No visitors allowed
In case you haven’t heard, beginning Monday, Nov. 9 visitors under the age of 16 will not be permitted at Lodi Memorial Hospital. That includes to visit their mothers in the maternity ward or to see their new just-born siblings.
The reason? Swine flu precautions. I will keep my opinion on this virus to myself because I do regularly report on it and the affects on schools, and instead focus on the lack of thought I feel was put into this decision.
Let me give you some background: I have to have a c-section, which means I am required to be at the hospital two hours before the scheduled surgery on an upcoming Monday. At that time, I will be forced to tell my toddler son goodbye. I won’t be allowed to see him for two days, since that is the standard time a c-section patient stays in the hospital.
I am trying to understand exactly why hospitals have chosen to do this — and many in the Bay Area made the same decision last month — but I’m not really sure if they thought out the implications.
While I won’t be able to see my son, Sam, too, won’t be permitted to see his baby sister until she is brought home. And although I have no immediate family in the area, I must find a babysitter to care for my toddler while my husband is not only visiting me, but bonding with our second child.
The reasoning? Pregnant women reportedly fall into one of the high-risk swine flu groups, and the hospital doesn’t want anyone getting sick, especially the newborns. I get that.
But Lodi Memorial’s birthing rooms are separate from the general public, as are most definitely the surgical rooms. The in-room toilets are only to be used by new and expectant moms, so the chance of germs being spread are slim. In case you’ve never visited the maternity ward, there are no public places.
In the end, I understand hospitals want to keep their patients safe. And while I am smart enough not to let my son inside the maternity ward if he is sniffling or otherwise ill, apparently other people aren’t.
Yes, I read the article this morning, and thought about how I was bedrested for 10 weeks with my first child. About half of that time was spent in the hospital. Should I be bedrested the next time around, I wonder if that means I will not get to see my daughter for weeks at a time??? I don’t want to even think about that!
There’s got to be a better way.
Well since this post a week ago, I had a heart to heart talk with my doctor. She is a staunch supporter of this rule and tried to make me realize it was a blessing in disguise: I won’t get sick, my son won’t get sick and the baby won’t get sick. I’m still trying to agree with her …
We live in,it’s someone elses fault, society.Let’s make believe that this is not the new rules at hospitals….you have your baby and are moved to your semi-private room and your roomie has her family and children visit and her friend’s children,etc.You have your children and your friend’s children visiting….get the picture? Then one of your children get sick,your new baby gets sick and they don’t survive.This particular virus is killing children.No other seasonal flu has been this deadly to this population.And if this did happen who would you blame….The hospital is attempting to act responsible and prevent exposure and subsequent illnesses,AND it’s considerable liability.There is no hospital in the area and possibly the state that hasn’t put into place the same rules during this flu season.They are protecting you and your children,shouldn’t you be grateful for that?
Maureen ~
Thanks for leaving a comment. I do appreciate receiving opinions that differ from my own. While I can’t say I’m “grateful’ for what Lodi Memorial is doing in regards to regulations, I definitely understand their liability and recognize the hospital has to protect itself from those who might place blame in case someone gets ill.
I am grateful they care about protecting my child, although I feel I could do that myself. But I can’t win them all, huh?
Unfortunately, I don’t live in Merced County where the hospital rules still allow parents to make their own decisions about what they feel comfortable allowing their own children to be subjected to.