Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of not having babies stolen. But chalk this up to another reason if we had a 3rd I'd do my research to find a better baby-having environment than your typical hospital. I hate the security.
This morning's gossipy Hollywood story is that parents' happy first moments with their new babies were disrupted by Beyonce's new arrival. Which is wrong on so many levels.
Even in the best of times, hospitals make you feel like a prisoner, shady character, or some sort of Soviet-era quota-filling family management team who must do a headcount before entering. I realize the rules are in place for a reason, but it does nothing to help new families who are trying to bond. Everybody wants the experience to be as smooth and quiet as possible.
They got to know us in the NICU. Well, mostly. Other than calling us by the name of the family in the bed next to us once or twice. But we still had to sign in every time, wait to get buzzed in through the automatic doors, and wear a badge. A badge which to my knowledge nobody ever looked at.
I'd love to see each family issued a set of electronic badges where they can come and go as they please. You get 3-4 badges, use them as you see fit. No signing in, no waiting for doors to open. When you're discharged the badges are erased--no more access.
Because how many stolen babies were there, really? While I've been alive there have only been the little ankle and matching bracelet for mom system--which I'm pretty sure is to avoid hospital mistakes more than stolen babies. But in previous decades were people just walking out of the hospitals left and right with new fresh babies they claimed were their own? Frankly, I was more worried with mine about getting the right one back.
Of course, everybody has seen that The Office episode where Pam nurses the wrong baby, right?
In general, the medical field needs to wake up and realize that people want the "stop me from dying" part but none of the white sterile sheets, resistant bacteria, or blood pressure monitoring every 15 minutes. In the end, why are we paying thousands of dollars to be uncomfortable during one of the most amazing experiences we'll ever have?
It's just one area hospitals need to improve on, but being a little more welcoming and a bit less "hey, you there, stop!" should be high on the priority list.