Were You Worried About a Hospital Mix-up?

April 10, 2008

The nurse brought a baby down from the nursery and handed him to my mom just as she was about to check out of the hospital after having my brother.

But, it was the wrong kid! Even at a glance, my mom knew that the redheaded bundle of joy wasn't the dark haired boy she delivered days before.

So she sent him back and they returned with the right child.

Needless to say, this made me paranoid when my own children were born. We kept them in our room during the hospital stay and if they were taken for a test or screening, my husband accompanied them.

Did you fret over taking home the wrong tot?

Source

26 Comments

mom2bella 5 years 5 weeks

This definitely could not have happened to me or at the hospital I gave birth in. They had bracelets that matched me and the baby and so much security that is seemed virtually impossible. And there is no way you could have given me a different child and expect me to believe it was mine.

mom2bella 5 years 5 weeks

DebbieFThomas 5 years 5 weeks

I did some research on this subject for my book, Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon, which debuts June 1, and many hospitals are implementing some kind of alarm system with bands that both mom & baby wear which alerts them if the bands don't match. Personally, I think I'd take a permanent marker with me and put a small heart on baby's tummy immediately after birth, and tell staff I don't want it scrubbed off! I've often wondered if my older sister was switched, she's so different from the rest of us. But it doesn't matter - we'd never give her back!

DebbieFThomas 5 years 5 weeks

I did some research on this subject for my book, Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon, which debuts June 1, and many hospitals are implementing some kind of alarm system with bands that both mom & baby wear which alerts them if the bands don't match. Personally, I think I'd take a permanent marker with me and put a small heart on baby's tummy immediately after birth, and tell staff I don't want it scrubbed off!I've often wondered if my older sister was switched, she's so different from the rest of us. But it doesn't matter - we'd never give her back!

seishi5 5 years 5 weeks

One more reason to do a homebirth whenever possible - healthy moms and babies don't belong in hospitals.

macgirl 5 years 5 weeks

The week after I had my first son, 9 years ago, there was a whole switched baby scandal at the hospital I had him at. With my new little guy they were so strict with all three of our bracelets I don't know how a swap could have even happened. I'm guessing more hospitals have taken up with similar policies. It wasn't even something that crossed my mind when we were in the hospital. That and he didn't leave my room.

gab6784 5 years 5 weeks

I wasn't really worried and thankfully the hospital I gave birth in was overly precautions and the nurses made sure the mother and child matched their security codes. Aside from that I never let them take her - only once so she was with me at all times almost.

anniekim 5 years 5 weeks

wow. I never thought of this as a potential problem before--more like something on a lifetime movie.Now I'll be sending my husband to the nursery. Follow that baby!

anniekim 5 years 5 weeks

wow. I never thought of this as a potential problem before--more like something on a lifetime movie. Now I'll be sending my husband to the nursery. Follow that baby!

POPSUGAR Moms 5 years 6 weeks

Truth be told, my mom actually got the wrong kid twice! The time mentioned above with my brother and AGAIN when my lil sister was born. Since my sister was over 12lbs. at delivery, the nurse realized she was carrying in the wrong lil baby when she hit the door and headed back to the nursery to retrieve the right one.

abqmama 5 years 6 weeks

I never even thought about it. The security at the hospitals where my children were born was really good. Plus, I got to keep my sons with me for awhile after birth and then my husband accomponied them to the nursery for their tests so by then I was confident that we knew which one was our baby.

schnappycat 5 years 6 weeks

In this day and age, it would be pretty damn rare. Aside from being banded immediately and having it checked every time he was brought in and out of the room, my son was also given an ankle monitor like gspencer mentions. Ours didn't beep like that, but it was one more layer of protection. I was told that if a nurse tried to take the baby in or out of the room without the proper ID or without checking my band against his, she could be immediately fired. They take mix ups and security pretty seriously these days.

jedimasterarmi 5 years 6 weeks

I've not really thought about this before. what a horrible thing to happen!

gspencer 5 years 6 weeks

Hospitals today have much better tracking systems. When I gave birth to my daughter before any went anywhere they had the bands on but also this electronic tracker band. The tracker band would jingle when the correct baby was within a couple feet (like 2 or 3) of the correct mom. It also was used as an alert system if anyone tried to take the baby out of the hospital. I could see this being very useful for multiples that were birthed by c-section.

apma 5 years 6 weeks

My daughter was the biggest baby of the week so I wasn't too afraid they'd mix her up, plus she looked like a tiny, squishy version of her daddy. She has his family's trademark nose

megnmac 5 years 6 weeks

That is my husband's entire post delivery job - follow that baby. Nurses think he is a doting father, and while he is, he is also terrified enough of the consequences of delusional mom... My mom gave birth to my brother at the same time as another "S. McCoy" and they went to grab her baby and brought her a girl. She was like, I know labor was rough, but I didn't imagine that I had a BOY! It just is a little scary... the loss of control in labor, letting that baby exist outside of you for the 1st time and suddenly not even knowing if they'll come back...

megnmac 5 years 6 weeks

katedavis 5 years 6 weeks

I joked with my husband that I was going to bring a sharpie to the delivery room and mark my son as soon as he was born. :)

lickety split 5 years 6 weeks

i was with my first, very nervous. don't remember with the others. there was some big story about this happening at the time and i was very concerned. wouldn't that be tragic!? to bond with a baby and have to give it back and miss out on all the firsts with your biological child. awful to think about.

faerymagick15 5 years 6 weeks

with my first, yes...it scared me. She was born by emergency C-section and I didn't get to see her for a full 24 hrs afterwards. She was in the NICU on the 2nd floor and I was on the 4th floor maternity. I was very worried that whole day. BUT...when they took me to see her and I saw she was the biggest baby in the NICU I knew they couldn't mix her up with anyone else's baby! With my 2nd...I kept him with me except at night. I sent him to the nursery so I could sleep. I had a toddler to go home to so I wanted as much sleep as possible in the hospital! He was the biggest baby in the nursery with the biggest cheeks. I knew they couldn't mix him up!! They always checked bracelets every time we had him or they took him out.

kikidawn 5 years 6 weeks

Oh good Lord yes this scares me!! I will take your approach and have the baby stay w/ me in my room and have my husband go with him/her to the tests.

kikidawn 5 years 6 weeks

Oh good Lord yes this scares me!!I will take your approach and have the baby stay w/ me in my room and have my husband go with him/her to the tests.

ualili 5 years 6 weeks

I was switched as a baby too - for about three hours. Apparently another lady on the same floor as my mom asked for her baby and they brought her me. :) The mix-up wasn't noticed until my mom asked for me and they brought her another baby. I'm glad my mom was so observant! And don't rely on just ID bracelets - mine and the other baby's had been accidentally switched!