I wrote a letter of complaint regarding the hospital's procedures during my
first child's birth.  I wanted my second child's start to be easier.  I
outlined exactly what I expected from the hospital the second time:  rooming
in, constant access to my baby, the baby was not to "visit" the nursery for
rounds, absolutely, positively no artificial teats, etc.  The hospital
advertised rooming in, but I think it's very different in practice.  Then I
let my friends edit my letter so my anger wouldn't show through.

To my surprise, I received a phone call from the head of MCN when my letter
was received.  She called my first experience "a comedy of errors" and asked
what she could do to help.  She wrote me a letter, a sent duplicates to my
doctor and my chart giving me a private room (no extra charge), real rooming
in, unlimited husband visits so he could help with the baby and a promise of
no artificial teats unless medically necessary. I was thrilled.

I took the letter with me to the hospital.  I indeed got a private room.  The
nurses complained constantly about having to look for my baby for rounds
(this is a hugh HMO teaching hospital).  I had to sleep with the door open
and the light on so they could check on me throughout the night.  They kept
wanting to bring her to the nursery.  She needed a bath or they would have to
gown every time they touched her.  I thanked them for caring enough about my
baby to gown.  The said she was getting cold and needed to be under warming
lights.  I thanked them for their concern and continued to hold her.  They
said she was dehydrated and needed water and they couldn't be responsible if
she had serious complications because of the lack of water.  I dumped some of
the water down the sink.  Amazingly, she wasn't dehydrated two hours later
when they checked on her again.  They asked my husband to leave.  He finally
did after long discussions with the nurses.  The next morning the PKU lab
man, the birth certificate lady and a pedi showed up all at once.  They were
ready to get rid of us after 12 hours.  She was discharged!

I did get rooming in, I had the baby with me all the time, and I breastfed
her everytime she  squeaked.  However, I disrupted the hospital routine,
which normally I would have enjoyed, and that made the whole experience less
than pleasant.  If I had to do it all over again, I think I'd choose my
living room.

I've heard enough stories from parents who were committed to breastfeeding
have less than ideal treatment in the hospital.  "Your baby is crying and
hungry and you don't have any milk!"  "Just one bottle won't hurt!"  "Your
baby's getting dehydrated."  And my most recent favorite:  "We're discharging
you but we can't discharge the baby before a feeding and your insurance won't
pay for him to stay longer,  We better give him a bottle."   We need Baby
Friendly Hospitals.

Elizabeth