no wonder more babies aren't breastfed...

[mamabain]

i have to vent. friend's (3rd) baby was born today in the hospital. i went to see this sweet newborn when she was about 2 hours old.

i get to the room and baby is on the warmer with a pacifier in her mouth, rooting like crazy, while nurse is giving baby a bath! granted, baby had nursed pretty well earlier, i guess, but still... why is a 2 hour old baby sucking on an artificial nipple? just so she doesn't fuss says nurse and mom. then, because of getting a bath, babys temp drops so nurse won't let baby go back to mama until temp rises to a certain level. so baby is alone, on the warmer, rooting around, fussing, wanting mama. of course, skin to skin contact isn't encouraged. i sat there and immediately asked why baby had paci, kept saying to baby, " i know, i know, you want mama, mama wants to hold you, mama is right here, she loves you" i kept bugging the nurse to let mama hold her, " oh no, can't do that yet, gotta get her temp up" " well you know skin to skin contact works really well for that" "no, can't do that" and the nurse kept saying things like, this one just wants to suck suck suck. she's fussing just cuz mom isn't holding her, she just wants to nurse all the time..." OF COURSE SHE DOES. THAT IS WHAT NEWBORNS SHOULD DO, THEY SHOULD NOT BE AWAY FROM MOM, SHOULD BE NURSING INSTEAD OF SUCKING ON PLASTIC NIPPLE!!!!! especially after an epidural. ARGHHHH.

i feel like this nurse is just setting women up for failure, keeping artificial nipples, baby away from mama, no skin to skin.

finally nurse let mama hold the baby, even though the temp wasn't up to her liking, wouldn't let me take baby's longsleeve shirt off, tho' for more skin to skin contact, said that would get her in trouble! what the F__#@+%#_(%@$I!

so frustrated. i've been seething since i left about 8 hours ago.

i made the mom promise not to let crazy nurse take baby from her.

[MammaKoz]

Oh gawd, I'd be seething too! : How stupid is that, put the baby on a baby warmer, while the baby is rooting around all by herself looking for her mama, with a pacifier in her mouth? WTF is with those nurses?

I have to say, here in Alberta, when I had my 2 kids, the hospital and post partum nurses were ALL over the moms about BF'ing, keeping the baby close etc etc, which is great. I honestly just thought that was normal behaviour for hospitals/nurses - how naive was I? Even when they came to bath the babies, they strongly encouraged, almost short of forcing the moms, to go with them to the nursery in case the baby needed mamma for whatever reason.

I remember this young mom beside me after I had DS#2, and she didn't want to BF and kept whining about it and how it would wreck her breasts : and the nurses and her Dr. were on her like bees to honey about BF'ing, sending in a LC a couple of times, talking to her about the cost of formula for a young single mom and how BF'ing was free etc etc.

After reading posts like this, I realize how rare it is to have medical staff go great guns promoting and really, pushing BF'ing and attachment to mothers.

Someone needs to clue your friend's nurse in, that is just crazy.

[sapphire_chan]

Someone needs to clue the whole hospital in, that sounded like "policy."

Incidentally, where abouts in Alberta was that fabulous hospital you went to? I wanna send them psychic hugs.

[MoonJelly]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Someone needs to clue the whole hospital in, that sounded like "policy."

Yep. It's all about the rules. It's institutional. And the nurses are scared sh*tless to break the rules.

This story makes me . I would be really temped to write a letter to the hospital about what you observed.

[s_kristina]

Wow that is just insane on so many levels! I wish all hospitals would go through baby friendly certification (www.babyfriendly.com) The hospital I had ds at is baby friendly and they were great! You had to ask for formula and pacifiers. They also told you at birth that skin to skin contact is the best way to keep baby warm. One of the nurses came in while dh was holding ds snuggled up in a blanket. The nurse told him that he could undo his shirt and snuggle up skin to skin with ds to keep him warm not just me. They also never said anything about ds sleeping in bed with me. I wish all hospitals new that much about what is best for babies!

[JesiLynne]

: its amazing that some hospitals still hold to that crap

[turtlemama77]

I would have pitched a fit. I plan to pitch a fit if anything like that happens to my new babe. I, too, was lucky to have such a baby friendly hospital with dd#1. And now that I know more, watch out, nurses!

I'm sorry that happened to your friend and I hope breastfeeding didn't get messed up because of it.

[afishwithabike]

That's why I didn't let them have my DC for a few hours after birth. I didn't care about their baths. I let them suckle suckle suckle. Who cares about the bath that early anyhow? I think they smell sweet when they come out. SO WHAT IF THEY'RE STICKY.

[MammaKoz]

Saphire, it was the Rockyview hospital in Calgary. I don't know if the nurses are all like that, or if I just happened to see the pro AP/BF'ing ones, but at any rate it was great. Even with DD#1, I had horrendus problems at the beginning BF'ing that I didn't realize at the time (due to supply issues) and my family Doc had me in on an emergency basis to a world renowned physician who specializes in lactation, the next day. And thank god my family doctor told me to stay away from formula and explained it would screw things up even more, because as a new first time BF'ing mom without any resources or support (that I knew of at the time - now of course I know better, LLL etc), I was thinking about formula. But I love my Dr. for saving me from that, and encouraging me and telling me it was just a bump in the road and that I could BF sucessfully!

Too bad all moms didn't have the same support I did. I know for a fact between those nurses, my family Dr. and my LC doctor they are the reason I BF my DD for almost 2 years and tandem nursed after DS#2 was born.

[MoonJelly]

Originally Posted by MammaKoz

Saphire, it was the Rockyview hospital in Calgary. I don't know if the nurses are all like that, or if I just happened to see the pro AP/BF'ing ones, but at any rate it was great. Even with DD#1, I had horrendus problems at the beginning BF'ing that I didn't realize at the time (due to supply issues) and my family Doc had me in on an emergency basis to a world renowned physician who specializes in lactation, the next day. And thank god my family doctor told me to stay away from formula and explained it would screw things up even more, because as a new first time BF'ing mom without any resources or support (that I knew of at the time - now of course I know better, LLL etc), I was thinking about formula. But I love my Dr. for saving me from that, and encouraging me and telling me it was just a bump in the road and that I could BF sucessfully!

Too bad all moms didn't have the same support I did. I know for a fact between those nurses, my family Dr. and my LC doctor they are the reason I BF my DD for almost 2 years and tandem nursed after DS#2 was born.

That's proof that if medical professionals are educated, trained, and on-board with supporting lactation, it actually works. Breastfeeding happens with just that small difference in procedure. Amazing. But not really amazing, just normal, yk?

[MarcyC]

The lack of knowledge amongst medical professionals (specifically those working in the Labor & Delivery and Post Partum areas) is sad!

[littlest birds]

When my babes' temps dropped after bath (and they were early a couple weeks so it worried us a bit more), I just told the nurses no more baths! That was that.

Separately, no one there really supported nursing. Every single hospital person was like "yeah right you're gonna nurse twins". Nearly eye-rolling, really. And I really had to put a lot of effort into getting them started with latch on. The attitudes are so dense.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by MammaKoz

Saphire, it was the Rockyview hospital in Calgary. I don't know if the nurses are all like that, or if I just happened to see the pro AP/BF'ing ones, but at any rate it was great. Even with DD#1, I had horrendus problems at the beginning BF'ing that I didn't realize at the time (due to supply issues) and my family Doc had me in on an emergency basis to a world renowned physician who specializes in lactation, the next day. And thank god my family doctor told me to stay away from formula and explained it would screw things up even more, because as a new first time BF'ing mom without any resources or support (that I knew of at the time - now of course I know better, LLL etc), I was thinking about formula. But I love my Dr. for saving me from that, and encouraging me and telling me it was just a bump in the road and that I could BF sucessfully!

Too bad all moms didn't have the same support I did. I know for a fact between those nurses, my family Dr. and my LC doctor they are the reason I BF my DD for almost 2 years and tandem nursed after DS#2 was born.

I wish all of the hospitals in Alberta were as good as that. I had dd (dc2) in Grande Prairie. If I wasn't already comfortable with bf and well informed I would have had trouble I'm sure. Dd had fluid in her lungs and wasn't breathing at birth. The got her breathing in the delivery room but wouldn't even let me look at her, they rushed her up to the NICU right away. Now I'm OK with that, after all she haddn't been breathing, but it was more thatn an hour befor I got so see her let alone nurse. No one offered any help with nursing, not that I needed it but still. Another baby in the next incubator was getting formula even though his mom was in the hospital and trying to nurse. The first night they sent me down to my room and when they called me up 4 hours latter to nurse her I found out she had been fussing and rooting for an hour but they didn't want to wake me. WTF! Why the he!! do you think I'm staying in the hospital? So I'm avaliable to nurse! Fortunatly we got past that. 15 months and we are still going strong with no sign of stopping in sight.

My experiance with ds in Nelson BC was much better. My midwife was with me in the hospital. The nurses and LC were all over us and they let me have him right in my bed.

One thing I didn't receive formula samples in either hospital. That's good at least.

Of corse I got them in the mail.:

[Fiercemama]

I had the pleasure to hear a presentation regarding the BFHI in South Africa. They are very successfully impelementing it there, where it is provincially and federal mandated. Know why they are supporting it there? Because its cheap and it works. They do not have the resources for baby warmers, formula or artificial anything.

[cielle]

OP, that made me want to cry.

Geez, my second baby didn't get a bath for about a week after he was born.

[gentlebirthmothr]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

Wow that is just insane on so many levels! I wish all hospitals would go through baby friendly certification (www.babyfriendly.com) The hospital I had ds at is baby friendly and they were great! You had to ask for formula and pacifiers. They also told you at birth that skin to skin contact is the best way to keep baby warm. One of the nurses came in while dh was holding ds snuggled up in a blanket. The nurse told him that he could undo his shirt and snuggle up skin to skin with ds to keep him warm not just me. They also never said anything about ds sleeping in bed with me. I wish all hospitals new that much about what is best for babies!

Kristina,

2nd that.

Thank you.

[gentlebirthmothr]

Originally Posted by MarcyC

The lack of knowledge amongst medical professionals (specifically those working in the Labor & Delivery and Post Partum areas) is sad!

Marcy,

2nd that and I see that pretty much all the time while I volunteer in those departments/NICU/Womens Health as well. Business Associates as well.

Thank you.

[mamabain]

thanks for all your support and for letting me vent. i'm actually going to write a letter cuz a friend of mine works in the same network of hospitals and knows that stuff is not protocol. she's pissed too!

[Baby Makes 4]

Originally Posted by cielle

OP, that made me want to cry.

Geez, my second baby didn't get a bath for about a week after he was born.

Ditto.

Logan was born underwater so we figured he didn't need another bath. After a week or so he started to smell kind of funky so we bathed him. We were both so sad after though because he smelled like soap instead of brand new baby.

The thought of a newborn baby lying alone in a warmer, rooting and madly sucking on a pacifier makes me so sad. Actually it kind of makes me nauseous. This slow degradation of instinctual parenting starts the moment they are born. It's no wonder that most parents are so out of touch with their babies and children.