Older kids visiting in hospital?

[beersandweirs]

That's a strangely worded title, oh well.

Those of you with kids at home already, do you plan to have them come to the hospital to visit and meet baby, or just wait until you're back home?

DD will be almost 3 when baby is born, and she will go with my in laws when we go to the hospital, and I'm wondering if I should have them bring her by at some point, or just wait until we get home. What are your thoughts/plans?

[tinyjoys]

My big kids meet their sibling first.

My mom and sister will bring them up around 1pm following my morning RSC. We'll spend an hour or so just the five of us and then we'll invite my family back and then once they leave, my H will call his family to come up.

ETA: we're in a private room, by the way. I'd probably change my tune if I had a shared room.

[lemons]

I plan on having my mom bring DD to the hospital to visit, assuming all is well with baby boy and myself.

[adeline]

I know I care more than her at this age, but I really want DD to be one of the first to meet the baby.
I’m going to ask my mum to bring her up for a visit the afternoon after my RSC as long as I can move enough not to freak her out.

[itsmemeg]

My DS will be a couple weeks shy of turning 3 as well. We plan to have him come to the hospital to meet his baby sister. DH will pick him up from daycare and they will go pick out a birthday cake for the baby’s birthday and we will have a gift from baby to DS when he gets there too. Trying to make it a positive and fun experience for him since I’m overly worried about this transition

[beersandweirs]

I am a little concerned about DD being upset when she doesn't get to stay with Mom and has to leave, I think that's where my major hang up comes from.

[Speedy]

itsmemeg, when my brother was born my parents got me a gift "from T". It was just a silly little stuffed Mickey, but I still had that thing years later =)

[adeline]

Jan 29, 2018 14:08:35 GMT -6 itsmemeg said:

My DS will be a couple weeks shy of turning 3 as well. We plan to have him come to the hospital to meet his baby sister. DH will pick him up from daycare and they will go pick out a birthday cake for the baby’s birthday and we will have a gift from baby to DS when he gets there too. Trying to make it a positive and fun experience for him since I’m overly worried about this transition

Oh I like that idea. Depends when my RSC is scheduled re: daycare days but that would be nice for it to be just DH and DD. I am going to get a gift too. Maybe a doll?

[MauLoaM0M]

DS1 will be 5 when DS2 arrives. DH or my in laws will bring him to meet his baby brother. Baby will have a gift for big brother and vice versa.

[MauLoaM0M]

Jan 29, 2018 14:08:59 GMT -6 beersandweirs said:

I am a little concerned about DD being upset when she doesn't get to stay with Mom and has to leave, I think that's where my major hang up comes from.

I had not thought about this. We have not made any solid plans (I guess we really should be thinking about this) for where DS will stay while I am in the hospital but more than likely it will be with my in laws. He is always more than happy to stay at their house so I’m hoping he will be fine going back there and not staying with me. *fingers crossed*

[jessila]

H and I were kind of talking about plans for O when the baby is born anyhow. He will be 5 weeks (if born on EDD) short of being 3.

If I have a RCS, H will go home to sleep at night anyhow since he was a bit useless in MOTN and extremely uncomfortable on the tiny couch in the room. Either way, H plans to pick O up from where ever he is and bring him to visit. I do want O to meet his sister before everyone else comes barging in.

I do like the idea of bringing a birthday cake because cake. Maybe I'll send them to pick up cookies/cupcakes before they come to visit.

[itsmemeg]

Yes, can’t go wrong with cake!

[lily]

DS makes 3 in March, and DS2 is due mid June. Some of the plan depends on when I go into labor- if it’s MOTN like last time, then my ILs will come over to our house and bring DS1 along to the hospital either when baby is imminent or after baby is born, or however that lines up with when DS is awake and fed breakfast.

ILs live a few blocks from our new house. Hospital is ~10-15 minutes from home.

Our hospital is very small and not at all busy. There is a large open waiting area outside of L&D that includes two small escalators, so I’m sure DS will be happy hanging out. Last time I’m pretty sure I had 10+ people out there. We have a lot of family, and they’re very hands on.

[jaidit]

It’s not allowed here, so the choice is made for us. Although i would love it if DD could visit because my hospital stay will be minimum 4 nights.

[robot]

DD will be newly 3 and I will definitely have whoever is staying with her bring her by. I like the cupcake idea! That’s DD’s love language 😂

[tincupchalice]

I'm due in early May so flu season SHOULD be done by then. If flu is still active, hospital does not allow kids to visit. My dad will be staying with the boys so we'll probably have him bring them by to meet baby. Last time DH brought DS by a few times.

[sammichcat]

DS#1 was 2.5 when DS#2 was born. H went to pick him up from my parents so he could visit. He was much more interested in the congrats balloon than his new baby brother haha. We took a couple pictures and then DS#1 left before he got too bored. He was fine with leaving; I was the one sad to see him go!

[gustierx]

Jan 29, 2018 14:08:59 GMT -6 beersandweirs said:

I am a little concerned about DD being upset when she doesn't get to stay with Mom and has to leave, I think that's where my major hang up comes from.

This is my biggest worry too. I'm hoping to have my parents bring DD to visit (she'll be 3.5 exactly). If it seems like that isn't a good idea, I'll trust them to decide not to. She's very attached to H and me. I'd love for her to meet her baby bro before others do.

[budders]

Jan 29, 2018 14:08:59 GMT -6 beersandweirs said:

I am a little concerned about DD being upset when she doesn't get to stay with Mom and has to leave, I think that's where my major hang up comes from.

V will definitely freak out when he has to leave without me. I would love to be pleasantly surprised, but I’m 98% sure that’s how it will go down. I do still plan on having him come though, because I think he’ll get over it pretty quick once my parents get him distracted.

We’re also doing a gift to him from his brother that will hopefully entice him to leave so that he can go play with it at grandma and grandpa’s house.

ETA: He will be 3 about a month after the baby is born.

[numbears]

My mom will bring DS either later in the day or the next day. We're going to let him make a stuffed animal at build a bear to bring with him for baby brother.

And hopefully we can figure out some way to get him to leave.

[lemons]

Cupcakes are a great idea. DD’s bday is less than 2 weeks after my EDD. She would love that!

[bebbysue]

DD turns 3 at the end of April and DS is due in late June. I've been kind of stressed about how everything will go because we have different plans depending on what time I go in to labor/give birth. In a perfect world, it will be during the day and MH can go pick her up from daycare and bring her to the hospital to meet DS and we can just have some time alone as a family. If timing is not ideal, my mom (who is flying in once I'm in labor) will bring her. Either way, I want her to be one of the first to meet him. We are getting her a present "from DS" so it feels special. And I really like the cake idea too!

[ajm]

We haven't made exact plans yet, but I'd love for DD to be there to meet the baby first. My mom will likely be there to help with labor like last time, unless I have a c section. so my dad will be watching DD at our house. I'll probably have him bring her in so we can be our little family first. Then let the rest of the family come in.

I'm loving the cupcakes idea. I already planned on getting a gift for the baby from DD, too.

[mrsweasley]

DS was 8.5 when DD was born and we didn't hsve anyone nearby so he was at the hospital when she was born (a security guard offered to watch him because it was early before visiting hours). He got to meet her less than an hour before she was born and then MH took him to school

The hospital where we are now has a birthing center in it, so if things go according to plan I may not even be in the hospital overnight. If I'm there longer we'll have the kids come, if not they'll meet babe at home

[Deleted]

I think I would like DS to be one of the first to meet the baby. He will either be with my MIL or my mom, so I will ask them to bring him up and give us some time alone.

[onlymee]

DD is 6 and she wants to be the first one to meet baby. So I will have my mil bring them all up as soon as as possible. My other two will be 5 and 2. I’ve always had my older kids come up to the hospital as soon as I am feeling up to it after the CS.

[fancynewbeesly]

Well my DD may be away. Before I got pregnant my parents planned a weekend away with DD in NYC. They got her tickets to Frozen. My due date is June 16th. The tickets are for June 18th.

[Risscaboobs]

Lexi will be coming to the hospital. I hadn’t thought about her getting upset having to leave. I guess, worse case, MH can go with her and then come back once she’s calmed down or something.

[mrsweasley]

Our hospital currently has a visitation restriction, nobody under 14 allowed. I think it's for flu season though so hopefully it'll be lifted before June