hospital obligation to bf....

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
hospital obligation to bf....
854
Mon, 08-30-2004 - 10:15am
Since the AAP receommends exclusive bm for the for the first 6 mos are hospitals obligated to help facilitate this relationshp?

2 recent incidences I've come across IRL spark this question.

MY SIL just delivered in a hospital I routinely refer to as a "baby-factory" They have a 33% section rate and are "very" interventionist. However, they have the best NICU in the area and many people choose it for that reason alone (ot, but that makes no sense to me unless you know you have a high-risk baby -- i delivered another hopspital which could've had my children there in under 10 minuts if necessary -- but i digress).

Anyway, i had heard some really awful things about the pp nurses at said hopsital...2 friends were told they had 20 min to latch the baby on -- if not, she had to have a bottle right then and there...ugh. SIL had a pretty average delivery and felt great. my new neice latched on well and all was going fine in the hospital. However, she was pushed EVERY time a nurse came in to give her a bottle because "her milk wouldn't be in for days and the baby would starve." SIL had taken a bf class which offered much conflicting information to what the pp nurses said, so she refused the formula. When I came to visit she asked me if she was right to refuse, and she also called the bf instructor. I later learned that this hospital has "done away" with lactaction services. One pp nurse happens to be an LC so if you're lucky you get her.

Another friend had a section for a breech recently and her husband was unable to spend nights at the hospital (they have an older child). She was not alllowed to nurse the baby unless she had a visitor in the room or a nurse. They would not leave her alone with the baby given the medication she had been on for "safety reasons." She only nursed the baby a handful times...in fact she barely spent much time with the baby as caring for her other child prevented DH from being there more than a few hours and her family is not local. When the baby was in the nursery he had formula; if DH was there, she nursed.

Is a hospital obligated to help a mother establish a good bF relationship? A hospital is obligated to provide a low-salt diet to a high blood pressure patient. Given the medical recommendation to BF and the critical early days, is this any different?

p.s. Both babies are currently nursing well despite these scenarios. However, I think it's just as likely things could've went south.

p.p.s. I'm barely even lurking anymore -- busy summer, too mnay beach days and i'm also feeling a bit green -- 16 weeks pg. However, I hope to be able to jump back in soon?

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Avatar for mommy2amani
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 3:53pm
I never FF in the hospital. What exactly do the nurses do for you? Do you have RTF formula in the room, or do you call the nurse every time the baby is hungry? Just curious. Even though we have a lot of FF here, I suspect (only guessing) that the majority did not FF in the hospital but switched soon after.

Lora

Avatar for skrewtsmom
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 3:53pm

cl to
Avatar for mommy2amani
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 3:59pm
Honestly, I don't think my hospital has semi-private rooms. I was never asked if I wanted a private room, but I wound up in one both times. I didn't think to ask, because I didn't remember seeing any other option during our tour of the hospital the first time around. I wonder, if the hospital doesn't even offer semi-private, if the insurance would have to pay it if it wasn't normally covered.

Lora

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2004
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 4:02pm

I'd like to get away from the "my hospital does it this way!", strip away all pre-conceptions and look at the issue with a clean slate.

 Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.

Avatar for skrewtsmom
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 4:35pm

I want to springboard off of what you said now, ok?


cl to
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 4:50pm
OK thanks!

Fio.

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 5:00pm
Being one who enjoys cooking, being one who views foodnetwork daily (& tapes regularly), being one who has 4 years of Home Economics on my high school academic record, being one who loved health classes & at one time way back before I decided to work in the music industry would have loved to have been a registered nurse, being one who loves to use book & internet resources....I am well of that!!! LOL
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 5:02pm
I think they do.

Ours does.

We even have a staff LC on the mother/baby unit.

They teach a wide range of breastfeeding classes to address all kinds of information. (My sister & a sil attended these).

I have, due to borderline gestational diabetes during my second pregnancy, talked privately (not in class form) w/a dietician and went through instruction in a diabetic diet.

I *do* think we have it.

But I don't think it will ever keep women from choosing formula feeding.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 5:06pm
AHA! But by your logic, just b/c the Marriott hotel offers XYZ services should ALL hotels offer them?

Just b/c YOUR hospital offers whatever, should they really all HAVE TO?

Fio.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 5:12pm


OK. IMHO I love it just exactly the way it is! I see no need for big changes. I do think some hospitals need to give/offer more education/information on bfing. They need to address it with women who don't know, haven't educated, researched it themselves. But as far as how our hospital handles everything...I think it is perfect in my experience.



I didn't pass off my feeding responsibilities by choice. I did it when I was on *pain medication*, to me a valid reason! I did it when we, even as experienced parents, needed assistance getting our newborn to take his bottle. My dh was w/me and my babies didn't need bottles when I was going to shower/sitz bath time. But...I don't think it is a huge deal for those moms who *do* choose to let the nurses (or others) care for infant feedings.


The ONLY reason that nurses assume the responsibility of feeding infants while their mothers sleep is because it's a notion that's left over from a century of hospital mismanagement of birth. Know out a mom and give her a week between being pg and being a mom, save for showing baby off to spectators. That is NOT the way it is today, but the notion of transferring baby's care to the nursing staff is a throwback to that time.>

I disagree. I cared for my baby entirely; 24 hour rooming in; with the exception of like three or four hours with my first due to pain medication. I changed diapers, rocked, cuddled, walked my babies, and dh & I did all of it together.

I also don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying & pampering yourself & being pampered & catered to during the first few days after delivery. That is a glorious time for a Mom after birth I think! This is how some of us prefer it to be. If you don't want it this way for you, then by all means, you don't need to do it that way.

Go back to my Marriott hotel illustration.



Disagree.



I think you may be misunderstanding me on this one. I didn't take a vacation/take a break. I just enjoyed being pampered while dh & I catered & pampered our newborn baby!!! Ourselves for 99.9% of the time btw!



I think breastmilk is best. I could provide it or I would be exclusively pumping!!!

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