I have been reading the post on hospital routines ( although I am still a few
days behind) and the nurses who want to "take the baby" from the parent.  I
just had to respond as i work frequently in the nursery and would like to
share the other side.( this is not meant to flame anyone, just my point of
view)
   1-First bath- As a mother of your baby you may not mind holding a baby
with dried (or wet) blood on it since it is your blood, but personally I
don't want to  touch that baby without gloves on and I certainly don't want
to hold it close to my uniform which I will be wearing for the rest of my
shift. maybe it is my training as a nurse and hand washing.  I did breastfeed
both my children in the DR shortly after birth but I did have them dried off
and was happy to have them bathed afterwards.
    2-As the nursery nurse I have a responsibility (Legally) to examine that
baby for any problems.  i don't have a problem doing that in mom's room, or
any other care for that matter, but I can't fully exam the baby without
touching it or turning on a light.
    3- I wish we had more patients that wanted to keep their babies with
them.  Unfortunately most of the moms where I work send them back often.
 They have visitors or they want to sleep or they just fed them an hour ago
and they are crying.  Some babies are out with the parents all day and they
bring them back because they need a diaper change.  The parents are shown how
to change and many of them still don't do it in the hospital because the
nurses are supposed to do it and they think you are lazy if you ask them to
do it. If it gets busy in L&D RNs are taken from Nursery which can leave only
one RN for hours stuck in the nursery with one baby who's mom has sent it
back and no-one to help/check on the other mothers/babies.
     4-  I have no problem with a mother who wants to get some sleep during
the night but wants the baby brought out for all feedings.  I would never
feed a baby unles a mother requested it  ( and I do warn her of the problems
associated with supplementing and rubber nipples)or it was medically
indicated.  I do know some nurses who would, although if the mother expresses
that she doesn't want the baby to have a bottle none of the nurses would give
it one.

A question for all.  What do you do for a baby who wants to nurse very
frequently and a mother who wants to rest, doesn't want her baby with her all
the time , wants to nurse when mom wants to?  I find it very frustrating
dealing with the many moms who I work with who feel this way.  How long do we
let them cry?  I will hold them but many cry any way.  Rooming in is our
policy.  I start work at 7pm and many times when I come in their are already
babies back for the night.  As a nurse it can be difficult dealing with both
extremes.  I can't force a mother to keep her baby with her.  In fact one
nurse got in trouble because a mother complained that the nurse tried to make
her feel guilty for sending the baby back in the evening and wanting it to
stay in the nursery all night.  Administration listens a lot more to patients
then they do to staff.  I''ve rambled long enough.
Caren Goldstein RNC, IBCLC
in Central NJ

PS I just read Chanita's post from 1/30 (or 1/29-I deleted it without noting
exact date) and I could really relate to it.