This morning I was notified that one of the babies we have been helping with
breastfeeding problems, died yesterday.
Mom had placed her 9 week old son alone on her bed for a nap. When she came
back, he had gotten trapped between the matress and the headboard and
suffocated.
Apparently the EMT's and the police, as well as her family members, strongly
critized her for *Doing such an irresponsible thing* and asked *What kind of
a parent would do something like that*. My God, that's just what a grief
stricken mother needs to hear. (scarcasm here). She said he always liked to
have his head against something as he slept, and never dreamed that he could
move that far. We reassured her that we ourselves had put our own children in
our beds, a lot of people do. What's worse is this was a premium first baby
for a 42 year old mom. No one knows why such tragic things happen--they just
do. Perhaps there is a reason it happened. Only HE knows.
For one thing I am going to reinforce teaching that there shouldn't be any
place where an infant could become trapped. If no one is in the bed the baby
needs to be wedged in. I always rolled a towel at the head of the bed, just
in case.
Now she wants to donate her milk and there isn't anywhere for her to do it
here---perhaps it's for the best. I supppose that donating her milk could
prolong her grief. Giving dry up info to this mom took a lot out of me. For a
while we cried together today.
Go hug your children and remember this mom in your thoughts and prayers. She
is going to need a lot of help to get through this.
Marie