>This notion that parents should be educated and informed is important.
However, how can we expect parents to be proactive when they have
no power? And how much is the right amount to know? When was the last
time you saw a parent with power acting from a position of strength
and knowledge?
And how can we expect a lay person to be as knowledgeable as
needed to make good decisions?
What happens when a parent decides to go home? They get harassed,
scared, and made to sign a release saying that they are leaving
against medical advice. If their choice is upsetting enough, the
medical staff will bring in the lawyers or social services to force
the parent to yield.<
It doesn't even have to be a medical emergency.
When my younger daughter decided to take advantage of the hospital's
OWN early-release programme - 12 hour after birth - she was hassled
beyond belief.
After both she and the baby were given the medical all-clear, a
wheelchair was brought to her room. Her husband, her sister, her
father and I were all present, so there was clear indication that she
had adequate family support.
As we approached the nurses station, we were stopped by a nurse who
told us that the baby would not be allowed to leave until my daughter
had completed an interview with a particular doctor. (I still have no
clear idea of his status.) At this point, security guards stepped
forward! Apparently, the proceedure was to ensure the safety of the
baby because the parents were on Medicaid! of course it took a while -
almost two hours - for the doctor to appear. He sat down with her to
talk about child care, emphasising that the baby HAD to sleep in a
crib, and gave her the most completely erroneous advice about
breastfeeding I have ever heard in my life. Just as I thought he was
winding down, he went into a diatribe about the importance of the baby
getting VitD supplements. I will never know how I managed to keep my
mouth shut, except that I KNEW that the most important thing was to
get her out of there ASAP.
My daughter was lucky. She grew up in LLL, was in contact with local
Leaders, and lucked out in her randomly-assigned midwife. She knew
what kind of birth she wanted - and got it - and how she was going to
mother her babies. I can only imagine the effect this kind of
treatment has on other young mothers.
warmly, norma
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