My babies were NOT allowed to leave my room unless my husband accompanied them. I always left as soon as possible. A healthy woman who just gave birth is not “ill”. I hated being told what I was “allowed” to do by a bunch of snotty women. I just did what I wanted anyway. I’ve rarely had nice nurses during my six hospital stays.
The nurses threw fits when they saw me eating and drinking water. I used the Julie Tupler method of labor and delivery prep, a method that encourages moms to prepare physically for labor. The example she gives is that one does not simply go run a marathon, one must train for many months to be prepared to run the long distance. Although my firt l&d was precipitous (68 minutes), my second was six hours. I had my first out in four pushes and my second out in six pushes. The nurses kept telling me to tuck my chin to curl up to push and I refused and did my own thing. The doc was pissed when I refused an epesiotomy (sp?). Guess what. Turns out I didn’t need one. She was also a pusher. My husband had to pull her aside and tell her to quit telling me I needed an epidural. After everything was said and done, nurses and doc told me that my deliveries were so easy and pleasant. I told them about the Tupler method I studied and they rolled their eyes. They just don’t want to be contradicted with new options that work.