Congratulations, Teresa! Sounds like the hospital experience from Hell! Here's hoping someone someday writes or edits a book of case histories such as the detailed one you wrote, with the appropriate rationales opposite each "erroneous routine". This would demonstrate just what a mine field hospital nurseries are reported to be, and how far these practices come from "Baby Friendly" guidelines. Maybe it would take something like that to open the eyes of nursery personnel, administrators, and prospective parents alike as to what a "ghetto" it is for unsuspecting (and unsupported/unsavvy) parents. One wonders of any of the personnel ever heard of Paula Meier, Gene Cranston Anderson, et al. It was always my experience that a hospital nursery, especially a NICU, seems prone to develop into a little sociocultural enclave unto itself, its own "community" with its own "heirarchy". Often, the late shifts (with the fewest personnel to keep in line) seem to be the most rigid. Certain types of personalities seem to gravitate there and stay for years, "walled off from the rest of the world by a virtual moat", exercising strict control over anything alien to their views. The nurses and neonatologists so often consider that to be "their turf" and everyone, even the trusting parents, or I might say ESPECIALLY the vulnerable parents, are expected to act subservient to their rituals and kow-tow to their excellencies. Otherwise, they get threatened verbally with consequences/retribution because the "powers that be" have the baby to hold as their "hostage". Can you tell I just recently stood by the sidelines and bit my tongue when the wife and baby of a good friend were victims of a total "trainwreck"? Jean ************** K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC Dayton, Ohio USA *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html