Time off for Dad after the birth

ncmc

There is a nursery in CUMH but I don't think it's manned the whole time. I had my ante natal class with a midwife from CUMH last week and she said they did sometimes take babies into the nursery if the mother really needed it, it wasn't as common any more. She said some mothers just wheel their baby down to an un-manned nursery and swan off out on a fag break! It's probably one of the areas that has been hit by cut backs.

Xdancer

When my mother had us in the Bons in Cork she said that the nurses would keep the babies in the nursery for you all the time if you wanted and only bring them out for visitors!
Here in Spain a public ward only has 2 bed, so it's nice. You are allowed have your OH with you at all times during your stay if you want...but then that's pretty much the norm here. Nurses only nurse, it's expected that family will be there to help out.
My OH stayed with me most of the time, but there really wasn't any need as I didn't /couldn't sleep while I was there anyway.

Sligo1

There's a nursery in the Merrion Wing in Holles St. I didnt need it on my second but it was a lifesaver on my first. LO would literally be feeding off me all night so midwife used to come into me around 3 or 4am and offer to take him to the nursery for a couple hours so I could sleep. I was so grateful for it.

newtoboards

There's also a nursery in Mullingar and they took my son for a few hours after a very difficult birth. He also spent time in an incubator in there until I was in a room big enough to fit my bed, incubator and crib.

Moonbeam

Sligo1 wrote: »

There's a nursery in the Merrion Wing in Holles St. I didnt need it on my second but it was a lifesaver on my first. LO would literally be feeding off me all night so midwife used to come into me around 3 or 4am and offer to take him to the nursery for a couple hours so I could sleep. I was so grateful for it.

When I was there they were brought to the nurses station but I kept mine with me for fear of a baby swap

Sligo1

Moonbeam wrote: »

When I was there they were brought to the nurses station but I kept mine with me for fear of a baby swap

There's a decent size room right beside the nursing station called the nursery. It's the one where u take the babies to change them. They also keep the breast pumps in there and an incubator aswell. They bath the babies in there aswell. It's definitely separate to the nurses station and has a sign saying nursery on it... No young children allowed

lazygal

I was so glad of the nursery in Holles St on the Merrion Wing. I only got sleep when they took the babies for a few hours. I didn't sleep a wink on a public or semi private ward with the noise.

Sligo1

lazygal wrote: »

I was so glad of the nursery in Holles St on the Merrion Wing. I only got sleep when they took the babies for a few hours. I didn't sleep a wink on a public or semi private ward with the noise.

Yep. This time I had a semi private room my first night. The lady beside me was the loudest snorer I heard in my life. Cue me getting a chair at 1am and sitting outside my room trying to sleep there. But I could still hear her! Got a room in the merrion wing the next day thank god.

Hannibal Smith

My two were taken the first night after the sections..actually the second fella wasn't because I remember having to try and change him on the bed! But they took them a couple more times over our stay to see if a nights sleep would settle the bp.. and each time I went and got them back ..I slept worse when they were gone.

I blame the meds!

lazygal

I don't think I'd have been capable of caring for a baby with the lack of sleep. Or sticking with breastfeeding. I needed to sleep uninterrupted.

Moonbeam

The merrion wing was the place I day dreamed about in the semi private and public wards .
It really is so lovely and relaxing .

contrary_mary

Lots of interesting replies and perspectives here - it's given me lots to think about so thanks to everyone. We have decided that OH will stay off work when I'm in the hospital unless there is something in particular going on in work that would benefit him going in for a day or two. I would prefer to have him there and he would prefer to be there, so we're sticking with our original plan. I'll miss him enough at night!

On the nursery issue - I was born by c-section "back in the day" and my mother had minimal contact with me. The section was planned and was under general anaesthetic - she thinks they may have brought me down to show me to her the following day for a couple of minutes (so 24 hours after the birth), but she was pretty out of it on painkillers so she only vaguely remembers! Gradually they brought me down for feeds etc. but the nurses did everything else and Mum was kept pumped up on morphine for 2 whole weeks after the birth. After 2 weeks we were sent home and my poor mother had to deal with a newborn for the first time while detoxing from morphine - she had no idea what they were giving her and why the room was spinning etc! How times have changed (much for the better)!

Ginny

seamus wrote: »

Even then, you might get wiggle room. On night 2 my wife had a complete nightmare, neither her nor the baby got any sleep, a catheter bag from another patient spilled all over the floor of the room and wasn't cleaned up for 4 hours (so she couldn't get out of the bed to pee, herself). So I got a tearful 6am phone call and I was in the Rotunda @ 7:30. Security didn't even blink when I walked in. Likewise that night I was there till after midnight, just pulled the curtains and stayed quiet, nobody said a word to us.

In the Rotunda in 2012 the fathers times were 7:30am-9pm, I remember since the witch of a dr broke my waters at 7:15am and refused to wait the 15 mins till my husband could come up.

dizzymiss

ncmc wrote: »

This is such an interesting thread. I'm due in 5 weeks and had planned for my husband to go back to work between me giving birth and going home, but after reading the replies here, I'm not so sure! He's lucky in that he's basically block booked the month of June off and his boss has agreed to be flexible with dates, so I guess we will wait and see how I'm getting on and if I think I need him. The half day idea is a good one.

My husband is the same. Blocked booked from middle of June to middle of July and will have three weeks. One week offered to new fathers paid and two weeks annual leave. His boss said all he needs to do is ring the night before and there'll be no hassle. We're very lucky.

In Galway, the father can visit all day from 7am to 10pm. Anyone else is restricted to two hours in the afternoon and two hours in the evening.