I wish somebody would be crazy enough to snatch my baby up while I'm still in a haze of pain from the labor.

Our local hospital recently implemented, so I've heard, I mandatory one hour separation of mama and baby. I can't figure out the reasoning, they say some kind of transition time or something, but this kind of story makes me even more afraid that the policy is wacko...

When I delivered in NY, they weighed the baby in the room, but took him to the nursery to get cleaned up.  I made Dad go with, but later found out they put an alarm on the baby--think of those security tags the Gap uses now, but sewn into the baby's wrist band.  I only found out, because I was bored in my room and wanted to wheel the kid around in his little bassinet.  I got too close to the elevators (where the sensors are) and set off the alarm.  I guess I assumed this was common practice.  I'm due to deliver my third boy any day now, but in a Portland hospital--I guess I'll have to double-check the security system at this hospital.

Unfortunately, a local Florida judge released her...www.wftv.com/.../detail.html

I used to work as an L&D nurse in NYC and, as km mentioned, we took a lot of precautions to prevent mix-ups and abductions (or a 'code pink' in hospital terms!) We used to call that little security device the baby lo-jack; and in one of the hospitals I worked in the baby and mother had to have their hospital bands constantly scanned like in a grocery store.

Needless to say, having my baby abducted while in the hospital was never on my list of new-mom fears - but I guess we put all those security measures in place for a reason!

My husband went with our baby to the nursery.  No way he was getting out of his sight. Most of the bigger med centers have the baby Lo-Jack thing now.  How come it is always HUGE, fat women who steal babies?  

I'm not sure if it's different up here in Canada or because I didn't have a c-section...but my son stayed with me and my husband the entire time after he was born. I would never feel comfortable with them taking him out of the room. They offered to give him a bath but I opted to give him one when we got home. We left the hospital about 10 hours after he was born.

I can't believe that judge released her! I guess it's ok to steal someone's child, as long as it's your first time. Everyone gets to commit one first degree felony, right?

I am due to have a c-section tomorrow and I will be on high alert for sure. I will make sure my husband goes with the baby everywhere. The nurses can watch over me.

WTF- they RELEASED her?! Yeah, because premeditated kidnapping isn't a BIG deal...

If you read the article this hospital had the baby alarms too. I guess nobody bothered to see why it was going off.

just another compelling reason to have your baby at home.

I know stories like these are concerning, but I think it should be low on the list of worries when having a baby. A great majority of hospitals have excellent security systems to prevent such kidnappings.

These stories to make the news because they are everyone's nightmare, but, thankfully, they are extremely rare.  I wouldn't waste too much energy worrying about this.