Rachel says:

"What is the staff afraid is going to happen if mother and baby are left in
peace for another 12 hours?" 
 
Well, in the US - we don't see them again!  That's what we're afraid of!  

The moms and babies are discharged within 24 hours -  so early that nurses
and doctors feel the need to rush what could be a totally normal "I'm taking
a break and learning how to deal with this new planet I'm in." 

Mom and baby will be away from any Health Care Provider - many indigent moms
like the ones I work with, don't have access to early post-discharge
appointments.  Some Health Maintenance Organizations have "baby clubs" where
moms come back, but transportation, family stress, etc.  can make this
appointment unpredictable. 

Our hospital home visiting program has almost been decimated due to budget
cuts, and the public health department cannot guarantee early visits by
Public Health Nurses.  

Hospital staff know all this - and know that breastfed babies are more
likely to have problems with weight loss, jaundice, etc.  So the response, a
pre-emptive "feed the baby," occurs very early in their stay.  

THE SYSTEM in the US needs to be fixed!  Mothers and babies deserve better! 

My niece in Austria was in the hospital for 5 days then had a home visitor
at first daily and later on weekly for over 6 weeks - she helped them not
only with breastfeeding, but also with umbilical care, the first bath, etc.


Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA

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