At 01:20 PM 24/02/02 -0500, Heather wrote:
>beginning to question whether some UK maternity
>units are a bit too relaxed about babies not latching on at all for
>2-3 days. I think it's good that some are less worried than they used
>to be about hypoglycaemia, and that supplementation is not routinely
>suggested just because a baby is not latching on

I share Heather's concern.  I don't know that it is quite this laid back in
most Aus materity units though.  A baby who has a normal birth (ie. not
induced, no intrapartum drugs, baby born unassisted by anything other than
his mothers efforts, then cared for skin-to-skin for at least an hour,
uninterrupted) is able to respond to his/her normal physiological
needs.  These babies don't worry me, because most have had a really decent
feed within an hour of birth before they may or may not 'pass out' for
hours and hours.

The ones I worry about are the ones from medicated, instrumental births who
won't feed for 12 - 24 hours.  Their first feed soon after birth either
didn't occur, or was not as efficient as it could have been, then they are
drugged out - whether they want to be or not, for days.  These babies
aren't able to respond to their normal physiological needs.

The birthing history of the baby should be taken into consideration when
planning its feeding care.

I'm also in total agreement with Heather that pumping ie with a pump, is a
fairly stressful thing to do to a young woman who may have given birth for
the first time within the last 12 to 24 hours.  Gently hand expressing
(easily taught to the mother) is so much less invasive of her space and the
preferred method in all the Australian maternity units I know of.

Denise


*************************************************
Denise Fisher BN, RN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.BreastEdOnline.com

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