Susan
First I am a strong advocate for breastfeeding and support the mothers
and would encourage breastfeeding in the OR but let me answer some of
your questions as I think the OR team would see it.
So to respond to some of your questions.
First your husband is not sterile, he is considered clean unless he did
a 10 minute scrub, and put on a sterile surgical gown which I don't
believe most hospital have the dad do. They usually just have them put
on a pair of scrubs, boots, and a hat.
Second I am sure your husband is not a moron but I am sure you know not
all people have average IQ's. So we have the husband sit beside the
mother until the babe is delivered then he is given the baby after the
baby is given a ~30 sec check in the crib in the OR by the attending
pediatrician. The dad then is allowed to carry the baby over to the
mother and she gets to touch it etc. The mom usually has O2 going per
nasal cannula which does not interfere with anything.
Third After the mother is sutured, the mother is given the baby and the
"family" goes back to the LDRP room accompanied by the circulator nurse
and the anesthesia . The dad holds the baby while the mother is
positioned in bed and then the Lactation consultant is called to help
the mother attach the baby. The baby is not washed; nothing is done
until after that first nice long feed.
Of course if there is a problem with the baby, all of the above goes out
the window and the baby is rushed to the NICU unit. Even if the mother
is having trouble the dad can be in the OR with the mother. We do not
exclude the dad at all at any time. If the dad is squeamish then someone
else may attend the c-section.
I know things are done differently in 3rd world countries but we are
happy to have progressed this far and continue to make baby steps.
Our anesthesia staff is very supportive of breastfeeding and a few years
ago, one of the anesthesiologist co- authored with me a pamphlet on
dental surgery when breastfeeding.
Thanks for allowing me to more fully explain what happens at our
hospital.
Jan Aken
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lactation Information and Discussion
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan E. Burger
> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 12:44 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Nursing right after C-section
>
> I have to say, that I still am shocked at how backwards the US medical
> system handles normal processes like birthing and breastfeeding after
my
> many years working in developing countries. The US has one of the
highest
> infant mortality rates of any developed country and should be ashamed
of
> that, but instead we brag about our wonderful health care system that
fewer
> people can afford.
>
> No offense to Jan Aken who has to cope with her hospital procedures,
but I
> am appalled that it could even exist that MOST HOSPITALS in the US
wouldn't
> allow nursing right away after a C-section. With C-section rates >
30% adn
> climbing (and I wouldn't be surprised if it is much higher in
Manhattan
> where I work), one would have a hard time claiming that most of these
are
> emergency situations. The literature just does not support that
conclusion.
>
> Although I started in the in-hospital birthing center, after 27 hours
of
> unmedicated labor, water breaking, meconium staining, camel back
> contractions, no descent, 2 cm dilation, and the final clincher of the
heart
> rate slowing once medications were started, I had a C-section. My
> obstetrician gave me a half hour to decide and everything was handled
in a
> very calm orderly manner. My husband held our son first and he was
given to
> me within 15 minutes after the C-section. I'm not even sure they
washed
> him. And I have to say, once out of the birthing center, the hospital
where
> I delivered is not what I would call progressive in terms of
breastfeeding.
> They don't even teach cupfeeding.
>
> Oh, just so you know why he was stuck up there so tight and not
descending,
> his head was turned sideways and he was coming out ear first. There
was a
> brief moment of silence when I was opened up when they saw his odd
position.
>
> There are several things I don't understand:
>
> 1) My husband was put into surgical scrubs and so he couldn't
contaminate
> the field, because he was rendered sterile.
> 2) He was given our son and walked around to the "nonsurgical field"
(i.e.
> the other side of the sheet) and stayed there. He's not a moron, he
had no
> interest in watching them stitch me up and he wouldn't have gone back
anyway
> had they been worried about that.
> 3) My breasts were NOT in the surgerical field so why would putting a
baby
> to the breast be an issue?
> 4) My son was not cold because he was where he was meant to be against
my
> skin! He warmed up right away. There is a wide body of literature to
support
> this. And, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you
can
> just put a blanket over mom and baby if they are too cold!
>
> Good grief, makes me want to go back to the Dem. Rep. of Congo where I
> watched have her seventh C-section (no electricity - so I have no clue
how
> they managed the anesthesia) because I was interested and knew all the
> doctors in town. That woman seems to have been given more
consideration for
> the needs of her infant than most infants in the US are given after
their
> mothers have been subjected to a C-section (many times iatrogenically
> induced by unwarrented medical procedures). She nursed beautifully
afterwards.
>
> Really I am so glad I don't work in a hospital and hats off to all of
you
> who do. I used to do hospital visits when moms would call and ask me
to
> come in, but I now only do it under duress. I'd rather mop up after
the
> iatrogenically-induced problems when mom is at home and more
comfortable
> than have to keep my mouth shut about procedures that just don't make
sense.
>
> Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC
>
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