Nikki,
I fully understand what you're saying--
"I remember in the early 90s, the new mother and her significant
other got
a fancy dinner, with a tablecloth and a selection of nice entree, on
the
night before hospital discharge; this was at Osteopathic Hospital,
before the time
when medicine went corporate in Philadelphia. That might have been
the nicest
dinner a new set of parents would have for quite a while!"


When I had my babies over 30 years ago there wasn't anything except
the packets of ads, coupons etc. for various baby products.  I do
recall going home with a 4-pack of formula, but without all the
other frills in the guise of "breastfeeding support".  By the time I
started working in OB (in the 80's), the special dinner was
popular.  Sometimes this was held in mom's room and sometimes in a
special room.  Unfortunately, parents were often encouraged to send
baby to the nursery so they could have this special time
uninterrupted (and it was required if the parents went off the OB
unit for the dinner).  Even when moms stayed 3-4 days, it was
sometimes hard to schedule the dinner and more and more opted for a
small token gift that was offered in its place.  As earlier and
earlier discharges became the norm, most hospitals opted for some
kind of gift rather than the dinner.  Where I work, it has varied
from a ceramic bootie with the birth data on it to a special picture
frame to a tote bag and a packet with a baby cap, thermometer and
baby nail filing pad.  Of course, these all have the hospital name
on them so they are still a form of advbertising and not a "pure"
gift, in my opinion.

Again, I don't have a problem with these.  What really bugs me is
the mom that hands the nurse several coupons which tell her to be
sure to ask for her "going home gift" which is, of course the lovely
formula sample diaper bag!  I suspect the coupons mailed to mom in
time to get to her before delivery are the formula companies counter
to those hospitals who have stopped doing their advertising for them
(i.e. giving out the sample bags).  Too many moms come in expecting
that these coupons mean they have a God-given right to go home with
the "gift" and the hospital comes across as the "bad guy" for not
"honoring" the coupons!

Winnie

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