Ann -- I don't work in a hospital but have seen a few of these babies
recently at days 2 or 3.  Am wondering if there are more of them than before
so perhaps local hospitals have also changed procedures.  Anyway -- usually
these babies are not hungry (obviously with a stomach full of mucous) and
parents are concerned.  Even small quantities will create a spitting/gagging
episode.  I teach parents to roll baby on side to deal with it as want the
stuff out.  Parents otherwise try to stop the gagging by keeping baby
upright.  Not a good idea in this case.

Eventually baby has enough large spits, or one or two true vomits and then
all is ok.  It took me a while to pick up on this pattern and now am
cautiously happy when parents report mucousy baby took first full feed and
vomited whole amount.  To date this has signalled the end of all the mucousy
spit up parents had been so concerned about, and the beginning of normal
feeding.

I can see where this would be frustrating for you in the first 24 hours in
hospital.