Dear friends,

Nikki Lee´s requested for info regarding bedding in on postpartum wards. In
Finland we have no official policy for or against bedsharing, but as in
neighbouring countries Sweden and Norway, it is widely practised. We still
have the clear plastic cots on wheels in most places. Some mothers prefer
them, but as Rachel said baby often end up next to mother anyway.
On our ward we still have a few old hospital beds in use with no rails, and
then we use baby´s sheeted blanket crosswise with one end well under the
baby, and the other end well up under mothers arm (Others put the sheet
under mother, but that wont allow for skincontact, and baby is then often
too far from mom for good positioning). On our ward we don´t have double
width beds, but I know that they are found in other (more progressive)
hospitals.

I have been wondering whether a policy is needed, as we did have an
unfortunate incident where a small baby fell out of bed unto the floor; the
baby was on mother´s tummy under bililights and rolled off, when mother
dropped off to sleep (no damage fortunately). Also during my last nightshift
I noticed one mother (fortunately very slim mother) sleeping back-to-back
with her baby in a normal singleperson bed not having lifted up the rails,
though rails were there. Another time a very obese mother was sleeping on
her back with her baby next to her also in a single bed, but so deeply that
she didn´t wake up even when I touched her to wake her up. I actually had
to "shake" her awake. All three incidents in the "red zone" of co-sleeping:
baby not secured proporly, back-to-back and obesity.

On the UK BFHI website I found a sample bedsharing policy. We shall be
looking into whether we want/need something like this. I am very pro
co-sleeping, have enjoyed it with my own children, but have perhaps become
aware of need to guide mothers/parents to safe(r) practises.

http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/pdfs/bedsharingpolicy.pdf

Regards from a snowy eastern Finland

Merete Willis, midwife

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