Hi all,
        I have to respond to this thread on "night nurses". I have been one for 20
years and I use to be one of the "bad ones". Sneaking supplements,
encouraging mom's to keep baby in the nursery at night and in general
very!!! possessive of the babies under my care.
        So I know all the tricks pretty well. Yes some moms do give us mixed
signals. But sometimes it is how they are approached. I have talked to many
mom's after another nurse has said that she wants the baby to stay in the
nursery and be supplemented thru the night. Well low and behold about five
minutes of gentle explanation and assurance that we are not going to close
the door and tell her to handle it and usually she is at least willing to
have baby be brought to the room for the feeding if not keep baby with her.
So much of this is approach.
        I try hard to keep a mom from getting so tired before nighttime i.e.
encouraging her to send company home and get rest while the baby is
resting. Yes we do have to "mother the mother". Sometimes I feel more like
a traffic cop than a nurse. In a way I am lucky I work 7p-7a so I am there
in the early evening and can often prepare a mom for the night to come.
        I see way to many nurses giving supplements to breast babies for all sorts
of reasons. (Many of which don't make any sense.) I can sometimes gently
intervene on the behalf of the mother/baby but often I just have to watch
and shake my head. (Even though I am an IBCLC I have no extra authority
over co-workers it is very frustrating!) I have had many battles in the
years since I have become a breastfeeding advocate- about 6 years. We are
trying to change and educate and I have seen some progress made, but it is
very slow. Myself and the other IBCLC keep trying to get breastfeeding
friendly policies in place but they have to be approved by the docs and we
can't get them to agree with even minimal breastfeeding friendly standards.
Right now they are prety vague.
        I still contend that education is the key. Yes we have had to take nurses
kicking and screaming to go to 8 hours of breastfeeding education.
Sometimes we get through to them and sometimes they just revert to their
old habits.
         Educating the public is our best offense!!
I try hard to prepare mom's in prenatal breastfeeding classes of what to
expect in our particular hospital setting, without being too negative!! I
spend some time talking about visitors and well meaning friends and fanily.
I want the mom to be comfortable but sometimes all these people are
overwhelming. I encourage them to think about who they want around them at
this important time and to plan in advance otherwise things could get taken
out of their hands.
        Right now I can't even talk about educating our peds. It is so
frustrating. We have a very few that will at least not intervene if they
don't know but most are doing what they did since med school and they are
not about to change. They don't want to see any studies that are not done
from the U.S. and the studies that they do read often they say "They are
weak based". I am learning to be a pretty good debater but sometimes it is
hard to state your case after 12 long hours and that is usually when I see
the docs. I think I am at a distinct disadvantage.
        My motto "One starfish at a time". I am open to suggestions and comments.
That is what makes this forum so valuable. I am still excited about
breastfeeding promotion. It is an incredible challenge.
        Thanks for allowing me my at least 2+2 cents worth.      Jodi Smart RN, IBCLC