A few years ago I was discussing the hazards of abm with a pediatrician. She
told me that she would often find the nurses plying a baby with formula
without the mother's knowledge, usually because of concerns about the baby's
hydration ("Mom's milk isn't in...") or blood sugar (and you know
breastfeeding isn't of any use in those circumstances ;->  )  Although she
said she always felt it was an underhanded practice, she didn't interfere
because she figured the nurses knew what they were doing. :-o   She did tell
me that in her career she had seen a few babies with severe (read "could've
been fatal") allergic reactions to the abm.

With my last child, in 1988, a night nurse insisted she had to take the baby
to do a weight check. (Maybe she was curious...she earlier criticized me for
nursing the baby too much :-)  ) I argued (I'm sure they had me marked down
as a nut case) but finally relented so she would get it over with and let me
and my baby have some peace. When it seemed she was gone toooo long I walked
out the door and there she was, feeding a bottle of abm! The look on my face
must have said it all, because after making a mumbling excuse (about calming
the baby down) she handed me my baby and when she returned the bassinet to
my room there was a large sticker attached that read: "NO BOTTLES"

Changing directions a bit: I was ill one day this past week and turned into
a couch potato. One of the morning talk shows had a discussion of infant
abduction from US hospitals. The designated expert set forth guidelines to
prevent baby theft and right there at the top of the list was "Keep your
baby with you at all times while in the hospital."

Another, albeit grim, reason to advise rooming in. And, it's harder for an
interloper to sneak a bottle of abm...

Margery Wilson, IBCLC
six more weeks of winter, eh?