C-Section Moms - what do you do in the hospital?

How do you take care of two babies in the hospital when you are recovering from a C? Do you mostly leave them in the nursery? I delivered my dd vaginally, so was only at the hospital about 24 hours. Also, I recovered well, so I could really take care of her for the most part. And when I wanted to nap, I just took her back to the nursery. But the babies aren't cooperating (both are breech) so I think I will likely have a C this time. I expect that I'll be spending a lot of time recovering. I hate the thought of leaving the twins in the nursery for most of the time. What do other people do?

Thanks!

 

Great question! On our hospital tour, the guide told us that it is up to the mom how much time the baby is in the room. She also said that for the first 12 hours (or something like that), someone has to be in the room with a c-section mom when she is holding the baby (due to meds and safety). I'm sure your body will tell you what you need to do. If they are in NICU, I've heard that they will call you when the baby needs to be fed while you are still in the hospital. HTH!

 

I'm sure other experienced moms can answer this question better, but I can tell you how my daughter handled it. She had her boys in April via c-section. Someone was with her all the time, night and day, to help her with the babies and also help her with showering, walking around, etc. I stayed with her during the daytime and her fiance stayed with her at night. The babies stayed in the room with her most of the time but she was able to call the nursery at any time and ask them to take the boys. I know she and her fiance did that one night because they were exhausted. It really helped her to get that 6-7 hour stretch of sleep that night (although she did have to wake to pump at least once I think). She was breastfeeding but also supplementing with formula so it was no problem to have the babies in the nursery for an extended length of time, and it did not affect her ability to BF full-time once she got home from the hospital.

Good luck to you!

 

Hi! I delivered my DD1 vag and the twins c-section. They were in NICU, though, so sady were not with me at all. I would check to see what your hospital policy is in regards to whether they call you or not and what is the norm.

It's hard caring for twins anyway, regardless of c/s, but I can say you will be very sore and it will be hard to lift and move around. Will you have anyone in the room with you?

Have you been in this hospital before? The nurses in the hospital where I delivered were wonderful; no matter how busy it got, someone would always agree to wheel me over to NICU whenever I wanted to see the twins.

I hope you have a wonderful, positive experience,too. Looks like you're getting close!

 

QUOTE(tgbmomofthree @ Aug 30 2007, 07:14 PM) [snapback]387012[/snapback]
How do you take care of two babies in the hospital when you are recovering from a C? Do you mostly leave them in the nursery? I delivered my dd vaginally, so was only at the hospital about 24 hours. Also, I recovered well, so I could really take care of her for the most part. And when I wanted to nap, I just took her back to the nursery. But the babies aren't cooperating (both are breech) so I think I will likely have a C this time. I expect that I'll be spending a lot of time recovering. I hate the thought of leaving the twins in the nursery for most of the time. What do other people do?

Thanks!


I had my boys via c-section because they were both breech. I was in the hospital 4 days. The boys were only in the nursery for about 3 hours one evening - DH had to go home with my older son instead of staying overnight so the nurses offered me a break since I'd been on my own since dinner time. Of course the nursery was next to my room so I didn't have to go far to retrieve them.

DH, older son, and my mother were there practically round the clock (DH slept in the room with me for 2 of the nights). They helped me get out of bed so I never needed to call the nurses. I do have to say that the hospital staff and our doctors (OBs and the pedis) were fabulous and did make routine stops to our room to check on us and make sure I didn't have any problems or questions. I was surprised at how well I was able to get around so you might be too.

I should also mention that I exclusively breastfed the boys until I went back to work when they were 10 weeks old - we did part expressed breast milk, part formula until the boys were 6 months old when I finally had to stop BF because of a new job in another state. That's part of the reason I really wanted the boys in the room with me as much as possible.

 

DH will be there the entire time. My son will be with his grandma. So I plan on having them in the room with me as much as possible (if they can)

 

The hospital I delivered my twins in required someone be in the room with me for the first 24 hours b/c I was on meds, couldn't get around, etc. I was up and walking the following morning (I had them via section at 5pm--it was my second section and I bounced back immediately--no problems getting around, etc). They stayed in the room with me the remainder of my stay, going to the nursery when I felt I needed to rest.

I hope that helps!!

Stacy

 

My husband was in the room with me the entire visit. The babies maybe spent 2 hours the entire time in the nursery because dh needed to leave to eat those first few days. They were even in our room all night.

 

I delivered my boys via c-section. I had LOTS of help! DH was there most of the time and when he wasn't there, my sister or my mom where there to help. We had them in the nursery at night. I was in the hosptial 3 days after delivery and by the third day I felt fine enough to change diapers etc...slowly...and not for long!
Good luck!

 

I delivered my girls c-section. I had my dh at the hospital with me as much as he could be and when he wasn't there, I had help from the nurses. I was able to get up the end of the second day so I just tried my best. I did send them to the nursery at night between feedings because I got no sleep during the day because we had constant visitors and by nighttime I HAD TO sleep. Good luck!!

 

our hospital does not do rooming in so nights weren't an issue because I wasn't breastfeeding (but if I was they would bring you the babies every 3 hours to nurse)...the first 12 hours after my section I was incapacitated because of the mag, but DH and my parents (and some friends I don't really remember) were there to take care of them...I finally saw them at midnight - but I was out of bed the next day and had them all day with me and I would take them back to the nursery around 9 pm or so and go to bed - DH only stayed 2 nights (the first night I was induced and the second night when I had the section and I was loopy)...once I was off the mag I had no problems handling them etc...

 

QUOTE(tgbmomofthree @ Aug 30 2007, 07:14 PM) [snapback]387012[/snapback]
How do you take care of two babies in the hospital when you are recovering from a C? Do you mostly leave them in the nursery? I delivered my dd vaginally, so was only at the hospital about 24 hours. Also, I recovered well, so I could really take care of her for the most part. And when I wanted to nap, I just took her back to the nursery. But the babies aren't cooperating (both are breech) so I think I will likely have a C this time. I expect that I'll be spending a lot of time recovering. I hate the thought of leaving the twins in the nursery for most of the time. What do other people do?

Thanks!


Thank you so much for asking this question! I hadn't even thought about it and I've learned a ton. I had no idea that people's DH's stayed overnight! I just assumed he wasn't allowed to stay. I'm now hoping that they allow this at the hospital where I plan to deliver. I hate being apart from my DH at night and it's such a great way for all 4 of us to become a little family.

For those with experience with this, please keep the posts coming. This thread has been so informative.

 

My girls were in the NICU after my c-section and once I was able to get out of bed, I spent all of the waking daylight hours in the NICU taking care of my girls. The only time I was in my room was for sleeping at night. Even at that, I was still getting up to pump. The nurses knew I was never in my room, so if they need to check my incision, I would go back briefly and let them check it or they would wait till the end of the day when I was back in my room...or they would bring my meds and some water into the NICU for me. They were GREAT!

As for rooming in with your babies if you have a c...I say GO FOR IT!!! My hospital puts a time constraint on someone being with you in the room if you hvae the baby for a certain amount of time afterwards too. Also, I've thought about this some since I haven't made a decsion yet on how I will deliver my next baby...but if I have a c and DH isn't there with me at night (he'll probably stay the first night but after that be home with the twins) then I would probably send the baby to the nursery so I wasn't having trouble getting up and down in the middle of the night and fumbling around with no one there to help out.

 

DH was at the hospital with me the whole time minus time to run home and take care of the pets. We sent the boys to the nursery most nights about 10 or 1030. They brought them in every 3 hours to nurse and then we would keep them in the room with us all day starting about 7ish. We chose to sleep at night b/c we really never slept during the day. I was in hospital with boys for 4 days. You do what works for you...it was nice to have a little time at night to rest.

 

I haven't had my twins yet, but I have had two prior c-sections with my first two boys and know I will have a c this time as well. I recovered wonderfully from both of my c's. I had pre-e with both of my pg's and was on magnesium during the surgery. My best advice is to get up and moving as soon as possible. With my second son, I had him at 10:30 in the morning and was out of bed by 2 that afternoon. I truly believe that contributed to the success of my recoveries. With both sections, I was completely off pain meds by the time I left the hospital. Both times, the boys roomed in with us and my husband stayed with me 24/7. When the twins are born, we will have someone come stay at the house with our older sons so dh can be with my the entire time.

I know there is no guarantee that things will go as smoothly for me this time, but it helps that I've been through this before and know what to expect surgery-wise.

Best wishes to you and I'll pray for a smooth delivery experience for you!!

 

I kept them in the room with me between about 6AM and 10PM except when they had to go to see the pediatrician. I just had whomever was around (or buzzed a nurse if there wasn't anyone) help me get them from the bassinette for feedings/changings. DH couldn't stay over so, reluctantly, I did send them to the nursery at night. They wanted to bring them every 4 hours to nurse ("because they aren't getting anything yet anyway and mommy needs the sleep") and I had DH have a talk with the nurses about a 2.5 hour schedule since that was their daytime frequency. The one who was on duty agreed and it worked out fine. She also didn't mind that I left the diaper changes for her. The only issue we had was the one night someone else was on duty and she refused to comply with the arrangement so every time they were brought they were both screaming their lungs out. I wanted to room them in after that but the nice nurse was back the next day.

 

I kept mine in the room in the day time, and sent them to the nursery at night. I kept sending everyone home because I knew once we got home, we were on our own (my parents stayed with us for most of the first 2 weeks so we had help). The first night, they had jaundice, so had to stay in the nursery, and, although I love my babies very much, the extra sleep I got with them in the nursery really helped my recovery. That's part of why they were in the nursery the next 2 nights.

Good luck with your delivery and figuring out what works best for you!

 

Our DD & DS were with us in the room the whole time. They spent their first couple hours in intermed care they were born 34w3days but once they were drinking from bottles which was a couple hours they were sent up to our room. We do not have nurseries up here where u can send the babies as soon as you have them they are in your room. So my DH stayed with me for the most part unless he had to go home for some sleep or errands but otherwise we took care of them right from the start.

 

I had both my DD and the twins via c/s. With DD, the nurses helped me out quite a bit, but I was able to care for her primarily on my own. With the twins, the c/s was a bit more difficult and I really wasn't able to care for them much that first day. I had them in the room with me, but had to call the nurses every time I needed to hold them, nurse, change them, etc. I was in the hospital 4 days and they did room out at night, sleeping in the nursery.

 

When I had the twins, I wasn't allowed to be alone in the room with them for the first couple of days. I actually spent the first night in the Birthing Unit (not maternity) because I was being monitored closely. There was usually someone there with me. At night, they went to the nursery. DH went home, and I spent the night alone. With Liam, I was able to get up and care for him sooner, but he still spent his nights in the nursery.

We live only 2 miles from the hospital, so DH went home each night, this was fine with me as he is a snorer and I really needed my rest .

 

Mine were in the NICU the whole time we were there, but luckily we all went home together. Our hospital didn't have a nursery anyways. So, if your baby isn't in the NICU, they are always in your room. Needless to say I got hardly any sleep because my wonderful DH wheeled me down to the NICU every 3 hours around the clock to breastfeed. One time there was a new night nurse and we had gotten their 10 minutes late and she had given them a bottle, and I sat there and bawled my eyes out! They had put the wrong room number on her notes -ugh!

So...if they are not in the NICU, and you don't mind them having a bottle, I would at least suggest letting them go to the nursery at night for several hours so you can get some decent sleep before you all go home.

But being active is the best way to recover from a c-section. My nurse said her NICU moms always recover better because we are constantly going from our rooms to the NICU.

My last advice is don't be afraid to take the pain meds...that's what they are for. I tried to be a martyr and not take them after we got home...silly me!

 

This has been informative for me, too. Thanks!