As important breastfeeding is for babies going into surgery or coming out
of same, I believe that just as important is the opportunity for a family
member (mother, father, whomever baby/child needs most at that time) to be
availalbe as soon as possilbe and as much as possible before and after the
surgery.

My son had long been weaned (by more than a year) when he had to have a
surgical procedure that required general anesthesia.  He came out of
recovery very quickly and went directly into my waiting arms in the rocking
chair where his vitals were check from that position.  It helped me get
over my tears of relief and his at having tossed his cookies as a result of
the general (even tho he had nothing to eat after midnight).

Had I not been able to touch and hold him, I would have been more of a
basket case than I was.  Happily, we left the hospital 4 hours later and
his primary memory of the place was that the nurses wore purple hose and
there was a GIANT bear in the reception area! (he was 4 at the time).

Let's hear it for hospitals recognizing the importance of parenting at
times of stress and great concern.




Def. of LC service: "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities
brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Homewood, IL)- [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html