When to give Labor and Delivery Nurse Gifts?

There are a lot of admirable careers, but nurses who help deliver babies probably deserve some of the top sports. That’s why so many expectant moms and dads find themselves wondering whether they should be purchasing gifts for labor and delivery nurses. The nurses who have to work labor and deliver a baby have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Of course, some strategies have worked for a long time, but they also have the pressure of protecting babies who are going to live the world.

Babies are so sensitive since they have just spent the last 9 months in their mother’s womb, so it is understandable that even an experienced nurse would feel a lot of pressure. Let’s think about it for a moment, childbirth is not an easy feat and mostly all the moms giving birth are not in the best frame of mind throughout the process. All the while though, these nurses stand by like saints as the moms yell, scream and beg for a five-minute break when it’s finally time to start pushing.

It’s important to do it at the right time since doing it at the wrong time could be perceived as something that you are not trying to do. Most importantly, you and everyone working there are just people who have a professional relationship and may never see each other again. In terms of timing, you usually shouldn’t do it before the delivery of your new child. The nurse was just under an enormous amount of pressure to deliver your child. They feel a lot of stress inside of them and sometimes a gift can help to relieve a lot of that stress.

If you are wondering whether thank you gifts for labor and delivery nurses are allowed or you are trying to figure out what to get, you will get the answers here. Before diving into who, what, when, where, and why of gifts for labor and delivery nurses, it’s essential to answer a straightforward question:

Are they allowed to accept gifts from patients?

The answer is it depends. There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to bring gifts or snacks for delivery or labor nurses for most reasons. However, what’s important to know is your particular hospital’s policy on this type of thing. Especially considering our current mid- pandemic state, some hospitals or birthing centers might not want you to bring outside items in for their staff.

Call your local hospital or reach out to the fellow moms who have recently delivered there to find out whether thank you gifts are for the labor and delivery team are acceptable. You should also find out if there are restrictions on the types of gifts you bring for your labor team. Some healthcare facilities are fine with small gifts or snacks, but won’t allow their staff to accept gift cards or money from patients.

Why you should think about buying thank you gifts for labor and delivery nurses?

Let’s get one thing straight- there’s no reason you have to purchase a gift for your nurse our birthing team. With that in mind, it’s always an excellent way to say “thank you for keeping up with screams and helping me throughout the process patiently”. If you are still skeptical about whether you should buy thank you gifts for your nurses and delivery team then here are some reasons that you should consider:

1. Your labor and delivery nurses work hard for you throughout your entire childbirth experience. In reality, you will spend more time with them than your actual doctor.
2. Nurses spend long, hard hours at the hospital- often without receiving any gratitude for the extraordinary job they do.
3. Your nurses are your advocates throughout labor and delivery. If, for example, you are writing a birth plan or trying to figure out how to naturally handle those active labor contractions, your nurses will be the ones to help you have the birth experience you are dreaming of.

How many gifts for labor and delivery nurses?

Typically, one gift is more than enough for the sake of showing gratitude. Getting through this process isn’t easy for anyone and getting a gift can do a lot for people. Nurses don’t make a lot of money, but they are by no means charity cases. However, sometimes, a gift that represents a certain experience can go a lot farther than just a paycheck. With the nurse that is taking care of the delivery with your baby, the more important objective is to get a single gift that means a lot. Even something like a card to celebrate a baby being born can mean a lot for them. These cards can be used to look back at how that nurse individually affected the world and your life.

You should also be careful with what you are going to get them. Don’t get them something that’s going to be an ordeal for them to take outside of the hospital. If you are going to get a nurse multiple of an item, you would be sure you know that nurse very well. You also need to be aware that there is no buyer’s remorse in this situation. It would be seen as very bad for you to give a nurse a gift and then take it away from them because you regret it. So you should buy them something that’s going to be perishable enough that you won’t regret the decision of doing that.

When to give Labor and Delivery nurses gifts?

When it comes to figuring out when to give your labor and delivery nurse gifts, there is no right or wrong answer. Some parents choose to give their birthing team gifts right from the start. This is a good idea if its food is best enjoyed while it’s fresh. In other cases, new moms and dads might wait until the deed is over and their little one is wrapped safely in their arms.

What nurses can accept for gifts?

You will be getting the answer to this question from a nurse’s experience. According to them, they can accept products. But at a low dollar amount. But officially they aren’t allowed to accept gifts like gift cards and cash for any reason. They are also able to accept larger valued products for the whole unit. A tray of cookies, lunch for everyone, things like that.

Thoughtful gifts for delivery and labor nurses:

The covid- 19 has hit so many people’s lives around the world. But it’s been especially hard for the health care workers who are on the front lines of the pandemic. Doctors and nurses around the world are doing all they can to keep us all safe, working overtime and putting themselves at risk. So many got sick themselves, had to isolate from their families and kids, but kept doing their job day in and day out. No wonder, doctors and nurses are deservedly seen as heroes. Delivering a child means outing you and your baby’s life into the hands of the labor and delivery staff. So now than ever, we feel a huge appreciation for the nurses that will be taking of the mom and the baby. And while no words or actions of appreciation would be enough to express the gratitude for their care, we can easily brighten up their day and long night shifts with a small token of attention, a gift. You can never go wrong by getting a nurse appreciation gift basket.

You wouldn’t believe how much it makes their shift 100% better, just the feeling of being appreciated, especially during a time like this. First, let’s cover the basics. Nurses are not allowed to accept monetary gifts. If you want to give a gift card, it has to be for the whole unit. This can be a good idea if you do a bunch of gift cards like coffee with a thank you note. And then a gift card of a higher amount for the ones who went above and beyond for you. Secondly, they like things they can grab and go and stuff that won’t spoil. That way nurses on every shift can have one.

• Snacks are always a good idea and appreciated. Keep in mind though that the common struggle is too many tempting treats and sweets around that are too difficult to resist. So it’s better to go with healthier choices when it comes to food. Plus you will be more original than everyone else who brings sweets. Some healthy options are; popcorns, nuts, granola bars, instant oatmeal, etc.
• With all the hand washing, gloves constantly coming off and on, dry hospital air, small individual items of self-care that can be carried in a pocket are always appreciated like hand sanitizer, lotion, chapsticks, facial spray, etc.
• Small gifts like pens, cute face masks, socks, and self-heating steam eye masks are also some great ideas.