Would you have your toddler in the delivery room with you (if you had the choice)?

Question

My daughter turns 2 on Wednesday (Jan 8) & I’m due April 23 with her baby brother. My mom & I were talking about the birth plan as far as where my daughter will go while I’m in hospital. 
I was telling her that she’ll either go to my sisters house or her babysitters house when I go into labor. 
My mom goes, “you’re not taking her with you so she can see her brother be born?”
UHHHH NO. She’s freaking 2. I don’t want to traumatize her like that. She won’t understand why I’m in so much pain & it’ll just stress her out. 
I mean if it comes down to it & we just can’t get her off to where she needs to go in time, yes we’ll take her to the hospital but she won’t be in the room with me. She’ll be in the waiting room with my husband. 
She just got so insulted that I wasn’t going to let my 2 year old in the delivery room. Am I crazy or??

Answer

Never would I ever have a child in the delivery room with me. Not to mention, my hospital wouldn’t even allow it. There’s a time and place for a toddler to see their new brother or sister, and it’s the day after they are born when everyone is cleaned up and put together.

Answer

I clicked yes instead of no by accident 🙈 no I wouldn’t have a 2 year old in the room! My daughter is 7 and isn’t coming in when her sister is born, she can visit after once we’re all cleaned up and ‘safe’

Answer

My daughter turned 2 a week ago and I’m due in March, so basically same ages! And yeah noooooo way I’m going to let her see the delivery. She definitely doesn’t need to see her mommy go through that. She screams when the OB touches me to do the doppler because she thinks it might be hurting me so I can’t imagine how much she’s freak out at a delivery!!!!

Answer

I would think that would be very frightening, not to mention there's dangerous medical equipment that the toddler can get into. Most hospitals don't even allow kids under age 14 until after birth.

Answer

A lot of hospitals won’t allow children in the delivery room regardless. I could see bringing the child to the hospital but not in the delivery room.

Answer

If she wanted to see, yes. Children that young havent been taught that it's "supposed" to be painful and it isnt tramuatizing for them either (again, 2 year olds havent been taught thats it's "supposed" to be some big awful thing). It's very common in other parts of the world (toddlers even get to help too!) Like it used to be in America too. It's also coming back into popularity America. 
Your 2 yead old wont be traumatized. Especially if you go over what happens before baby is due.

Answer

I agree with everything you said. Too traumatizing and she wouldn't understand why you're in so much pain

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Considering I live multiple states away from all family & I can’t rely on a friend to jump when I need them to, there is a strong possibility my child will be in the room with me. It all depends on the situation.

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They’re too young to see their mommas in that much pain. I honestly considered it at first because Ive never been away from my daughter before, other than a few hours, she will be almost 3 when our son is born. The more I got thinking about it I realized how awful I was to even consider it. I mean she gets upset when I’m tearing up to an emotional video on fb or something. It could make a very beautiful experience traumatizing.

Answer

I was watching my cousin when she was 3 years old when I went into labor with my first: she went with me to the hospital, and had to wait for her mom to get her, but my labor was so short that her mom didn’t make it in time. the nurse tried to hide her from what was happening but she keep running up to me to see. She actually watched him come out(I know weird but the nurse tried and I didn’t have anyone to take her as I was by myself). She keep saying her baby after he was born. Now if I had it, I wouldn’t of had her there. Her mom knows about her seeing it and was okay with it as I couldn’t do anything else. Toddlers shouldn’t be in the room, in my opinion unless it’s something you can’t control

Would you have your toddler in the delivery room with you (if you had the choice)?

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