Family and friends are excited about the birth of the baby and may wait in the visitor area of the Labor & Delivery unit. However, the number of people allowed in the room during the labor is limited. Each must adhere to the rules in the Labor & Delivery unit.
Sibling Visitation Postpartum
Because a newborn’s immune system is not fully developed, we make every effort to assure that any siblings visiting are free from illness.
When older children visit, they are required to have their temperatures taken by the nurse and they must wash their hands before visiting the newborn.
A Sibling Health History Data Sheet, showing proof of immunization must be completed on the day of the visit and kept with the mother’s chart. Please be sure to bring a current immunization record for each child.
Siblings may visit their mother and the newborn any time unless they have had any of the following symptoms in the past two weeks:
Siblings who have been exposed to chicken pox, mumps, measles, rubella or other illnesses in the past three weeks may not visit.
If siblings have not had the chicken pox, the mother must show written proof that they have had the chicken pox vaccine at least six weeks before any hospital visitation.
Please Note: The visitation policy is different for the newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the intermediate care nursery. Ask your nurse to explain these policies.