Hospital Baby Blankets

threelittlebirds · Nov 2, 2011

I've experienced this too...many patients have attempted to take advantage of the fact that I am a student and ask for multiple boxes of tissue, wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste....because apparently being a semester away from my degree is equivalent to being blind to all of the supplies they have hoarded in plain sight.

RNMom2010 · Nov 2, 2011

The hospital I had my son at the blankets were reused and were not to be taken home. They did tell us to clean out the bassinet before we left because they cannot use any of the items for anyone else.

michael79 · Nov 2, 2011

I was shocked that my neighbors did this. They have plenty of money and there's no need to take more than was actually needed for their baby at that moment. Is that common in Mom-Baby units?

JustaGypsy · Nov 2, 2011

I am convinced people will swipe anything not nailed down...

fromtheseaRN, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2011

when i brought my twins home from the nicu years and years ago, the nurses filled a bag with all of their stuff that couldn't be reused(bp cuffs, etc), and they threw 4 of the blankets in there. i thought that it was weird when i saw them in there, but just figured it was the way in the nicu.

TigerxLiLy · Nov 2, 2011

all this stuff is billed to them i thought....at least in most hospitals here, everything is scanned to a pt.

floridanurse1983 · Nov 2, 2011

I know people who will take the first baby blanket for sentimental reasons. Yes its stealing but I can understand why. However, everything else is totally uncalled for

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Nov 2, 2011

I work nights and we rarely do discharges (from a NICU, not mom/baby unit). Yes, some people do take blankets, diapers, wipes, anything they can, every time they visit, but I would not call that the norm. The thing is when an infant is discharged, if they are wearing a hospital t-shirt and wrapped in a hospital blanket, we will not stop and take those items off the infant before they go home. Many times a parent wants to change them into something nicer, but otherwise they go home however they are dressed when we get the paperwork together.

samirish · Nov 2, 2011

Years ago before I even thought about getting into nursing, I would take any items that the nurse brought me. Diapers, blanket, formula, bottles, booties, tissues, wipes, etc.

I thought my insurance was paying for all these things.

CanadianGirl79 · Nov 2, 2011

I work nights and we rarely do discharges (from a NICU, not mom/baby unit). Yes, some people do take blankets, diapers, wipes, anything they can, every time they visit, but I would not call that the norm. The thing is when an infant is discharged, if they are wearing a hospital t-shirt and wrapped in a hospital blanket, we will not stop and take those items off the infant before they go home. Many times a parent wants to change them into something nicer, but otherwise they go home however they are dressed when we get the paperwork together.

Really? On my unit, we totally take back the blankets LOL. We check the baby's carrier/car seat before they leave (with the baby inside) and take the blankets back if they are visible.

smaria2012 · Nov 2, 2011

Wow CanadianGirl 79!! The blanket police! Hehe j/k. I understand both perspectives. I just had my daughter back in May 2011 and believe me when I say I took all the diapers, formula, wipes the hospital would give me! But Northside actually liked giving supplies, I guess that's why they are the best baby hospital in the country! You know between my employer's insurer and I, we gave the hospital over $10K to deliver by c-section. I should've took more. It also makes more sense to charge it to the insurance company than to police baby blankets. I didn't keep the blankets though, they looked like they had been washed 100x.