I also work in an institution where babies are forced to eat, in our case
within 6 hours yet our public relations people have begun to use the words
"Birthing Center" to describe our well decorated but medically backward
Maternal Child Unit. I have nothing profound to say, just that we set them
up for failure and then blame the mother.  We medicate the moms, separate
"sick" babies within 30" and "well" babies within 90", treat heal sticks of
45 as hypoglcemia from the first minutes of life,  put babies under heat
lamps to get them warm enough to dip them in water and roughly scrub their
delicate newborn skin.  Then we toast em up again, restrain them in mummy
wraps, lay them on their backs and wheel them out to their moms.  THEN we
give the moms the  # 1 RULE, don't walk in the hall holding your baby, in
our hospital's culture for some reasong that is a big no no.  Then an hour
later (when it is close to 6 hours since birth) we come back in and berate
mom because baby hasn't eaten YET.  Now, depending on the sympathies of the
staff member involved they apply wet washcloths, bottles or press the still
mummified baby forcefully near mother's flat nipple.  Oh, did I mention that
if mom's nipple doesn't stick out on its own ALL the time it is flat?  Then
if it is the 8 hours of 24 when an LC is on duty they report to us LCs that
baby so and so must feed by hour X or will have to be supplemented, all the
while expecting to be congratulated for the grand effort made to support
breastfeeding.  We take the babies back to the nursery for vital signs, for
hearing tests, for the circumcision, for the pediatricians exam.  When the
procedures are done the babies are most often parked for varying lengths of
time before getting back out to mom.  Our staff has been "un-couple",
meaning we have mother nurses and baby nurses once again.  This is felt to
be a good thing.  The moms come in with their own deficits.  Many don't take
classes or bother to read, they think they will "TRY" breastfeeding, they
ask for their epidurals in the lobby, they want to visit and talk on the
phone and get their sleep.  They don't question routines and they don't
question their doctors.  Its a wonder anyone succeeds in breastfeeding in
these circumstances but many do.  That keeps me going.  Plus I've been
working with mothers and babies for 19 years and I can see changes over
time.  It did used to be worse, we do make a difference.  I remember when it
was forbidden to pump an engorged mom because she would "just make more" and
when one couldn't ask "do you want to feed your baby tonight" because babies
belong in the nursery at night, all night, bottle feeding.  I remember test
bottles of sterile water followed by glucose water for all babies.  I
remember being counceled by my head nurse to NEVER bring up "La Lech".  Oh
my, I must stop or I'll never work again.

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