I had written a reply yesterday but I guess I pushed the wrong button because
it was never sent & now I can't find it (?????) so let's see if I can get
another one written.

As a LLL leader I hear from moms who are sent home after 24 hours who are
tired, sore, confused, emotional and many times have little help at home.
 These moms are already frustrated and confused and tossing in pumps, sns's
and all the instructions and work that go with them only serves to lead them
straight to the formula from the hospital gift pack.

My view is that a lot of babies are sleepy for the first 24-48 hours after
delivery, yes even with epidurals!  I suggest that moms try to wake the baby
and nurse it every 2 hours.  I give tips for rousing a sleeping baby and what
she can do to keep it awake.  I also give her the list of things to look for
to be sure baby is getting enough.  It seems that most babies begin to
respond better by day 2 or 3 but if not then some intervention may be
neccessary and an assessment of the situation is needed.

We can't teach breastfeeding in 24 hours in the hospital.  It should be
taught in advance just as childbirth preperation is.  It appears things will
be getting worse with the proposed 6-8 hour pp d/c's--but that's another soap
box.

If moms are educated before the baby comes on what to expect then she can be
her own advocate and make her own informed decisions.  Once upon a time
enemas and shaving were hospital policies and rooming in was unheard of.
 There's always hope!

Good Luck
Diane Karnbach