I have just finished my third morning of taking students into three
different institutions for their clinical experience for the Breastfeeding
course.  It is so clear to me that the practices both in labour and delivery
and in the early postpartum period are directly responsible for poor
feeding, latch, suck, and sleepy baby syndrome, and of course eventual
failure to BF!

Mothers have complained about not being allowed to nurse their infant
following C/S. A mother with an infant who had hypoglycemia was on an IV
being stuffed full of formula Mom had to BF in nursery only, babe not
interested in breastfeeding at all and mother waivering about whether this
is the route to go.  Infants being brought out from the nursery for the
first feed at 4 and 5 hours of age, of course they will not wake up and this
sends such a discouraging message to the mother. I could go on and on. Not
to mention the attitude from some of the nursery nurses who are very
threatened by us (I would get rid of all nurseries in level 1 hospitals).
These nurses  actively sabotage us by taking babies back to the nursery and
getting a bottle in the babies mouth so fast it would leave you realing just
because "the mother does not have enough milk!".

One hospital, the worst, the Manager proudly told me all her nurses were
certified in breastfeeding, they had a four hour course and received a nice
little certificate, unfortunately she just does not see what is going on at
the practice level.  One of the mothers we had today had attended a
breastfeeding class I had given through the health department.  The nurses
had given her incorrect information which confused her, fortunately my
student was able to reinforce the information I had given her previously,
but how many go home totally confused?

I will be doing this again next week end so I am sure I will be ventilating
again.

Susan Moxley IBCLC
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