Confidentiality regulations prevent mom's first name being placed on the
information board at the nurse's desk or on the door to the room.  I
often use the crib card as a crutch to tell me the mother's and baby's
name at a glance (finding the chart is too time consuming--someone is
probably using it.  When I get to the part of a sentence that requires
me to use "he," "she" or "the baby," I can glance at the color coded
crib card and fill in the correct pronoun.  When there are two cribs in
a room, it is important to know which one belongs to which baby.  (A
safe place is required while mom goes to the bathroom or takes a
shower.)

Sometimes babies must be in the nursery if mom or baby is sick or moms
is too exhausted and medicated to feel safe listening for the baby and
no friend or family member is available to care for her baby.  In the
nursery, if two babies are being held by staff members, it is important
to know that the baby's band matches the crib into which he is returned.

Bonnie Jones, RN, ICCE, IBCLC
from the sunny S.W. USA