Hi, Lisa.  I've been fighting some of the same battles, myself.  After we came
back from ILCA we decided we would tackle 1) minimizing delivery procedures, 2)
try to get the nurses to let baby latch on by himself when ready, and 3) get rid
of pacifiers.  In our case, the nurses were in such an uproar because we wanted
to get rid of pacifiers that they didn't get that upset about delaying delivery
procedures.  (We didn't get rid of the pacifiers, but I'm seeing them less in
the cribs.)

Have you shared the "Delivery Self-Attachment" film with people?  That and the
Lancet study are awfully convincing that delivery procedures interfere with
establishing breastfeeding.  We've got a state law that says that the eyes have
to be done by one hour of age, but hopefully everyone is waiting till the last
minute of that hour to do it.  I think the nurses do pretty well if they're not
pressured by time, but when we're really busy the tendency is "get all the stuff
done and get on to the next crisis."  I've been showing the self-attachment film
in all my prenatal BF classes since it first came out and *strongly* encouraging
parents to not let the nurses keep the baby in the warmer to do procedures until
baby has breastfed well.

Good luck with changing ideas!

Becky Krumwiede, RN, IBCLC, Wisconsin
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