I work in an LDRP, which means barring any complications, mother and baby 
are NOT separated at all. The only things we do to babies in that first 
hour are weight the baby (scale comes into the room), and give 
erythromycin eye ointment and the vitamin K shot. We are permitted to 
delay the eye ointment and vitamin K  for an hour anyway, if the parents 
wish. We have to do a full set of vitals every 30 minutes but that can be 
done with mother holding/ feeding the baby anyway. We do a full assessment 
when we do the bath (which is done in Mom's room as well).

We are recovering Mom at the same time anyway, and it is no big deal. I 
realize, however, that different hospitals have different philosophies and 
all and some places could never become flexible like what I have described 
above. Not all places have nurses that are cross-trained three ways as we 
are. 

For example, if all my labor charting is done before the birth (which is 
rare), I need about 2 hours to complete my recoveries on Mom and baby as 
well as all my assessments and paperwork.

All we can do as educators is make our parents-to-be aware of what their 
options are and then let them take the responsibility for looking for what 
they want.

Betsy Riedel RNC, IBCLC
Connecticut

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