Was this a homebirth or a hospital birth? The word “housekeeper” makes me think homebirth, in which case I think it makes sense for the housekeeper to be shocked, but if it was a hospital birth — well, you work in a hospital! Get over it and use whatever you *usually* use to clean up blood!

i think they are called housekeepers in the hospital too??? it seems like we called “housekeeping” for some issues with water in my bathroom at the hospital???

In my experience? Soak with ice water and blot, finish with Oxyclean. Takes care of blood stains awesomely without bleach stink.

“Gee, you’re the professional. I’m only the mom.”

Haha! Umm.. I delivered at home, at 1:30am, unplanned (very quick labor). On the drive to the hospital in the ambulance I said- oh, no! Who is going to clean up the mess? I don’t want my son to see it in the morning and get scared.
The paramedic said- no worries, we cleaned it up!

Well, if it was in the hospital, I would imagine that most of the blood would be on sheets/paper that the nurses would have put in biohazard bags soon after the birth. Also, the mom has usually been moved on to recovery suites before housekeeping makes their labor/delivery rounds.

If it was a homebirth, I would be upset too. Being paid to vaccuum and wash windows is completely different than cleaning up bodily fluids. It’s completely unrealistic of a mom to expect someone to clean up after a birth unless it had been discussed prior.

This one was mine. It was a hospital birth, at a hospital that used all-in-one labor/delivery/recovery/rooming-in suites. I should add, I’d had an epidural and been in the lithotomy position, and quite tired and hadn’t looked down. So until she said that, I was unaware that it was that impressive. I knew they’d been discussing whether I’d need a transfusion (I didn’t!) and I knew I’d lost a fair bit of blood, but I didn’t realize it was exceptionally so until she reacted. And I was still being stitched up, and still reacting to everything (including my son having to be taken away to be checked – for very legitimate medical reasons, as he ended up needing surgery within the next few days, though he’s fine now).

And no carpets – this was a delivery room, so tile floor.

I agree, if it was someone who cleaned houses reacting to a home birth, it would be reasonable – that’s not what they do or expect to do. But when you are working in a hospital….

First of all, three cheers for your doctor, husband, and other people in the room staying calm about it, so as not to scare you!
Because another thing I’m learning is – never make scary comments in front of the patient. Like, “oh, this is a bad bleeder” or something like that. It can make their situation worse!

So this was not called for.

First comment on here from someone who is not a medical professional, though!
And my answer to her? Ummm, a mop? Some water? Disinfectant?

Use your toothbrush, Your Highness. Or haven’t you seen Private Benjamin?

Good grief. If you don’t want to clean up splooge, don’t work in a hospital. Work for Merry Maids or something.

Depending on what hospital you’re in, nothing. I’ve heard of patients having to deal with sitting in their own fluids, etc. Totally unacceptable.

I was a hospital housekeeper in college. We were expected to clean up all kinds of body fluids: blood, poop, urine, throw up with blood in it…. We cleaned the floor, the beds (birthing beds have so many nooks and crannies to be cleaned), everything in the room. The only time I got upset was when the nurses insisted on keeping a guy who kept throwing up blood in a carpeted room. Come on, move him to a room without carpet and we can easily mop.

That said. My 2nd child was born in a birthing center. I was standing up when the placenta was born. It came out in a huge plop spattering blood all over the wall & up on the underside of a hanging shelf. They told me that I had the “honor of having the biggest mess they’d ever had.” It was said well after it was cleaned up and without any complaint.