> If this was my baby I would get my partner to:
>
> 1. Make a sign for the incubator outlining the "feeding plan."
> 2. Write up the prior incident(s) and the "feeding plan" giving copies to
> both the head nurse, the head neonatologist and my baby's doctor and using
> this opportunity to make the "feeding plan" clear. Have a few copies of
> the
> plan to hand out to others if needed.
> 3. Bring in one of those newer camping chairs which fold out into a lounge
> get real comfortable and start making a joking comments about how, "I might
> need to camp out for a day or two with my baby so I can be sure that the
> feeding plan is understood..."
> 4. Contact the nurse caring for my infant at the beginning of every shift
> just to make sure she was informed regarding the "feeding plan" and to
> emphasize how the breastfeeding "feeding plan" benefits my child and how
> the
> use of alternative plans using bottles and formula can interfere with my
> infant's health and welfare. And it would be sooo sad if you "just had to
> have to write her/him up. "5. In all interactions either be "humbly
> apologetic", sad, or
> joking--avoiding anger.
> 6. Apologize to the nurses for having to "write them up".
> 7. Thank the nurses regularily for caring for my child especially when they
> do follow your plan.
>
> As the mother however my greatest area of effort would be to focus on making
> milk!!!!
>
> Hope that these ideas or some adaptation are found helpful. Maybe someone
> on
> Lactnet will have a variation that might be even more effective.
> Disclaimer: I personally have not ever worked in a NICU except very briefly
> with an occasional breastfeeding mom. This is simply, " a version of what
> I
> would do as a mother of a premie in this situation."
>
> Chris Betzold NP IBCLC
I had sent a response to the OP on this, saying that I wasn't so much of an
expert as many here, and just giving tips on what I experienced as a mother.
I'm thinking even jokingly, some of these things would kind of upset the
nurses, who in turn would take it out on the baby. While camping out next to
the baby is actually a good idea-I should know..I did it for 25 days
straight, I think I'd leave out the "I'm here to.." and just be there to be
with/care for the baby. When you have a ababy in the NICU you ave to have
such faith in the nurses and develop a trusting relationship. Once something
goes awry, you don't want that particular nurse near your baby again. There
was one nurse who I refused to allow near my babies (she was more interested
in her magazines than in them)
Here is my emailed response to the OP. After thinking about it and seeing
this, I thought maybe someone could use some of my info.
My suggestions for this mother are to first of all make it clear "NO
BOTTLES" they have ways of kind of saying, oh they're good for a baby, we'll
do it. Unless you are very clear, they will just do it. She could put a no
bottles sticker on the isolette.
Next, being a leader app. she probalby knows this, but it's hard to remember
when it's you in the situation. She needs to be sure to pump every 2-3 hours.
If she's nursing the baby sometimes she could nurse, then pump. THis means
usually getting up and leaving the NICU which is hard to do, but it's just
somethign you have to do.
It sounds like you said she did tell them she'd be there to nurse. What I did
was to tell everyone and their brother when I'd be in. For example. at night
when I was going to leave I'd tell that nurse that I'd be in at whatever time
in the AM to nurse and ask her to tell the night nurse to tell the morning
nurse and so forth. Then, I'd call and tell the night nurse I'd be in in the
AM and then I'd call and tell the AM nurse that I was coming in now. I know,
it sounds goofy, but I did!
You mentioned they got a finger feeder. I know in the big hosp sometimes they
do act less than thrilled abou them. Twin a stayed in the NICU for 15 days
and I had them leave in a the NG tube up until the day i went to nest and
take him home. THey used it whenever I wasn't there. Twin b ended up moving
to a smaller hosp after 20 days where they insisted on pulling the NG tube.
We fought about the bottle thing, but I insisted they were NOT to bottle him
and I got my way. THey cup fed him (the little medela cups) or finger fed. He
never got a bottle. Some hosp are Very anxious to pull that NG.
ANother thing, I know she's worn out and has other kids and such, but I made
a point of being there to nurse as much as I possibly could. I got there at 6
am and stayed till after the 9 feeding. So, they only got to feed him 2 times
at night. It was more nursing practice and less chances for them to sneak a
bottle. Yes, it was exhausting and a lot on our family, but it was worth it.
Also, it doesn't sound liek her baby's stay will be long at all, so the
sooner she can get him to all oral feeds, the sooner he'll get home!
Teresa
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
