I just took a lovely weekend away with my husband on the Oregon coast,
and returned to work to discover I had missed a birth. That disappointed
me enough, but when I went to see the mom on Monday morning I was even
more upset. Next to her bed were a bottle of formula and a bottle of
glucose water!! She said the baby wanted to nurse all the time (8 lb 11
oz and HUNGRY) so she gave her a bottle so she could have a break. I
reassured her that her milk would soon be in, and encouraged her not to
give the baby any more bottles because of nipple confusion. I told her
that even if she felt the baby needed formula (which of couse she really
didn't) it would be better not to use a bottle. She was surprised that
there were any other ways to give a baby formula. I'm not upset with the
mom, of course, but with the nursing staff at our "baby-friendly
hospital"!!!
--
Anne Montgomery, M.D.
[log in to unmask]