There was a posting on facebook about a pregnant woman and partner who were not allowed to marry by social workers and whose baby will be put in foster care because she is deemed as not intelligent enough to be married or have a child. Just wondering if breastfeeding advocates will take up her cause?
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of heather
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 9:16 AM
Subject: Re: UK shows real commitment to BF
>So - in order to commit to breastfeeding - what is done about
>separating mothers and babies - not allowing moms to have their own
>babies and breastfeed?? Same issue here about mothers who are
>prisoners - what is done in our system to promote bonding and
>breastfeeding - when we KNOW better?
Fortunately not an issue in the UK, and has not been for about 30 years when 'rooming in' became the norm. My first baby is almost 30 years old and then, usual practice was to offer a night in the nursery the first night, though many mothers refused it.
Routinely, mothers and babies are kept together on the postnatal ward at all times. I don't know of any hospital that has a nursery for well babies.
Most well babies are put skin to skin with their mothers immediately after birth - including the ones who have said they don't want to bf.
You have to 'opt out' of skin to skin.
Those of us working in bf support want to see skin to skin extended to all post-section babies and for skin to skin to be routine in bed with the mother whenever it is possible.
If a baby needs special care or other treatment, it's still routine for the mother to be encouraged to stay close and it's more and more common for kangaroo care to be encouraged for these babies.
I am not directly familiar with what goes on in prisons, but indirectly, I have learnt that in prisons with mother and baby units, where possible, mothers and babies are kept close and not separated.
I am a member of the UK Association for Infant Mental Health and this summer we had a great presentation by Tessa Baradon about this
project:
http://www.annafreudcentre.org/pip_outreach.htm#nb
My own organisation, NCT, has been involved with pregnant women and the mother and baby unit at London's Holloway prison, as are other organisations, and I have read reports from my colleagues working there. Breastfeeding and staying close to the baby is encouraged and
enabled. Here's a recent newspaper piece about life in Holloway:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/life-style/real-life/2009/08/25/babies-behind-bars-what-motherhood-inside-is-really-like-115875-21623831/
I do think the importance of no separation is part of the furniture in the UK.
However, there is a powerful cultural pressure to assess feeding adequacy with how long the baby stays asleep, and how willing he is to sleep separately from his mother.
Do my UK colleagues agree?
Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
