How to warn hospital workers?

[lovelymama2]

Does anyone know of a good resource for a onesie that a newborn could wear that would warn hospital nurses against giving certain things, like "No hep b, no eye goop, no circ, no retraction"? (I would be ok with the vitamin k shot only.)

Or should I just make a sign to attach to our door or his crib or something? Or make a sign for our room?

At our hospital, the only time the newborns go to the nursery to get checked on is once a day at midnight -- but we'll have either me or dad there at that time.

But I'm so worried that someone will do something while I have my back turned. With my daughter I had a c-section and they did everything while I was unconscious. I want to be in control this time. (Will be doing a VBAC so hopefully no period of unconsciousness.)

[LisaSedai]

There is something you can buy, I think it's called "T -shirt transfer paper"
for use with an ink jet printer. You can type up what you want, print it on the transfer paper and iron it on cloth. Or how about getting a fabric marking pen or fabric paint and writing on a plain onesie?

I personally wrote it on my birthplan and put a sign on the basinett thing no circ no formula no hep B.

good luck.

[Fujiko]

I would do bassinet signs. I don't know where you could get them, but "No Circ/No Retraction" stickers to put on his diaper would be helpful. Another idea as far as vaxes: Infant vaxes are given in the thigh, no? Maybe you could get a pair of white or cream colored babylegs and get a red fabric marker, and write "No Vaccines" on the thigh areas.

[Fyrestorm]

Also, on all the papers they shove in your face during labor for you to sign...be sure to write "I do not consent to......." They will try to have you sign blanket consent forms.

[EENS]

Be careful, even with bassinet signs. I had them on my 2nd dd's bassinet. I was foolish and let the nurses take her so that I could get some sleep. After a bit, I walked down to the nursery to see what was going on and there, right next to the sign, tucked in the corner of the bassinet, was a vial of hepb ready to be injected. I never signed any consent forms and at that point I was just starting to question some vaccines - hep b being one of them. I started fuming. The nurse of course said she was going to have me sign the form before the shot was administered

Just beware, many nurses are on automatic and just follow procedure regardless of forms, tshirts or signs. My babies never ever leave my sight now.

[mangosink0]

I would request no separation of mom and baby, if you have a c/s and they have to separate, your partner should go with the baby and stay with the baby.

[organicmommy05]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

I would request no separation of mom and baby, if you have a c/s and they have to separate, your partner should go with the baby and stay with the baby.

Ditto. While I did not have a c-section I didn't let them take my child at any point in time. They even did the hearing test in our room.

[JBaxter]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

I would request no separation of mom and baby, if you have a c/s and they have to separate, your partner should go with the baby and stay with the baby.

This is how my last 2 were done. They never left my room. OH the eye goop you need to tell them before birth because they are used to just putting it in.

I had the nurse remove the eye goop, hepb and the vit K from the room when I went in. They didnt blink: She did say that they would NOT circ without the vit k shot ... my response was good you wont wack his pee pee then .. she said .. good for you

"I" did his first bath, diaper under shirt etc. My ped checked him out he peed on him and all he said was.. the water works work.

At my hospital a tshirt wasnt necessary. I had a vaginal birth. My niece was born csection at the same hospital and my brother basiclly held her till my SIL was out of recover. He refused they eye goop and a bath but they did the vit K. They did keep telling him they NEEDED her to lay in the warmer. HE said Im 98 degrees, they needed to bath her. UH no you dont we will do it later.. We need to do her eyes.. No you dont .. He was a great dad from the start.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by lovelymama2

(I would be ok with the vitamin k shot only.)

I thought you would be interested to read about vit K.

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-heal...-K-in-Newborns

Injected vitamin K ran into a problem when researchers in 1990 noted an increased incidence of childhood cancer in children given vitamin K injections at birth. Specifically, they found that injected vitamin K doubled the incidence of leukemia in children less than ten years of age. A subsequent study in 1992 revealed the same association between injected vitamin K and cancer, but no such association with oral vitamin K. These researchers recommended exclusive use of oral vitamin K.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Yulia_R

I thought you would be interested to read about vit K.

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-heal...-K-in-Newborns

I have read the few studies from the 90's about this connection. I have been unable to find any other more recent studies about Vit K. I wish there was some newer info. My ds did get Vit K (against my better judgement...he is intact too!) and I regret it every day and pray I haven't increased his risk for cancer

[Farore]

I know you are asking about the onesie thing, but one thing that has worked beautifully for us is having a signed and notarized medical directive. On it, we listed all of the things we didn't want (removal from the room, proximity device, circ, hep B, eye ointment) and stated that any staff who failed to follow the directives may be subject to criminal and civil charges. We submit this along with our check-in papers so everyone reading our chart will see it. Having a notarized document makes it a little more forceful than a birth plan and lets them know we mean business. The hospital we use does tend to be a little more open-minded, but many of our choices are still not mainstream for our area. I'm not sure how this would work at a different hospital.

[lovelymama2]

My neighbor, a midwife in training, said that it is hard to make sure the babies get the vitamin k down and that it's not absorbed as well. And, the AAP website has some info on studies that don't show a link between the shot and cancer. So that's interesting to look at too.

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...cs%3B112/1/191

It sounds like I'm just going to have to be vigilant and I'm also going to be very specific with my husband about what exactly to do in case of a c-section (I'm VBAC-ing and hope that won't happen). I don't want to have to worry about this, seems like it adds too much stress to what should be a joyful time. I wish I had the $$ for a birth center

[sasshell]

Unfortunately I did have an "emergency c-section" and DD was given the standard eye goop/vit k shot as soon as she was ripped from me. However, she did not leave my side once they handed her to me in recovery and wasn't out of my sight other then when I was strapped to the table.

I did have to fight them off on several occassions. I have no idea why but each night, several times a night, a nurse would come in and want to take her. Whether it be for a hearing test, so I could sleep, or for a vaccine I would not consent to, I had to fight them off constantly. I'm sure this next time will be the same only I will be better prepared to fight from the moment she is born instead of after the 45 minute wait for me to be sewn up.

[caned & able]

Having a notarized document makes it a little more forceful than a birth plan and lets them know we mean business.

What do you do if the hospital staff accidentally loses this piece of paper and then claims that they never received it?

[KoalaMommy]

we just never let that baby out of our sight. Seriously! I crashed after the birth of our first and DH took her while they worked on me and went with them to the nursery. Then with our 2nd, I just kept her the whole time. As it happened, she was born at shift change, so she couldn't go to the nursery right away and I don't think they actually took her until that evening when I went along with her nurse who was so nice and appreciative of me coming to "help" her because they were short a nurse and she had all these new moms, and she just really appreciated that I didn't mind keeping the baby with me the whole time and bringing her back to the room myself...lol

My midwife and our nurses knew not to do the immediate post-birth stuff. I try not to make a big deal about it because here, refusing the eye goop and the vitamin K (which we actually do, long story) is a misdemeanor crime, you have to acknowledge your guilt in committing the crime in writing AND they can call children's services on you, so I don't like to make a lot of stink about it, just ask for the form, sign it and make sure they know.

[PlayaMama]

yep, keep the babe with you or have your dp with the babe if you can't be. my dd never left the room unless i was with her and i live in a rural nevada and our hospital was easy peasy.

[KLM99]

As others have said, my doula and my husband are under strict orders not to let that baby out of the sight of at least one of us at any time. It's also one of the main reasons we're getting a doula again this time - she knows exactly what I want and I am 100% sure she will make sure it happens (or doesn't happen, in the case of circ-ing, shots or eye drops).

I would make sure your support people are absolutely 100% on board with you and that they know their role is to watch that baby at all times. Then even if you are incapacitated for whatever reason (and really, what mom is 100% alert at all times anyway?) - you can relax and not have to worry about baby.

[bbrandonsmom]

I agree-either keep baby w/ you or give orders to dh to keep hold of the baby if you aren't able to hold him/her. With ds1, they took him to the nursery-it was procedure, even though I could have prevented it-while I was getting changed from room to room, cleaned up etc. I could have kept him there with me. They did the eye goop, then and hep b, and I never signed a consent for it. They also kept him for 6hrs, even though I was nursing and gave him formula! I did make signs for his bassinet thing, for no formula, no circ etc, but I'm not sure it would help if baby wasn't in the room. I made sure when I finally got him, he didn't leave my sight. Dh let them take him-grrr. So make sure your dh is on the same stand as you are about things. You have the right to not let them take your baby.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by lovelymama2

My neighbor, a midwife in training, said that it is hard to make sure the babies get the vitamin k down and that it's not absorbed as well.

Don't you think there must be a GOOD reason for it? Millions of years of natural selection make no mistake. The baby receive all the vit K they need from your colostrum. They don't need an elephant dosage of a synthetic (made in a lab) vitamin. If you want to boost vit K in your body take alfalfa supplements (this way you will have even more vit K in your colostrum (warning: don’t take alfalfa supplements if you have clotting disorder).

[Noelle C.]

Originally Posted by caned & able

What do you do if the hospital staff accidentally loses this piece of paper and then claims that they never received it?

Have another copy and make someone sign it as received. Or have someone with a video camera (who doesn't want to video the first few hours if they can?) and zoom in on the paper and then back out as it's handed to the nurse.