Hi - Spending the weekend catching up on my reading.

Up until a couple of years ago, I worked in Maternity Units all over the
country.  (Travelling nurse and just plain moving from one state to another).
 I was amazed by the tenacity of those "old time rules" carried through from
one hospital to another.  In almost every case, I was told the mothers
shouldn't be bothered at night more than was necessary - babies shouldn't go
out more often than every three hours - the cribs "made too much noise being
pushed through the halls, so leave the babies in the nursery as much as
possible" - the mother "doesn't have any milk yet" so the baby needs a
bottle...ad infinitum, ad nauseum!

Except for one delightful LDRP in Waynesboro, PA (where rooming in usually
meant sleeping with Mom), I got in trouble in each and every hospital for
encouraging early breastfeeding, "delaying" care of the brand new newborn,
and encouraging Moms to keep their babies.  I look back at some of my
sessions with the powers that be and shudder that these were the ones
responsible for setting policies.  But, on the brighter side, some of the
nurses were already pushing for parent's rights long before I got there, and
a few (I'd like to think) listened to what I had to say and started pushing
for them as well.

So there are those nurses who do function as nurturers and facilitators,
rather than as anal retentive tyrants.  All you have to do is to find them.
 And empower them.  And nurture them.  Go to it!

Donna L. Coe RN IBCLC