For those who used the nursery in the hospital

[Anonymous]

Due with my second in a few weeks and my first was a COVID 2020 baby so no frame of reference bc the nursery was closed. Were you able to send your baby to the nursery and let them do a formula feed or 2 so you could get a good 5-6 hour stretch of sleep after giving birth and then go on to establish breastfeeding just fine? My hope is that is totally fine and would love to actually recover from birth this time around (one of the reasons we’ve picked a hospital with a nursery) but I have no idea if this will totally screw up my milk coming in. I had no supply issues the first time around.

[Anonymous]

You need to check your hospital policies. This should be top of your mind while touring hospitals. They’ll tell you whether you can send your baby to the nursery. If it’s a “baby (un)friendly” hospital, you are SOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Due with my second in a few weeks and my first was a COVID 2020 baby so no frame of reference bc the nursery was closed. Were you able to send your baby to the nursery and let them do a formula feed or 2 so you could get a good 5-6 hour stretch of sleep after giving birth and then go on to establish breastfeeding just fine? My hope is that is totally fine and would love to actually recover from birth this time around (one of the reasons we’ve picked a hospital with a nursery) but I have no idea if this will totally screw up my milk coming in. I had no supply issues the first time around.

They gave my son formula in the nursery but only after his weight fell a bit too much (I had some problems in the beginning, a lactation consultant who came to my home helped). I don't think they like to give formula unless that happens. They woke me up to get permission.

I'd been in labor and basically awake for three days before I gave birth so I was completely wiped.

[Anonymous]

When I used the nursery just pre Covid they offered to take my baby for a stretch where they gave her a bath then got her to sleep and brought her bam to me to nurse when she woke (it was 3-4 hours iirc). I didn’t ask about formula/sending her longer but even that was hugely helpful for my recovery. My second (recently) I fully intended to use the nursery again because I didn’t have DH there to take the baby at all and I’d been so incredibly exhausted during my first hospital stay even with him holding and rocking her a lot. But then baby number two turned out to be a sleeper and zonked right out every time he was swaddled so I had no problem catching up on sleep (albeit in three hour chunks).

Sorry this doesn’t directly answer your questing but I hope you like me have a less fussy second baby.

[Anonymous]

My second baby was jaundiced and needed to be in the tanning bed in the nursery for long stretches. They’d bring him to me to nurse and then take him back - it was glorious! Later i had moms ask if I’d gone to sit with him while we was under the lights. Oops. Didn’t even know that was an option…

[Anonymous]

I was never able to establish breastfeeding but that was not because of the nursery. They took DD for a 3-hour stretch, gave her a bath, and fed her donor milk instead of formula at my request (I had internalized a lot of not particularly reasonable positions about formula at this point. Try not to do that).

Honestly I was very upset/anxious to send her but it was a 4 day induction and when my milk didn't come in the second night I had been almost a week without a decent stretch of sleep. It was a nice reset to get some shut eye.

[Anonymous]

You need to ask the hospital about their policy beforehand. It is not typical for them to take babies and give formula. If you need a break in the night, they may be able to take baby and bring them to you to nurse. Giving formula that early without medical reason is not recommended.

[Anonymous]

You need the baby on your breast to get your milk in. Use the nursery if you have to but you have to nurse to get your milk in fully.

[Anonymous]

OP, I had two of my babies pre covid and both times I sent them to the nursery for 9 hours a night and they got formula there. I had two C sections and it was the best decision ever. I breastfed all day for those 4 days, and they breastfed fine after we got home including at night. I am really glad this push for no newborn nurseries - even for women who had major surgery and are doped up on morphine, or women who dont have a partner who can stay overnight- happened after my kids were born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to ask the hospital about their policy beforehand. It is not typical for them to take babies and give formula. If you need a break in the night, they may be able to take baby and bring them to you to nurse. Giving formula that early without medical reason is not recommended.

The medical reason is the baby needs to eat.

[Anonymous]

My second slept in the nursery for 5 or so hours his first night. We had no problems breastfeeding.

[Anonymous]

Yes, because not everyone can breastfeed after giving birth - medical complications, you know.

[Anonymous]

If you are alone generally they will take the baby for a few hours so you can sleep. If your husband is there they will not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I had two of my babies pre covid and both times I sent them to the nursery for 9 hours a night and they got formula there. I had two C sections and it was the best decision ever. I breastfed all day for those 4 days, and they breastfed fine after we got home including at night. I am really glad this push for no newborn nurseries - even for women who had major surgery and are doped up on morphine, or women who dont have a partner who can stay overnight- happened after my kids were born.

Thank you this is exactly the type of information (even if anecdotal) I was hoping to hear other’s experiences with.

To the PPs above who didn’t even seem to read my post, I know the hospital policies - there is a nursery and they will take the baby there and they will offer formula if I request/ok it (I know this because I already had one baby there 2 years ago and needed formula for a medical reason during our stay, even though we weren’t allowed to use the nursery due to COVID). I have absolutely no issue with formula so that isn’t my question. Just was wondering about people’s experiences successfully breastfeeding even if they opted to sleep through a typical 2-3hr feed window the first or second night.

[Anonymous]

I had a long labor that ended in a c section and I wasn't back in my room until almost midnight. I was by myself. The baby went to the nursery at night. I think they took for him for a few hours at a time, wheeled him to me for breast feeding and took him back.