Mt Auburn Hospital

Hello ,
I think you will have more of a problem with having a 4 yr old in the room for delivery. I think it is a nice idea but I think in reality it may be too much for a 4 yr old to comprehend & who knows how long you will be in labor. Wishing you & yours good health.

My wife delivered at Mt. Auburn and we had even four people including myself at one point. But I agree with other folks that have said a child is unlikely to be admitted to a delivery room. I would say if having your child there is very important to you, you might consider a home birth. Perhaps a birthing center would also allow it.

If you are going to deliver in the next couple of months, you 4 yo child will absolutely NOT be allowed in the Labor and Delivery or Postpartum part of the hospital. The hospital administration has put in a place a temporary policy banning visitors under the age of 18 from that entire portion of the hospital, due to fears about H1N1. I am due to deliver any day now and my 2yo will not be able to meet her little sib until we bring the baby home. I am incredibly unhappy with this policy, for numerous reasons, but despite the lack of H1N1 going around and the fact that most children of pregnant moms have been vaccinated, Mt. Aubrun is not budging. A friend delivered there 8 weeks ago and the policy was still being strictly enforced. And I met a grandmother whose daughter delivered there two weeks ago and the policy was still being stricly enforced.

If your delivery date is after April, you will likely be able to have your 4yo visit postpartum but I don't believe they'll let the child in Labor and Delivery.

Best,

D.

I have delivered at Mt Auburn with a midwife but my OB had to come in at the last minute as suction was required, C-section avoided.
The 2 person rule is for the safety of all patients, otherwise things get crowded.
I don't think they will allow your 4-year old to be there anyway.
Enjoy the delivery and good luck.

I delivered my 2 kids there, the latest being 10 months ago, with midwives care. Great place to have babies!

What I understood from the midwives is that if asked they can be flexible with the rules to make the patient as comfortable as possible. The limit to this flexibility is the safety of the patient. If they think the room gets too crowded, they will ask some people to leave.

In any case, check with your doctor or the hospital first but I doubt they would allow a child there. The experience of seeing their moms in labor could be traumatic for them (it is for most husbands!), and the entire hospital experience (smells, movements...) can be at best confusing for a child (not mentioning, the need to sleep/eat... depending on the time of the day and the length of labor)

I remember I asked them if they would allow my son (2 years old at that point) to come with me, because we feared a very fast labor and we lived on Mount Auburn, 5 minutes walking from the hospital. All our friends who offered to baby sit him in case of early labor, as well as the baby sitter, needed 30-60 minutes to reach us without traffic.
The nurses told me that my son could come and remain in the corridor with my husband, but wouldn't be allowed in the room. I ended up giving birth past my due date, so my parents were here to take care of him.

Your son is older than my son was, but I would guess the same rule may apply.