Visitation policy of children in L&D/ Mother Baby/ LDRP

NurseHeather28 · Mar 30, 2011

In my Maryland Hospital, only children of the new parents are allowed to visit. No nieces, nephews, cousins ect are allowed.

NPinWCH · Mar 30, 2011

Rural Ohio hospital with open door policy and no age restrictions. Only restrictions are during labor and then only to 3 support people, of any age, at a time. We used to have a more restrictive policy with no one under 14 unless they were a sibling, but when you start delivering moms who are 12 it got really difficult since the father and friends are all that age.

The only time we have reverted back to restricting ages was during a flu epidemic in the area and we went back to the under 14 rule. We don't have a NICU so can't help you there.

2011NursingStudent · Mar 30, 2011

Rural Ohio hospital with open door policy and no age restrictions. Only restrictions are during labor and then only to 3 support people, of any age, at a time. We used to have a more restrictive policy with no one under 14 unless they were a sibling, but when you start delivering moms who are 12 it got really difficult since the father and friends are all that age.
The only time we have reverted back to restricting ages was during a flu epidemic in the area and we went back to the under 14 rule. We don't have a NICU so can't help you there.

Oh my lord... 12 years old....?! Geez. Where are THEIR parents?? I have an 8 year old and know where he is and what he is doing just about every second of the day, I can't imagine it will be all that much different in 4 years! How hard is it to keep them doing sports, homework, summer camps, etc so they can't possibly get into that kind of mess....??

Southern Fried RN · Mar 30, 2011

NICU: No visitors except immediate adult family members (mom, dad) unless the adult visitor was escorted by mom or dad. No children, not even siblings.

Otherwise, pretty open about children except when all that H1N1 was going around. No children under 12 were allowed during that time, siblings included.

NPinWCH · Mar 30, 2011

Oh my lord... 12 years old....?! Geez. Where are THEIR parents?? I have an 8 year old and know where he is and what he is doing just about every second of the day, I can't imagine it will be all that much different in 4 years! How hard is it to keep them doing sports, homework, summer camps, etc so they can't possibly get into that kind of mess....??

Well in most cases dad isn't around, but mom and her boyfriend are right there beside her cheering the labor on, being the proud grandparents at the ripe old age of 30.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 30, 2011

I don't know what the NICU policy is, but at my hospital, in OB/L&D/Postpartum, anyone can visit, regardless of age.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 30, 2011

I am in the Southeast (that's about as specific as I'm comfortable getting), and our policy is that siblings of the baby can visit without regard to age. All other children, regardless of their relation to the MOB/FOB, have to be 12 or older.

During labor, two support people are allowed to be present, and for about four hours after delivery, the visiting hours are waived so everyone can greet new mom and baby. Once that is over, visiting hours are 1100-2000. These can be waived in exceptional circumstances or at the discretion of the nurse.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 30, 2011

And my hospital doesn't have "visiting hours" either - people can visit at any time of the day or night.

kessadawn, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2011

Our local community hospital, in NE Ohio allows siblings to visit in OB at any age, but no other visitors under age 14. I work in a different hospital in NE Ohio, and our NICU seems to allow any age to visit, any time of day, but I'm not sure if a child has to be a sibling to visit. The rest of the hospital has no restriction as to the age of the visitor, just some limitations on number of people at the bedside overnight depending on the unit.

BrookeeLou_RN · Mar 31, 2011

Oh my lord... 12 years old....?! Geez. Where are THEIR parents?? I have an 8 year old and know where he is and what he is doing just about every second of the day, I can't imagine it will be all that much different in 4 years! How hard is it to keep them doing sports, homework, summer camps, etc so they can't possibly get into that kind of mess....??

May God have blessed you with a great kid.. 4 yrs makes a huge difference and not all kids want to continue or even start with sports. Hope you are one of the lucky ones.. I thought I knew everything but oldest got pregnant during a study session at her friends and yes there was supervision.. apparently the mother answered the phone.. No mom can be everywhere every minute.. Luckily mine made it to 16.. but as L&D nurse I saw one kid at 10 yrs old... Her mother was there with her and she was all of 24!!! A crying shame.

When I did L&D, in labor was 3 adults or as close to adult as possible.. In postpartum... any age, not limits.

This was in Baltimore. years ago though.

caregiver1977 · Mar 31, 2011

I live in central Mississippi (I once lived in Memphis for about 18 months and lived outside of Memphis for about 10 years). I don't know if they really have a policy about who can visit. I never had a gaggle of family and friends to try to be with me during labor and delivery and I don't think there was a visitor's policy. They would announce over the intercom that visiting hours were over around 9 or 9:30 p.m., but I think people pretty much did what they wanted. I've had my husband to come visit after the announcement was made.

All of my kids are well under the age of 12, and they have always allowed them to visit in the hospital when I was postpartum. I never tried to have them there when I was delivering. I don't think the hospital I delivered at was real strict about who visited whom or what age they were. I sometimes wish they had been when other people let their kids run up and down the halls screaming. One kid actually CAME INTO MY ROOM!

The hospital I go to is strict about who they let into the nursery. The door is locked, you have to knock (unless you are hospital staff who swipes their badge), and they don't let just anyone in. I appreciated that. I also appreciated that the wing where woman are laboring and delivering is behind the same sort of locked door. I have heard enough horror stories about a poor woman, half naked, in the middle of delivering and in pops unwanted guests and their video cameras (shuddering).