How appropriate that lactnet threads this week have been talking about
take-over behavior in medical *professionals* as I am up to my ears in it!!
I sat with a couple the other day as they were feeding EMM to their 34-35
week premature. The oxygen saturation alarm went off, I watched baby, pink
smiling up at mom. No change in behavior no color changes. The nurse came up
and grabbed the baby out of mom's arms and promptly scolded her "He's setting
off the alarms because you ARE taking too long to feed him." Then and she
shoved the bottle into his mouth she said to the baby "You bad baby you can't
do that!" What up with this picture? Oh and this is the same nurse who said
the baby was spitting up after feedings because the breastmilk was too thin.
Then were was the couple with twins one 5#9oz the other 5#7oz. It was OK to
room in and breastfeed twin A but not twin B because he was too small (???).
A nursing student followed me on rounds and listened to my instructions to
the mother.  The nurse came in and started chewing the mom out because the
baby wasn't feeding as well as *she* thought it should. The student repeated
my instructions and the nurse said *Well I DON'T agree with that*
Frustrated parents, frustrated student--frustrated LC!!!
Is the phenomenon of take over behavior limited to OB? I wonder if there
isn't something in the personalities of those who choose a Maternity setting
that lends itself to this. I find I have to remind myself to let the parent's
take control.
I am finding more and more caseloads of 8 bottles in moms rooms and mom who
feel like failures because of something the nurse said or did.
The way I see it, it's time for a breastfeeding pep talk, inservice time,
something to put them on the right track again. If only there were more hours
in the day!
Marie Davis, RN, IBCLC