Walked into work the other day to find it "littered" with formula company
stuff-- elaborate notepads, "feeding schedule calculators" (huh?) and the
like-- ack! But, what I've found as a HUGE obstacle to BF in my practice as
a PP nurse is the separation of mom and baby immediately after birth in our
nursery. Very few get the "opportunity" to nurse at delivery, and then the
babes are with ME for 2 and some hours while I complete their assessment,
take photos, etc. They're awake and "ready to go", and right about the time
they're ready to come off the warmer, they fall into a deep sleep, and are
nearly impossible to awaken. If they don't rouse w/i that golden "4 hour
period" pp, the nurses get antsy and start coming after the moms with the
glucose water. Then there's the well meaning nurses who give the babes
glucose water during the night (uncharted, of course) so's not to "disturb"
the "poor, tired moms". It makes me crazy... I know there are other
hospitals out there that don't practice mom baby separation (I delivered at
one-- I'd be da**ed if some nurse was going to tell me when I could see my
baby!), but I have my hands full just dealing with the day to day conflicts
that arise at work with the staff who don't understand/support BF to tackle
the biggies. And of course, there's the lab visits, AC vitals/ heel sticks
for just about every baby, it seems-- doctor's visits (must take place in
the nursery-- another pet peeve!), formula gift packs at discharge... oh, I
could go on and on! After this, I suspect, if a mom is secure and convicted
enough to BF when she gets home, maybe other obstacles don't seem as
pressing. :-)

Cyndi (who keeps telling herself "I love my job, I love my job...", but just
got her application for CNM school in the mail today!)