Jean (one of our most valued Lactnetters ever), says:
<<It strikes me that in the late 1940's on through the mid-70's and beyond
when I had occasion to have direct access to the delivery rooms. most of
the babies I saw born (now in their 60's down through late 30's), when their
heads were just born through the consistent use of forceps, were
"assaulted" in the mouth and throat with a rubber bulb syringe roughly applying
vacuum in the vicinity of their palates and uvulas, then after being birthed,
had their cords clamped and cut ASAP, held upside down by their ankles held
in one hand by the doctor as with the other hand he/she paddled them
barehanded on their buttocks to make them cry vigorously (to benefit their
lungs;-(, then given a scrubbing-to-remove-the-vernix type sponge bath right
there in the a/c delivery room, whether or not they were somewhat blue from the
cold stress despite their constant loud lung "exercise", even for a short
trial period, circumcised after their bath, then swaddled tightly so they
could not move their extremities, no hats over their soft spots till the
early 70's, then put alone in a bassinet, for "observation', kept NPO for 12+
hours, many times turned either on their side or frankly turned on their
tummies for hours while swaddled tightly!! When there were brought out for
their mothers to hold, depending on what shift the birth occurred, the
mothers were strictly warned not to unwrap the because of potential for
infection!>>
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Oh Jean, this brings tears to my eyes -- not only because I was one of the
"victims" of this sort of birthing, but also of the CIO generation -- and
the "feed on a schedule" (10-2-6-10) generation. No wonder my mother only
lasted 10 days....I guess I can rejoice that I at least got a smidge of
colostrum (mixed with whatever they added in the hospital).
Most of the babies I cared for when I was in nursing school were kept NPO
for 24 hours. It dropped to about 12 hours in the 70's -- hard to believe
now that my eldest daughter, born in 1974, was NPO for 12 hours, given water
then, and finally brought to me to breastfeed at 16 hours. For the first
time. Amazing I had any milk with her!!
What a change 4 years later when I birthed my second daughter in a
"birthing room." (Actually a labor room made into a birthing room by virtue of
the fact that (a) I wouldn't leave and (b) I put posters on the walls....(uh,
yes, I worked there as well), and who breastfed after delivery before we
were moved to postpartum.
BUT -- it does bring up one thing. Despite not feeding our babies for 24
hours, we were still able to put men on the moon and invent the internet and
the WWW and toilets that flushed and refrigerators that refrigerated. So
I do try to remind nurses to stop getting their panties in a wad when the
baby who has nursed beautifully in delivery decides she wants to sleep for 6
hours. IT'S OK, FOLKS!!
And, it's OK to pick the baby up when she cries -- or even before that.
It's OK to "wear" your baby in a sling. It's OK to nurse on demand....and
on and on....but I'm preaching to the choir.
Amazing how many parents don't really know that yet, isn't it?
So for all you young'uns that think we aren't making any progress, it is
helpful to look back at those of us that are the old'uns, and see how far we
have come....
And yet so far to go....
Jan Barger RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA
Lactation Education Consultants
_www.lactationeducation.com_ (http://www.lactationeducation.com/)
Wheaton IL
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