We, too, have dozens of visitors in moms' rooms, many are there waiting when
she is brought up from L & D!  One thing that I do that seems to help is to
ask mom who will be giving them the most support in the early weeks.  Then I
include those people (everyone else is urged to go eat!) in the teaching with
the first nursing.  If there is a grandma or other person who just "can't
keep their hands off", I give them something to do...gently check the baby's
lips for flanging, make sure mom is comfortable and not hunching over baby,
etc.  It seems so much easier to include them in the basic teaching than
trying to counter their advice every time I leave the room!  We don't hang
signs on moms' rooms except in the case of a baby in the NICU and mom is
pumping, during which time we give her a "Mom is breastfeeding, please come
back later" sign for use during pumping times.  I feel that some kind of sign
is a HUGE red flag for all those "helpful" personnel who think their way is
better; you know, those that grab mom's breast and baby's head and force them
together!!  Those are the staff that I wish would just call me whenever
someone says "breast"!!

Kathy Parkes, RN, IBCLC
San Antonio, TX