Ive heard of babies getting switched and the parents dont know until years down the road. then there are big lawsuits. i want to make sure the baby i take home is my baby. is there any way i can help prevent this from happening? its one of the things i worry alot about even though i cant do anything about it right now.
2006-11-07 04:54:36 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
This is VERY rare. Most hospitals now let the baby stay with you for most of your stay. I know that when I had mine, a 2yo and a 5 weeks old, I opted for them to room in with me, which means that they are in my room except for very small time frames in which they run tests. Our ped. even examined my son in the room with me, so that I could see what was going on and ask any questions that I might have. The only times that he was out of my room were for a bath, and his circumcision. When they take the baby for any reason there are many checks done to ensure that you are brought the right baby when he/she returns. At our hospital, the baby and parents all wear the same id braclet, and the baby actually has two of them on, just in case something should happen to one of them, not to mention that we have the option of dressing them, and they also have their id cards in the bassinet that the baby is transported in. They also had certain nurses for certain babies, I believe the ratio was 2 or 3 babies per nurse, and since most mommys opted for rooming in, there were lots of nurses that had no babies in the nersery, and could walk around checking on everyone, and that greatly reduces the chances of a switch. As soon as your little one is born, look them over for any birth marks, or something distinguishing that you can check for eerytime to put your mind at ease. Congrats on the baby and good luck
2006-11-07 05:03:46 · answer #1 · answered by Playful_Pandora 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I totally understand where you're coming from. I spent the end of my pregnancy watching a lot of forensics shows and crime shows and was petrified that someone would steal my baby.
But many hospitals now offer you the chance of "rooming in." This means that the baby stays in your room all the time, instead of going to a nursery. You could always have the father accompany the baby to any tests that may need to be administered outside your room.
Our hospital immediately puts a bracelet on the child after birth. The number matches the mother's bracelet. The bracelets have to be matched in order to get the baby. They also have an ankle bracelet that triggers an alarm if you try to take the baby too close to an exit. The alarms also locks the doors to the OB unit, keeping the baby inside. I don't live in a big city, so it's very likely your hospital would have some of these features too.
2006-11-07 05:05:29 · answer #2 · answered by segate 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This really doesn't happen like it use too, because hospital are so cautions now because of babies being switch that is why they fingerprint the baby before it leaves your room and place name tags on the mother and the father and baby before it leaves the room. But if this is something that is going to be on your mind, then make a plan to have a family member with the child at all times if you can't be. I'm 31 wks pregnant and my husband will be staying over night with me and the baby and if I can't be with the baby at all time then my husband will be there and that makes me feel better knowing I will have a love one there to watch everything just in case I can't. Good Luck and God Bless. Oh yeah start picking your love one now so you can let them know what you want them to do and the hospital can't say nothing about it.
2006-11-07 05:06:25 · answer #3 · answered by msleya2002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's normal to be worried about these things. Especially for first time parents. The best thing I can suggest is to visit the hospital you plan to have your baby at and tell them your concerns. They should have no problems telling you what steps they take to make sure that you will be taking home your baby and not someone else.
All three times I delivered, they put a wristband on me and my baby that had the same number identification on it. They do this right after delivery before they even take your baby from the room.
Some hospitals even provide baby stork tours so that you can see how it all works. Good Luck!
2006-11-07 05:03:59 · answer #4 · answered by April L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way you can assure your baby will not get switched is by having a home birth. This is 100% guaranteed the hospital is not. Even though we live in an era where technology is so advanced there is still that risk in a hospital. I can only tell you that if you have a healthy pregnancy consider having a home birth. Do some research online and find a local Midwife. A home birth is an extraordinary experience nothing like delivering in a hospital!
2006-11-07 05:19:08 · answer #5 · answered by cihuatl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let me tell you, when I entered the hospital about ready to have my son the first thing they did was put a band around my wrist stateing who I was, and I recal as soon as my son was born they brought him over to weigh him and that is when they put the arm band on him too. This all happend in our own room, my son never left my sight before the braclet was put on.
Fast forward to me walking from delivery to the recovery room that I would be staying in for 2 days. My husband with a big smile on his face wheeling my sons hospital bassinet to our room. The next thing I know Lights are flashing and I look back and I see a flood of nurses running towards us. Seriously there was like a hundred of nurses in blue and purple lol. My husband went the wrong way and crossed the line that states that no babys beyond this point since it was the way out of the hospital. they also had doors that were oporated by a staff member and you couldnt go in or out without them knowing.
My advice is dont worry, years and years of people haveing babies and they all went to the right families. Also hospitals now adays are way more sophisticated and have everything to prevent anything happening to your baby. My hospital let me walk around the maternity and delivery to see what their saftey procautions were and I even asked the nurses a lot of questions. so go down to your labor and delivery and ask them and look you will feel much better!
2006-11-07 05:06:39 · answer #6 · answered by fleur_loser 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure the hospital your going to has a LDR room for you-labor, delivery and recovery. Then the baby dosent leave for any reason-except circumcision, anything medical needed to be done. If there is more than one person with you going to the hospital, someone could escort the baby to make sure that its not "switched". Make sure the hospital has an ankle bracelet thing that alerts when the baby is taken out of the hospital, look for birthmarks on the baby so that you know what to look for and also talk to your midwife/OB about your concerns.
2006-11-07 05:05:09 · answer #7 · answered by Cyber Bullying Is Ugly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I had my daughter almost 6 months ago, I never let her leave the room to go to the nursery. If she did leave the room it was for the little test they do. When she was born the put an ID bracelet around her ankle and everytime they they came and checked on her or brought her back from testing they read the numbers off of her bracelet and then read mine to make sure they matched. After I gave birth and went to the mother baby room they came in and gave me a big long speech about babies being switched and taken. It scared me so bad I never even slept after the delivery. Just don't be afraid to ask the persons name and where exactly they are taken the baby. I always asked to see their ID badges to make sure it was legit.
2006-11-07 05:00:11 · answer #8 · answered by Danielle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be at peace! Hospitals have come a long wayyyyyyy, since all the baby switching cases. It is hospital procedure now to REPEATEDLY check your id bracelet with the babies EVERYTIME the baby exits and enters the room. I have also seen the dad's follow the nurses from one area to the next keeping their eyes on the baby while the nurses give shots etc. So, if you feel that strongly about it, send the Dad or a family member out to the nursery with your baby when he or she has to go out of your room.
2006-11-07 05:17:29 · answer #9 · answered by Lady Albritton 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I was born, I had tons of hair, but the nurse brought a baby to my mom who had no hair. Of course she knew right away that it wasn't her baby, and they figured out what had happened. So I was also worried about this when I had my first. Go to the hospital you plan to deliver at, Take a tour, and ask what they do to prevent this from happening. That will put your mind at ease. They have to bracelets in the room when you deliver. They put a bracelet on you, and two on the baby before the baby leaves the room. Most also have a alarm on one of the bracelets, so that if someone tries to leave the floor with your baby, the alarm will go off, and the hospital will go to lock down. They take very high precautions to prevent this from happening anymore!!
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!!!
2006-11-07 05:04:08 · answer #10 · answered by tnmomof2as 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋