If you already have at least one child...

And you go into labor in the middle of the night, do you have whoever is staying with your older child/children wake them and bring to the hospital to be there when the baby is born? Or do you just have them bring them up in the morning? My daughter is just thinking of different scenarios and asked me to pose this question. Thanks!

If you already have at least one child...

My DD is 3, and no way would I have her woken in the middle of the night. She'd be cranky and honestly wouldn't know the difference if the baby was born 10 minutes earlier or 10 hours earlier. Plus I'd like to make sure I'm cleaned up and look like "me", as I'm sure seeing me in the hospital bed might be frightening or confusing for her.
We plan to have DH bring her up at a good time for her--either in the morning after breakfast or after her afternoon nap.

If you already have at least one child...

Definitely not. One of my big concerns was to come home to a somewhat rested child and not an overtired nightmare! Also, like PP said I would want to have time before seeing the older one. I gave birth at 9 pm and 1:30 am and both times was exhausted and couldn't wait to get some sleep afterward. No way I would have wanted my older one to come in then even if she was old enough to wake up and come in.

Re: If you already have at least one child...

No, I have my mom and sister on standby to come and stay here if I should go into labor in the middle of the night. DD will hopefully stay asleep in her bed and they will explain what's happening to her in the morning. I want her routine to stay as normal as possible.

Re: If you already have at least one child...

I'm planning on having my mother watch DS when I go into labor and then bring him to the hospital later on or have DH go get him and bring him

Eta if in the middle of the night I wouldn't wake him

Message edited 11/29/2014 4:14:24 PM.

If you already have at least one child...

No way would I wake him, my mom wasn't into coming to my house in the middle of the night so my neighbor has offered to come and stay until my FIL comes by or if my Dad can come. i'd rather DS stay asleep in bed. I'm delivering at LIJ and there's a restriction on visitors under 14 so he can come anyway. He'll have to wait to see the baby when we come home.

Re: If you already have at least one child...

Oh, no, this is another thing I need to think about. I guess my mother would come over & stay with my older DS until the morning, when I'd send DH home to get him & bring him to the hospital.

Re: If you already have at least one child...

I am having a scheduled c section so it is way easier for us to plan. If it is scheduled early, DD will most likely spend the night at my moms. If it's later we will drop her off on the way to the hospital. Last c section we had to be at the hospital at 6 am, so if that happens again she will be spending the night there.

Re: If you already have at least one child...

we had someone come over and stay with DD while we went to the hospital. I left home at 4:30am, ds was born at 9:35am. DD woke up, had breakfast and played at home until DH went home to pick her up and bring her to the hospital around noon. We did not to wake her during the night, nor did we want her hanging out ion the hospital not knowing how long i would be in labor for. we tried to keep her routine as normal as possible

Re: If you already have at least one child...

I have my inlaws on stand-by.