Christine said: 

"Recently we had a mother that was exhausted. Before I talked with her, I blamed her exhaustion on the visitors.  Well I was wrong!  She told me that having friends and family in her room all day kept her rejuvenated and happy.  She said the worst part of her hospital stay was the 2 hours she was alone in her room! 

 

"As with everything else we do with working with moms, we try to do what is best for each individual mom and baby, when possible. I really hope we can come up with something at our hospital that can provide an optimal start for breastfeeding, but still meet the needs of each individual patient."  

 

Christine certainly is on the right track – asking the patient!

 

How this reminded me of starting a new job in Puerto Rico at a hospital as an IBCLC!  Even though I am Puerto Rican, I also have a personality that is very much an introvert, and am most comfortable and "renew" when alone.  I could not imagine why our patients had so many people nearby - and seemed to want them there!  Not only family - but neighbors!

 

As I mention in my trainings – this isn’t about "culture" it is about the needs of the individual.  However, at times the "individual" we need to protect is the baby (skin to skin, optimal breastfeeding, infection control), and sometimes it is the mother (feeling protected, safe, with family nearby).  

 

Sometimes these are at odds, and then we need to spend time with mom, "speaking" for her baby so she can make the right decision for them both.  For, after all, she will be leaving soon.  She needs to know  how at times her baby's needs and hers may be in synchrony, and sometimes they may not be.  We help her by increasing her awareness of both their needs as she learns to be THIS baby's mother.

 

However, I had another job to do on me.  I could not use “hospital policy” to enforce rules because I was more comfortable with the quiet one-on-one I like as an introvert.   I had to learn to address the "group" and celebrate and enhance their strength - because they WERE going to be with her!  

 

…and I have to admit, I learned to enjoy it, too!

 

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC

Vacaville, CA

 


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