Do you need your husbands during your hospital stay?

[vannfamily5]

Mine stayed all 3 times - and it was almost pointless (kinda funny in a way). With DD1, he worked nights, so he was up all night the day before I went into labor, so he was running on NO sleep. I had to throw the water pitcher (empty) at him to get him to wake up to help me get out of bed to go to the bathroom (I could feel everything but my feet and I HAD to go, nurses werent answering the call button!).

With DS he was so sick, he was doped up on Nyquil. My best friend was prepared to come stay with me, but hormones kicked in and I cried and cried wanting Matt to stay with me.

With DD2 (born almost 3 weeks ago) - he stayed, but snored the whole time and could have just stayed home with the kids. God love him (and I do too), but he didn't help at all! I did everything by myself!

[lazy1608]

My husband stayed with me for a couple of nights with our son. He also works there so he is used to the hospital - needless to say. I appreciated his help with doing diaper duty and with the encouraging words during the night.

[wvmom3320]

He stayed all night when our dd was born. This time around though I really dont think Ill mind if he goes home afterwards. My dd will be with family while I deliver but then they will bring her to the hospital to meet the baby. I am fine with him taking her home and getting her in bed and ready for the next day etc. I dont want her to feel that we are pushing her out.

[duetchan]

I didn't NEED DF to stay with me the first night, but I'm sure glad he did. At about 10:30PM a team of nurses came in to my room and whisk DD of to the NICU without even a word to me. It was almost a half hour before the NICU doctor came in to tell my why they did it. I probably would have been hysterical about it without him there.

[morneau_grl27]

My husband has stayed both times and will with the next one as well if I have anything to say. I think I deserve some help from him since I was the one to push the baby out. Besides the fact, if I wasn't home, he wouldn't know what to do with himself anyway. He'd probably be calling every ten minutes just to have someone to talk to and know what the baby was doing!

[anothershopper2]

I wanted DH to stay overnight the first night (it's only 2 nights for me) but he didn't want to. He needed good sleep and I understood... but I was soo nervous about him leaving. We were at the hospital at 6:30 AM and waiting around until 10 AM to get a room. DD was born at 7:30 pm so by the time we got from L&D to Postpartum unit, it was around 10-10:30 pm. He left around 1-1:30 am. I passed out in the bathroom with the nurses at 4 am (iron deficiency), so they really monitored me after that, and then I went sleep and gave up on BFing for the night. So I guess I didn't need DH after all and I was in freaking amount of pain from the tares. So I wasn't too fun to be around anyways. Residents, my OB, nurses etc were in and out starting at 7 am. DH came back at 11 am with his parents & my brother. I definitely needed him during the day (he did all the diaper changes for a whole week) but the nights weren't so bad.

[momof4innh]

Hubby stayed, but then again so did the other kids. The hospital that I v birth at is an open door policy hospital so they pulled in some recliners and we ALL stayed. We took the older boys out of school and we played board games and bonded. When my daughter was born my 3rd son was just under 2 so hubby did take him to the park etc so he could run around but otherwise we had a good time.

[aclowers]

My husband seems to be allergic to hospitals. He was there with the first one because they wouldn't let him leave. The baby was having trouble enduring labor (course I wasn't having a great time either), so they had to do an emergency c-section. With both the younger kids, he made excuses not to stay. He worked near by, so he went to take a nap or get a bite to eat. I called him when it was time & he just made it into the room as the doctor was pulling them out, both times.

As far as afterwards, he figured it was the staff's job to help me, so he didn't bother. I don't think he actually changed a diaper till the third child. And heaven forbid if I asked him to babysit, so I could have some time to myself.

[deltacogirl]

I didn't demand he stay, it was a given. And despite the fact that I could have done it, I didn't change a single diaper until we got home from the hospital. I had just given birth to our daughter, he wanted to be with me every moment, despite the uncomfortable bed he was on. He took care of the stuff he could do with our daughter because he felt I deserved rest. I loved having him there, and want him there this time around as well, although he won't stay the whole time because our toddler will be staying with my parents and he wants to relieve them of some of that responsibility.

[Michar]

I think relationships are all different... I just couldn't imagine not having him there... and rather then demand it I think he would be gravely offended if I told him he should go home. Our children are just as much a part of him and he loves the bonding time and helping me recover .. we are a family ...I think he changed the vast majority of dd's diapers the first 2 months. I just can't believe some of responses.. it's just amazing how different marriages are... it's a good thing I am married to my DH .. I just don't understand how a man would father a child and look for excuses not to be there. My jaw simply hung open with some of the reponses.