We've had this arrangement since 1990 on my unit, adopted after several
staff visited a hospital in Stockholm where it was implemented already.  We
will never give it up.  The Norwegian word for it is siesta.  I think most
people do realize it is Spanish :-)   Ours is from two to four in the
afternoon, so it encompasses a change of shift and allows for fewer
disturbances during report.

The most difficult part is being polite to the visitors, and reminding
yourself that although you yourself have explained to 999 other visitors
previously why we have the siesta, and why we can't just go open the door a
crack and see whether their acquaintance is actually sleeping, the person in
front of you has never heard it before and thus deserves a friendly, polite
but very very firm response from you too.  "This is the only time of day
when the mothers are guaranteed they will not be disturbed, and since they
may be up half the night feeding, they really need this time to rest."  

Our doctors are seldom underfoot on postpartum and they generally manage to
get the necessary visits in during the other 14 hours of the day and
evening.  Housekeeping is organized so that the cleaners do the mothers'
rooms in the morning, and the common areas such as our dining room,
midwives' station, etc during the siesta.  Or, they may have more than one
ward to clean, and the do the other ward during our siesta.  It's not a
problem.  There is a lot of pressure on us to get all our bits done before
the siesta and it is totally accepted to leave tasks for evening staff to
do, rather than try to be amazingly efficient at the expense of the mother
getting to rest.  We have the option for fathers to room in on the ward, but
even if they don't, they are welcome during siesta if the reason they are
there is to hold the baby and bring it straight to mother if need be, but to
let her sleep, safe in the knowledge that baby is being cared for by someone
who loves it as much as she does if not.  

Now it is so ingrown that most people are aware of it and respect it.
Experienced mothers have no trouble understanding the purpose of it and they
explain it to the first-timers.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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