removing my rose colored glasses

In a flu season like none other in recent memory, Southwest General is temporarily modifying its visitor policy to prevent the spread of the H1N1 and seasonal flu to our health care workforce, our patients and their visitors. The new limited visitation policy is effective Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, and includes the following temporary visitation changes:

•Visitors seeing patients will be limited to those 18 years and older. This includes visitors and siblings to the Maternity Unit.
•Visitors will be limited to one visitor per inpatient. Two visitors are allowed in the waiting rooms to accompany patients having procedural treatments such as surgery, cardiac catheterization, etc.
•Visitors who have been diagnosed with the flu in the last seven days or who have flu-like symptoms are not permitted in the hospital.



In anticipation of mothers being admitted to Southwest General with the flu or ILI during delivery, we have developed a policy following the most current CDC guidelines. Click here for more information.

•When entering the Maternity Unit, you and your significant other will be instructed to wear a surgical mask.
•A new Maternity Unit policy that applies to ALL patient visitors: Visitors, including siblings, must be aged 18 or older. The father of the baby is not considered a visitor. Two visitors are permitted with mom in the Labor and Delivery area. After delivery and in a postpartum bed, mom is permitted one visitor, and baby also is permitted one visitor (consistent with hospital policy of one visitor per patient in a bed). All visitors will be screened for ILI or ILI exposure prior to visiting. Visitors with flu or ILI are not allowed on the Maternity Unit.
•When delivering, you will need to wear a mask to prevent the spread of the flu to your newborn.
•After you deliver, you will recover in a private room. Your baby will need to go to the Nursery to be placed in a warmer separate from the other babies in the Nursery.
•Because your baby is particularly susceptible to this illness, we also need to make sure the baby doesn't come in contact with anyone with the flu. Unfortunately, this also includes you. Until you have been on anti-viral medications or have had no symptoms (fever, sore throat, cough) for 48 hours, you will be unable to have contact with your baby.
•If you are breastfeeding, it is recommended that you pump and express your milk. It is okay to breastfeed while taking anti-viral medications.
•Your significant other will be able to enter the Nursery to feed and hold your baby. He/she will be instructed to wear a cover gown while in the Nursery.


Sooo. My little shiny happy memory is getting a bit more sterile. I am so sad that Braeden will not get to come to the hospital to meet his new baby sister. Or to see me and make sure that I'm ok. I will not have the wonderful moment of him crawling up on the bed and everybody smooshing together to take a photo. No big brother peering through the nursery window.

I realize that these precautions are for our own safety and all that blah blah blah, but I am still super sad for me and for Braeden.

Add to that, The ex called to say he will be having his kidney stones removed on the wednesday that I am in the hospital and will not be able to take care of Braeden on the 3 days that he was supposed to. Of course, I can handle this because I always do, but still it aggravates me that he scheduled his procedure without even thinking about who would care for his son and made NO effort what so ever to find someone to help while he was out of commission. Just leave it to good ol' reliable Leslie.