> Chris Mulford posted:
> Kay Hoover has received a request from a hospital in Philadelphia wanting
to
> know if there are any hospitals that transport mother and baby together
from
> L & D to postpartum.
>
> I've written to Kay, but the query makes me wonder: how ELSE would you
> transport them??

Rachel: Would that we could do it your way. Here's how it happens in my
hospital. No, this will NOT help Kay Hoover. She could get good info from
Boston Medical or any other BFHI hospital.

The baby goes (in a plastic box/crib mounted on a chrome frame with supply
drawer & wheels) to Transition Nursery. Standard stay is to 4-6 hours post
birth. Baby is placed under a warmer, monitored, washed, given the mandated
hearing test, placed back in the open crib again if baby can maintain body
temp, monitored more until the magic 4-6 hours have passed. Then it's out
to mom. Baby can go OTM earlier if she has indicated Breast Only. If
there's any hint on paper or verbally from the L&D RN's report, that mom
ever indicated B&B, baby often gets a bottle if he seems hungry or his
blood sugar drops.

Meanwhile, mom gets to shower & eat. She goes to postpartum in a wheelchair
& is monitored by PP RNs, & awaits arrival of her baby. Meanwhile she
watches a 30 minute teaching video covering baby care, establishing
paternity, maternal nutrition, & bottle/breastfeeding. Many moms sleep
through the video or ignore it while talking with family.

C/S moms go back to L&D for recovery, & baby, after being shown to mom,
goes directly to Trans Nsy. I don't know if mom must be 'stable' or
'recovered' before she is wheeled on a bed to her PP room. Baby goes OTM
after mom is able to get herself out of bed & tend to baby; earlier if
there's another adult there to watch baby. BFing is dicey & entirely
depends on how mom feels. Some BF right away (baby may have gotten 1-2
bottles of formula before that). Others seem completely incapacitated by
the surgery, pain (despite regular monitoring & medicating) & feeling ill &
never BF the baby.

A couple of times I have asked hosp staff if any mom has ever BF'd in the
OR. The response is that "deer in the headlights" look. The concept in not
in their sphere of understanding.

There are a lot of doctors who are vocal about their dislike of the
Transition Nsy, but the ones with the Power, the Neos, and the Nursery
RN-Mgr, think it's a grand plan.

Even if they go down the same hall at the same time, mom is in the
wheelchair & baby is in the wheeled crib. It's 'liability issues' that
require baby to be in the crib when moving. Mom is never allowed to walk
anywhere with baby in her arms. It's too dangerous for baby. Mom may
suddenly pass out & drop baby. No other family members are allowed to walk
around with baby in arms either. It's a security/anti-kidnapping issue.
People in street clothes can be Anyone. Even at discharge, baby is secured
into the legally mandated car seat, mom again rides in the wheel chair with
this car seat/baby on her lap, and she is pushed by hosp staff down to the
car.

How close to you think WE are to Official Baby Friendly?

Phyllis


--- Phyllis Adamson, IBCLC, RLC
--- Glendale, AZ, USA
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