My four babies were delivered in the 60s and early 70s in Ohio, Texas, and 
an American Army hospital in France.  My stays were 3 or 4 days.  One 
hospital permitted immediate nursing.  One delayed feeds for l2 hours, one 
for 24 hours, another for 36 hours. Hospitals that delayed feeds gave water 
as a first feed. The  concern of the day was T-fistula.  No one ever 
mentioned jaundice or hypoglycemia.  At La Leche League meetings we used to 
talk about how, out in public, we could spot the babies who were breastfed. 
They had that lovely "suntanned complexion".  Now we know they were 
jaundiced. I was given an alcohol wipe for my nipples prior to each nursing. 
I usually pretended to use it, but at one Army hospital in San Antonio, 
Texas, the nurses watched us closely to make sure we did a thorough job of 
"sterilizing" those nipples. Seems like we all went home with formula packs 
which some of us used to make pancakes.  Formula was usually on the cart. It 
was expected that it would be needed and pushed when mother asked a nursing 
question, or the nurses found out that the babies were being fed more often 
than every 3 or 4 hours.Having a League "education", I just closed my door 
and pretended the babies were fed that seldom.  The baby that had to wait 36 
hours, however, I wasn't able to latch for about 42 hours and she was not so 
eager.  One hospital had rooming-in except during visiting hours.Baby could 
stay in the  nursery at night if mom wanted to sleep..  One kept babies in 
the nursery and brought them for feeds.  One required that mother walk a 
long hall, and take an elevator to another floor to the nursery to feed the 
baby.  Only mothers who were dedicated to nursingt traveled to the nursery 
at night.  If you had a spinal headache you couldn't see or feed your baby 
until you recovered. Those of us who knew something about how nursing worked 
went home and nursed like crazy to make up for the hospital stay. No 
bottles. No pumps.  It usually worked.  Ahh, the good old days.

Anne Grider, IBCLC,
Marietta, GA, USA 

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