In a message dated 98-07-20 10:04:12 EDT, you write:

<< moms that were "suspected" of marijuana use during pregnancy.
 Therefore, I was ordered very specifically (per our LC) to refuse these moms
 to breastfeed (which they very much wanted to do) until their drug screen
 and their infant's urine tested negative (could take anywhere from 12-36
 hours >>

I'm so interested in the responses about other hospitals' protocols.  How is
it that HCPs assume authority over breastfeeding?  Is it considered a medical
procedure?  Does the hospital "own" the baby in some sense?  I thought the
admission premise was that patients were *offered* services, diagnostic tests,
etc. and asked to make informed choices about which to *accept.*  Is
obstetrics different?  When one is a prisoner, er, uh, patient does she give
up control over *all* bodily functions to the judgement, schedules or whims of
the nursing staff?  Forgive the rant but my friend was recently "ordered" to
wear a bra, "given permission" to nurse every three to four hours, and then
only after the baby "proved" it could "suck properly" with a bottle of sugar
water.  This woman had nursed two children and knew better but was unwilling
to rock the boat.  Her husband worried that if they were "difficult" their
baby girl might not get good care.  I understand that if egregious conduct is
suspected the HCPs should report parents to the proper authorities so that
intervention can occur - but I assume that there is a kind of due process
involved and that the person making the report does not also decide on the
intervention.  And as for bf being prohibited because of "contraindication" -
certain drugs are contraindicated during pregnancy, but if they are taken
anyway that doesn't mean that the pregnancy should be terminated.  Just my
curious/furious $.02

Elaine Ziska, LLLL