I just had to take a moment to welcome my newest grandson into my world. Bryce Bailey, my youngest daughters second son joined the rest of us yesterday with all the fanfare that such an event warrants. It was a happy day all the way around since both baby and mom are doing just fine.However, his arrival was also the occasion for one of those nutty things that seem to happen only in a hospital setting. You know, a goofy rule that sucks the joy out of a wonderful experience. The world is full of these kinds of things but on this day this rule just seemed bigger than it really was . . . or was it.
First, unlike the day in which my children were born, it seems that virtually the whole family is invited o be present. I elected to step out. However, Dad and a couple of grandmothers were there when he arrived not to mention the doctor and nurses. Within minutes of his birth, even before he had his first bath, there I was holding him in my arms. More to the point we were passing him around like he was a greeting card to be read by everyone present.
Within a few hours our daughter and new grandson were moved to a private room where we all gathered again to celebrate. Seems we just couldn't get enough of "baby Bryce."
It was then that the insanity of a hospital setting kicked in. Now understand that people from the age of 3 years to my age, let' just say "and older" had looked at, touched and yes even kissed on Baby Bryce. All of this was well within the rules set forth by the hospital for such things. Then, one of our other grandchildren arrived and we were told that not only could she not see "Baby Bryce" but by coming through the doors she was in violation of some hospital rule that required non-family children to be at least 13 years old before they could visit in the room.
That would have been fine except instead of just stopping there the following explanation was given. "The reason for this rule is to reduce the risk of contamination for the new baby." A rule that is not based in some sort of valid reasoning is bad enough but do they really believe what they are saying when they say it is to control contamination.
First, keep in mind that the following people are allowed in the room and to handle the new born child: Immediate family members of all ages 1 year and up; family, friends and acquaintances ages 13 years and older; and hospital staff. People from all these groups had, as I have mentioned earlier had, already handled and kissed on this child. But now, when a cousin who is ten years old arrives she is told she not only cannot touch but cannot see her newest cousin because she might contaminate the room.
The only conclusion I can draw from this line of reasoning is: germs, viruses, and bacteria are unusually discriminating. They only attach themselves to children 10 years of age and under who are not a brother or sister to the new baby. All of these other people going in and out of the room, holding and passing around the baby, not to mention kissing on him, are either germ free or the germs are incapable of leaping from them to the infant in question. Hence we must bar this potentially contaminated group of people from celebrating with the rest of their family and friends the newest member of their family.
Of course more important than the insanity of the reasoning used by the hospital when setting down this rule (there may be some other reason for having such a rule I just can't think of one) and that it how it affects the kid that is excluded. No one like to be told they aren't allowed when everyone else seems to get a pass. I have to tell you that had my more even tempered wife not been there we would have been having a philosophical discussion about that rule and more than likely I'd been sitting in the waiting room with the 10 and under crowd.
I know that in the grand scheme of things it is not a particularly major thing but it seemed important at the time. Now what has this to do with anything . . . well probably nothing. It's just another one of the idiotic rules that non-thinking people in authority lay down to control the rest of us. Besides that it annoyed me.
BTW - As I left the hospital someone had placed a large A-frame sign in the main entry that informed me that children 16 and under were not permitted in patient rooms to help prevent the spread of the flu virus . . . I hope it works.
What do you think . . . am I over reacting?
