I think I remember reading somewhere that it used to be standard policy in US hospitals to not feed babies at all in the first 24 hours.  I can't remember the source, though.  Maybe Dr. Newman?  Not that that's a good thing, but still.  In any case, a baby is not going to starve in 6 hours, though they may not be happy.  

Why don't they have the dad or other support person be with the baby?  Either in the NCU or the mother's room?  


Related question for the general audience: Does anyone's hospital have a policy of skin to skin in the first 1 or 2 hours, even when the mother is unconscious?  (from anesthesia)  Meaning the dad or grandma or a nurse holds the baby STS on mom.  I'm just curious; I don't work at a hospital.  


Julie Tardos

 
~~~
Ever notice how Peacekeepers carry the biggest guns?


>________________________________
> From: Mandy Schaub <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] 
>Sent: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 7:04 AM
>Subject: Supplementing for Brief Separation
> 
>I am trying to write a policy so our normal healthy newborns are not automatically sbottle fed formula in the NCU if mom has a complication during delivery.  We do not have a well baby nursery so if a mom is slept during a C/S the baby gets admitted to our NCU until she is out of recovery.  Don't get me started on why the baby doesn't just go to the room with dad, that is another problem for a different day (I'm working on that too).  In general these babies board in our NCU for around 2 hours and because they are there they are getting fed.  Our nurses feel like they need to feed them, especially if they are crying.  I'm saying no paci either.  I feel like suspending feeding for 24 hours will be too much of a shock for the nurses.  I was thinking I could set it for 6-12 hours but can't really find a reference to back up that thought.  In my mind if I say 6 hours I feel like the baby will be gone well before then.  If the baby is still around
 after 6 hours, odds are they are going to be sticking around.  Our bottle feeding policy is every 3-4 hours.  Any advice?
>
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