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From:
sally myer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 27 Oct 2003 09:06:21 -0800
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With progress in some places and  limited progress in others and many
still hampered by  routine, one wonders why are we so slow to  move with
what is  more effective. Why are we so resistant   about keeping mothers
and babies together when babies and mothers can be cared for together more
effectively in most cases??

That is a phenomenon that baffles me.  I've been an RN in the US for 20+ years and
worked a few different areas within hospitals-mother/baby and
labor/delivery, medical-surgical, emergency room/critical care, pediatrics.
My personal perception is in no other area of health care is advancement
away from old routines and old beliefs so resisted as it is when it comes to
the care of women having babies.   Practices are most commonly based on "how
we've always done it" even when there is research to show it isn't most
healthy.  It's frustrating to those of us who want to do the right thing.
And what shocks me about it most is it can't be said it's only a
male-control issue because there are many women who resist change just as much, even more in some cases.
I came across a book called Organizational Change:  Theory and Practice by W
Warner Burke that might be helpful.  The description on Amazon.com says in part:  Organizations
change internally at a much slower pace than the external environments in
which they function, and must continually evolve to keep pace. Further,
these environments are in constant flux and challenge the assumption of
continuity on which organizations are created and developed. Now more than
ever, there is a clear need for a greater understanding of how to
understand, lead, manage, and change organizations.  
From that description it appears that it's not only health care.  Maybe those interested and in a position to push for change in their setting should read this book.  Clinical health care is largely led by people trained in medicine/nursing who have no training in business practices which contributes to the problem I think.  It can't be ignored though that, in the US, medicalized birth practices are part of our culture's rituals.  An interesting book about this issue is Birth As an American Rite of Passage by Robbie-Davis Floyd. 
Sally Myer
 




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