Janette,
This is either, as you suggest, a nurse who is trying to make her job
easier (a misconception in my opinion) or a nurse who is misinformed
(highly likely). Our C/S rates are not very high (12%) but we do see our
share; and I can state for certainty that the mother's breasts will usually
make milk at the same rate as moms who deliver vaginally, as long as she is
encouraged and assisted to breastfeed her baby as soon and as often as the
baby indicates his need to nurse. Personally, I find it more work to bottle
feed formula when I work the night shift. The babies soil their blankets
and shirts more often (both with drooling and spitting up), and I feel the
need to monitor the poor things much more closely. Certainly wouldn't want
them to aspirate that stuff. As a matter of fact, I told my boss I should
receive hazard pay any time I have to bottle feed that stuff to babies
during the night. Spend most of the time apologising to the poor things for
their parent's ignorance.

And thank you to the person who found the news article clarifying about the
babies who died from injections of potassium, I hadn't saved it and could
not remember where I had read it.
 Mary A. Banaszewski, RN, IBCLC
Hastings, MN (in mourning over the Vikings' loss)
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