I think I must have been a very wimpy postpartum mother though I am not
usually wimpy. I did not have a c-sec or any stitches but I really did not
want to do very much in the first few postpartum days with any of my 3
sons. I was tired and in lots of pain and visitng the bathroom was a mega
event. Luckily I had a husband there most of the time. Sometimes I worry
about our postpartum Moms and rooming in. We have, for example (inner city
hospital), c-sec Moms with roomed in babies whose husbands are not there,
often because there is no husband. Support is REALLY lacking for these
Moms. ALthough I push like crazy for rooming in policies I can't help but
remember, for example, the Mom who was in such pain with a spinal headache
that she could not move her head or neck. The baby was crying in his crib
and would not latch. Dad was at work.
The nurses do not have time to do baby care. What do you DO here? I
hesitate to post this because it sounds almost silly, but sometimes I
despair when I go to conferences etc. and I hear over and over about how
Dad can support mom here, there and everywhere, sleep in the room, etc. At
a guess I see fewer than 10% of Dads sleeping over at our facility. Help!
Anne Merewood