In searching the archives, I found the following post from 1995 which
articulates EXACTLY what I'm wanting to ask! Unfortunately, this poster didn't
receive any answers, none that I could find anyway. I'm re-posting this
message as is; our hospital routine is exactly as she describes. I would love
to hear any and all suggestions for making changes, especially in getting staff
to 'buy in' to the importance of skin-to-skin care and rooming in. In changing
delivery newborn procedures from 'efficient but not so baby/family friendly'
to 'baby/family friendly but not so efficient', I know the nurses will be
bristling. I also need some suggestions for family-centered c-section care.
I find it sad that this person was working to make these changes 12 years
ago, while our hospital is only now coming around. I don't think I'm alone
though in being able to describe immediate birth routines as is stated below:
<<<<A couple of years ago when I wrote our hospital's BF policies, babies were
staying in the LDRP rooms for between 1-2 hours, then being brought back to
the admission nursery for all the "stuff." Usually the only things done in the
room were footprints, ID bands, and vitals. Somewhat recently we went to
admitting the baby in the room, which I thought would be wonderful. *NOT!*
At the delivery I saw (no problems, prime), mom held the baby for a few
moments, then baby was moved to the warmer to get dry blankets while mom
was stitched up. :-(
So for a full 15 minutes baby lay on her back, looking at nothing, while the
nurse did vitals, bands, footprints, weighed, measured, charted, checked for
patent nares, gagged her to look at her palate, etc., etc. I'm told that the
really "efficient" nurses can also get the blood pressures, Ballard, eyes and
vitamin K done while mom is getting stitched up!!!!!!! I'm also beginning to
sense that knowing that the baby should "nurse within the first hour" has lead
to the nurses (with all good intentions) interfering more than they should--they
proudly tell me all too often that "I got that baby on the breast." I don't
think we're allowing much self-attachment here.
So anyway, what I'd like to know from those of you out there who are a bit
more baby-friendly than we are: What are your routines to allow babies time
with their parents and to attach when they're ready, and still get in all the
stuff that needs to be done? What do you do with C-section babies?
Currently ours are carried to the admission nursery by dad, and then barraged
with everything before mom gets back to her room and baby gets a chance to
try to BF. Seems to me we should be interefering with them as little as
possible, too.
I was also very interested with the idea that was mentioned at ILCA of having
mom and baby get in the tub together after delivery and mom bathing the
baby instead of the nurse doing the scrubdown in the warmer. Anybody doing
this? I guess what I'm looking for are ideas I can take to the nurses on how
we can welcome this baby kindly and gently, not interfere with feeding
behavior, and not have the nurses feel like I'm interfering with their efficiency.
Any ideas for me?
Thanks!
Becky Krumwiede
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(original poster)>>>>
Input is much appreciated!
Julie Conaway, RN, IBCLC
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