would you bring your lo along..

[dec756]

to the hospital?? just to be in the waiting room with a relative while you went back to see your brother? just curious cause its such a hassel to have a sitter come over here so i can go up there

[maydaymommy]

I, personally, would not bring an infant into a hospital, but I'd feel alright about it if it were an older child.

[SnuggleBuggles]

How old?

[elephantmeg]

I wouldn't to sit for hours in the ED waiting room but in your situation I'd bring the LO and a bottle of purel :)

[dec756]

he's 14 months and i would be there for less than an hour

[elephantmeg]

with a 14 month old I'd bring a stroller and a bag of snacks/books/stroller toys so he isn't tempted to run around the waiting room

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't bank on the less than an hour knowing how those things normally work. :) But, I would be ok with it. Plenty of germs at the grocery store and other places we think nothing o. If you can keep your dc in a stroller then it'd be best as they wouldn't be touching anything germy.

Beth

[JBaxter]

I would as long as it wasnt the ER waiting room.

[AbbysMom]

Did it a couple weeks ago so yes.

[buddyleebaby]

Yes. I would and I have.

[tmahanes]

I would.... just use the stroller. I just did it a couple weeks ago.

[belovedgandp]

I too would and have. Had issues with my dad. Didn't take kids with me to the ER, but visited him, waited in surgery waiting room and generally hung out in the hospital with 6, 3, and 6 month old in different combinations over a week.

[Pear]

I have. When my sister had her daughter the maternity ward had a ban on children not related to mom. There was no way I could have left my daughter long enough to drive to the hospital, visit my sister, and drive home. Thankfully the maternity unit had it's own waiting room so dH stayed with DD just outside while I went in. When she needed to nurse we switched and he visited my sister.

[kijip]

Yes. I would and I have.

Same here. F was born 6 months before my mother died, he certainly spent time in the hospital and hospice with me. Ideal no, but I was not going to abbandon my mom because I was nursing. He spent a lot of time in a wrap, nursing.

[longtallsally05]

No. Germs. Unlike a non-mobile infant, a 14 month-old will be all over the place, touching things and putting his hands in his mouth. Also, a 14 month old hasn't been fully vaccinated. A waiting room will be teeming with microscopic life. Housekeeping primarily focuses their germ killing efforts on patient rooms, restrooms etc, whereas common rooms & hallways are just tidied up & vacumed. It will look clean, but visitors lay their purses on chairs (and who knows where those purses have been previously...the floor of a gas station restroom?), put hands on chairs etc. I woudn't take my 14 month-old.

[bubbaray]

ITA with the above, I'd be more likely to bring a babe-in-arms than a toddler.

Generally, though, no, I don't take children to the hospital unless it is unavoidable.

[dogmom]

In general the bigger threat to children in the hospital is to the patients from the kids, not the other way round. That's why we banned children visiting last winter with H1N1, especially in the maternity ward because the increased threat to pregnant woman and newborns. There were exceptions in exceptional cases. And yes, the germs you see in a hospital waiting room and going to be basically the same germs as any other public place.

[wellyes]

I have many times as my FIL slowly died of cancer. Never had a negative consequence. Really, what would happen in a waiting room? It is the place for hospital visitors, a mix of people no healthier than the typical crowd at Target or the grocery store. Someone above mentioned that visitors might have put their purses down in a gas station restroom ..... That is true at any public place you might visit.

[AnnieW625]

In your case yes I would.

[mackmama]

No. Germs. Unlike a non-mobile infant, a 14 month-old will be all over the place, touching things and putting his hands in his mouth. Also, a 14 month old hasn't been fully vaccinated. A waiting room will be teeming with microscopic life. Housekeeping primarily focuses their germ killing efforts on patient rooms, restrooms etc, whereas common rooms & hallways are just tidied up & vacumed. It will look clean, but visitors lay their purses on chairs (and who knows where those purses have been previously...the floor of a gas station restroom?), put hands on chairs etc. I woudn't take my 14 month-old.

:yeahthat:

[Dr C]

I wouldn't have a problem with it. The germs don't bother me--there are germs everywhere. I would probably bring a bottle of "hanitizer" as DS calls it. Both of my kids came with me to wait for DH when he had his vasectomy. The main issue there was that it took longer than expected and the kids were hungry/tired/bored. But you can plan it so you don't have the same problem.

FWIW--your pediatrician's waiting room is probably MUCH germier than a hospital waiting room (with the possible exception of the ER).

[hillview]

well if getting a sitter was a major hassle I would take LO but in general I'd find it less stressful to go without LO.
/hillary

[ahisma]

Yes, I would. Realistically, I think people in hospital (non-ER) waiting rooms are probably healthier than the general population at Target, etc. because you generally don't go visit someone who is ill if you are ill yourself.

ER waiting room - no, but you could get around that by just going elsewhere in the hospital. Is there any reason that they have to stay in the waiting room? There are generally cafes, fountains, etc. to go to as well.

[Melanie]

If you have a relative there...ITA, bring a stroller books and snacks and have relative walk LO around in the stroller - preferably outside, for his own health.