Mom Baby VS. L & D

SweetTeaRN, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

I have never worked in either type of unit, although I interviewed on a mother-baby unit. My understanding is that mother-baby is quite fast-paced, that you can have 4-5 mother-baby couplets or so. That scared me, it seems like a lot of patients! The one thing I did like about mother-baby was that it seems like a lot of patient education. I really enjoy patient teaching so that part appealed to me a lot. I liked the in and out mentality of L&D, although if you like to develop a stronger relationship with your patients then L&D might not be a good choice.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Jul 18, 2008

I just did a precptorship in my area which is rural. There is no differentiation between the two units, I had patients that were in labor as well as couplets.

ILuvNewBabies! · Jul 19, 2008

There is definitely a difference between L&D and M/B nursing.

L&D can have a very fast pace. If you are an adrenaline junky, this is a great place to be. But unlike other areas of the hospital (with the exception of NICU/PICU), when it gets bad here it's reallllly bad! When a mom loses a baby it is horrible even if you already know that the outcome will be bad, and it does happen.

M/B nurses are more of the nurturing type (not saying that L&D nurses can't nurture!!). They tend to have more time to bond with the moms and do the majority of patient teaching. The mom stays in the postpartum unit from very shortly after delivery until discharge usually.

That said, I actually love both areas. I am very fortunate to work in a hospital that has LDRPs, that way I am able to do both, sometimes in the same day. If I want to pick up extra shifts at our sister hospital, I can specify whether I'd like to work L&D or M/B depending on my mood. It really is great.

I hope that this helps you.