Laboring w/ 3 year old

[einnob101]

Has anyone labored at the hospital with husband and toddler in room with you? I want actual experiences if possible. No judgement as we don’t have a village.

Tips/advice/tricks all welcome

 

[bjk]

@einnob101 I am not judging, I’m just asking - would your hospital allow this? At mine, anyone present at a labor absolutely must be over 18.

 

[einnob101]

@bjk The hospital will allow our toddler to be present as long as there is another adult.

 

[toddje]

@einnob101 A doula as your birthing partner might make more sense than having your husband there with a toddler.

 

[lancesully]

@einnob101 Don't take your toddler in the room. Your toddler is not ready to witness everything that is going to happen during the labor. The situation may seem traumatic for your toddler; some kids may see it as torture for their mother. I understand that the situation is hard for you since you have no support, but I hope everything turns out perfect for you and your family.

 

[steel]

@einnob101 We’re in a similar spot and are flying in our mil as soon as I go into labor. If she doesn’t make it before I need to go to the hospital and nothing else will work I’d rather give birth on my own than have my toddler there. This is my second birth and no way my first birth was an appropriate situation for my toddler. Even thinking about it makes me so sad. Even traditional home births didn’t have kids in the room.

 

[zeljan]

@einnob101 My 3 year old (at the time, he’s 4 now) was in the room with us when my now 1 year old was born. It was a precipitous labor and we also don’t have family nearby. He loved being a part of it and still talks about it to this day he wasn’t at all scarred or traumatized

 

[einnob101]

@zeljan This is what I’m looking for, someone with actual experience. Do you have any tips for us? We have already been discussing what to expect with the 3 year old. She knows that mommy will be in pain but it’ll be temporary and worth it to meet her new sibling.

 

[zeljan]

@einnob101 Yes! I told him over and over again, “Mommy has to be really loud when your brother is born but I’ll be ok, it just helps me get him here faster” and things like “I’ll probably sound like a dinosaur/lion/loud animal when the baby is born!!” i know it sounds weird but it helped. He just said “mommy, you roared like a lion when my brother was born” haha! He loved it. He helped my husband cut the cord and everything. It was very special and I wouldn’t change a thing! He said he wants to be involved with the next baby’s birth (whenever we have another) as well

I’ll add that he’s a very timid and sensitive kid, so we didn’t know for sure how he’d do. So if your child is more quiet/reserved it doesn’t mean it won’t work out