way I find it strange to walk into a hospital room full of people staring at a woman in labor and generally bickering amongst themselves.
I was already in the hospital on bedrest and they scheduled an emergency c-section. So we had about six hours notice. My parents live pretty close to the hospital, but they waited in the waiting room. DH's parents came later that day, after the boys were born. (they also had a three hour drive.)
Since my water broke early Friday morning, every one was at work while I was in labor. I also lucked out and was done in 7.5hrs, so friends came by after work. Our families lived out of state and they had to scramble to rearrange travel plans since DS arrived 3wks before his due date.
Post by HoneySpider on Jun 19, 2012 9:01:06 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I guess in my mind there would be something comforting about having family waiting at the hospital but I'm not thinking of how that might suck for them.
I'm just having a hard time in general right now with the whole living really far from family while getting ready to have kids thing. It sucks.
I arrived at the hospital at 2AM and DS was born at 6:12AM, so no one was at the hospital. We don't have any family or really close friends in the area. My mom was going to attempt to come to the birth, but she lives in FL and the warning signs weren't there early enough to catch a flight.
I knew it was time around 8ish that evening and the next flight didn't leave until mid morning the next day.
Looking back, I'm kind of happy that it was just DH and I. I don't think I could have handled a whole group of people waiting in the lobby.
Post by sarahlindsay on Jun 19, 2012 10:56:05 GMT -5
H and one of my best friends was with me during labor, but no one else was around, either in the room or a waiting area. I ultimately gave birth just prior to midnight, and the first family members visited that following morning around 7 or 8ish.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I guess in my mind there would be something comforting about having family waiting at the hospital but I'm not thinking of how that might suck for them.
I'm just having a hard time in general right now with the whole living really far from family while getting ready to have kids thing. It sucks.
I don't think you need family there and many people obviously prefer not to have boatloads of family waiting around at the hospital, but if you want your family around, the fact that they live far away doesn't necessarily preclude them being there. My family is a 6-7 hour drive from us; my ILs are 1500 miles away. My mom, step-dad, and MIL all arrived while I was still in labor with both of my kids. I called them early on (but once I was 100% sure it was real labor), and my mom and step-dad started driving, and MIL got on the first flight she could. Labor generally lasts a long time and therefore allows for travel, assuming your family is up for making the trip.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I guess in my mind there would be something comforting about having family waiting at the hospital but I'm not thinking of how that might suck for them.
I'm just having a hard time in general right now with the whole living really far from family while getting ready to have kids thing. It sucks.
I don't think you need family there and many people obviously prefer not to have boatloads of family waiting around at the hospital, but if you want your family around, the fact that they live far away doesn't necessarily preclude them being there. My family is a 6-7 hour drive from us; my ILs are 1500 miles away. My mom, step-dad, and MIL all arrived while I was still in labor with both of my kids. I called them early on (but once I was 100% sure it was real labor), and my mom and step-dad started driving, and MIL got on the first flight she could. Labor generally lasts a long time and therefore allows for travel, assuming your family is up for making the trip.
Thanks...I'll definitely worry about logistics more when I have a reason to even be thinking about this.
Post by Ashley&Scott on Jun 19, 2012 12:04:59 GMT -5
Idaho-
We knew if we wanted any extra support my mom would be the only one. She is very calm & low key, we get along really well & are very close. She's been through 3 natural births herself & was a support person for her friends as well so we knew she would be able to handle whatever my L&D ended up being.
DH & I had discussed ahead of time if we wanted my mom there. We decided to start out just us & call her if we needed her. (My mom had said she would be there if we asked but did not push the issue or insist at all.)
As I mentioned before we called her after we had been at the hospital for 4 or 5 hours, my 1st epi didn't work & we were warned we might be heading for a c/s due to DS's position. We were both scared & nervous. In the end everything worked out & I'm so glad we decided to have her there, it made us both feel better.
No one came to see us in the hospital. DH stayed with me and tried to sleep on the pullout couch (I was in labor overnight and DD was born at 8am). I didn't want anyone there while I was in labor and DD was in the NICU after she was born, so I preferred that people wait to visit until we got home (she was born on a Sunday, we went home on Wednesday).
I'm just having a hard time in general right now with the whole living really far from family while getting ready to have kids thing. It sucks.
({) (}) My mom just moved out of state a few months ago, and it's left me feeling conflicted about what to do when I have a baby. She said she'll come and stay as long as I want, but as much as I love her, I don't know if I'll want her hanging around our tiny house immediately before/after I have the baby. But on the other hand, it feels so unfair that my stepmom and MIL would get to see the baby before my mother does. I'm contemplating seeing if she would be willing to stay with MIL so she can be in the state, but a nice two hour drive away.
Trying for #3; FET 8/18 -- BFN. Leaving things up to chance for now... After three years, three IVFs, and two FETs, we finally have our miracle babIES!
New here but thought I'd share. While laboring, we had my parents/step dad, MIL, FIL & SIL's family. They all went home by 11:30pm except my Dad. He stayed in the waiting room all night until I gave birth at 4am.
No one. It was just h and I until about 4 hours after baby was born. We were supposed to have one visitor but her babysitter flaked out on her at the last minute and she couldn't come.
Post by teacherjulie on Jun 20, 2012 5:31:16 GMT -5
I was induced at 3am so my parents live 6 hours away left at 8 got to town around 2 inlaws showed around then too. They all stopped in to visit for an hour or so had the baby by 5
We arrived at 10p. My mom came by the hospital around 11pm because she lived close by and was excited and didn't think she could sleep knowing that I was in labor. She left around 1am when I got my epi because she figured it was going to be a long night... I delivered just before 4am so no one was there when I delivered.
My hospital has strict rules, for which I am grateful.
Labor: only 2 people of the moms choosing allowed. For me, it was just DH.
Once you're in your post delivery room, only the BABY'S parents, grandparents, and siblings are allowed during visiting hours, plus the 2 individuals from labor. DH was not allowed to stay overnight.
My parents were the only visitors I had in the hospital.
Post by madladybride on Jun 20, 2012 12:13:37 GMT -5
I was induced, so my labor wasn't exactly traditional. There was a lot of me waiting around with an IV. After maxing out 2x, they broke my water and I went into real labor. We had friends come to visit, but overall, I didn't want people waiting around while I labored, especially after they broke my water. My sister did stay at our house with my 2 dogs. YAY!
ETA: Most of our family lives far away. My mom would not have been much help and I'm not sure how my MIL would have done.
I didn't want anobody there and made that very clear. I didn't want anyone barging in after birth, or coming to ask for updates while I was laboring epi free. So it was just me and DH. We called our parents when they were born.
No one. We didn't call anyone while I was in labor. I didn't want all the pressure/stress of people waiting around/rushing to get to us/etc. It was just me, DH and my doula at home for as long as possible before we packed it up and went to the hospital to push DD out.
My parents came the day we were discharged to drive us all home. (Mainly because we don't have a car, but also because that was as long as they were willing to wait.)
I suppose if we have another, we'll have no choice but to alert someone so they can stay with DD while I labor.
New here but thought I'd share. While laboring, we had my parents/step dad, MIL, FIL & SIL's family. They all went home by 11:30pm except my Dad. He stayed in the waiting room all night until I gave birth at 4am.
Awe, I think this is sweet.
I'm reading this as his way of being supportive in a "in case my daughter needs me" sort of way. (hopefully he wasn't being demanding/intrusive)
I find it odd that h's aren't allowed to stay the night when it is their child too. I wouldn't have done well if my husband Hadn't been able to stay with me.
I find it odd that h's aren't allowed to stay the night when it is their child too. I wouldn't have done well if my husband Hadn't been able to stay with me.
H's could only stay at my hospital if we paid for a private room. However, because I couldn't get moved into my room until the morning after I gave birth, DH was able to sleep on the sofa in the L & D room with me. Our brilliant plan to hold off on paying for a private room worked out!
I was admitted to be induced after a Dr appointment and we were not prepared. My mom and sister brought our bag down to us that night.
My mom, dad, FIL and DH's aunt were there the whole next day and until I had LO. my sister's were there too at different times during the day.
They all came back after I got back from the csection. I am glad they were there, but would have been happy had they not decided to take pictures of me. I looked rough. And swollen. And fat. And greasy.
Post by dragonfly08 on Jun 20, 2012 16:20:18 GMT -5
With #1, only DH was there. Our families lived 3.5+ hours away.
With #2, my parents came to visit. MIL was at our house with #1; they did not come to the hospital during labor but visited a few hours after the baby was born.
New here but thought I'd share. While laboring, we had my parents/step dad, MIL, FIL & SIL's family. They all went home by 11:30pm except my Dad. He stayed in the waiting room all night until I gave birth at 4am.
Awe, I think this is sweet.
I'm reading this as his way of being supportive in a "in case my daughter needs me" sort of way. (hopefully he wasn't being demanding/intrusive)
It was very sweet of him and he was in no way being intrusive, just supportive. He was very excited when the nurses called him back to our room after DS was born. It really meant a lot to us that he was there.
I'm reading this as his way of being supportive in a "in case my daughter needs me" sort of way. (hopefully he wasn't being demanding/intrusive)
It was very sweet of him and he was in no way being intrusive, just supportive. He was very excited when the nurses called him back to our room after DS was born. It really meant a lot to us that he was there.
:Y: I think this definitely deserves to be mentioned in DS's baby book!