[ZANYZIGGY]

BreastfeedingRN,
Great story! I am a nursing student, graduating in May. I just started my OB clinical this last semester, and I am really enjoying it. It has so much to offer to a nurse as far as teaching opportunities. Actually, I am thinking about finding a career in this field of nursing after grauduating. Thanks for your inspirational story.

ZANYZIGGY

[hospitalstaph]

Hi,

Just curious, why are two of these mothers pumping?

Tracy

[breastfeedingRN]

thanks again guys! i really love my job and it is the best thing to have someone thank you and you know that they are truly thankful for whatever you have done for them. it makes everything else worth it, namely charting...ugh. i hate charting.

Tracy,

It was a little while ago, but I think one of them was pumping because she had pumped with previous child and baby was having a hard time latching. She was thinking of pumping and bottlefeeding as she had done with her other child.

The other one had been supplemented on a previous shift and was still asleep. Her milk was coming in and baby was still sleeping from super full tummy after being given probably too much formula. She was also having problems with baby not wanting to latch on one side and didn't want to lose her supply on that side.

[hospitalstaph]

Originally Posted by breastfeedingRN

thanks again guys! i really love my job and it is the best thing to have someone thank you and you know that they are truly thankful for whatever you have done for them. it makes everything else worth it, namely charting...ugh. i hate charting.

Tracy,

It was a little while ago, but I think one of them was pumping because she had pumped with previous child and baby was having a hard time latching. She was thinking of pumping and bottlefeeding as she had done with her other child.

The other one had been supplemented on a previous shift and was still asleep. Her milk was coming in and baby was still sleeping from super full tummy after being given probably too much formula. She was also having problems with baby not wanting to latch on one side and didn't want to lose her supply on that side.

Thanks! I hope you do not mind me asking why. I am curious about some of the hospital policies. Unfortunately, as a breastfeeding counselor, I see a LARGE number of women in our area (midwest) that leave the hospital with a pump or mini-SNS (syringe feeding) and NO idea how to latch a baby on. It is so sad! Sounds like you are great at working with these new families and making them feel well cared for Best of luck to you!

Tracy

[breastfeedingRN]

I agree that it is sad. I used to work at a breastfeeding support store and hear all kinds of stories. I could hardly wait to be a nurse and finally get to help these moms.

Unfortunately, it isn't always that easy. You only have 12 hours and 4 couplets. I am rarely at my desk, even though I work nights, I am always trying to help moms whenever I can. I barely get my charting done usually.

I try as hard as I can, but it is not like we get a class on how to latch on a baby in nursing school. Plus, you have nurses who could really care less if a breastfeeding relationship lasts and they give pacifiers to moms who are tired and it works and the mom is happy to get some sleep. Or they give a supplement of 1oz for a breastfeeding only baby. Not that this is done without mom's consent, but that is a whole different story.

It really frustrates me not to be able to really help some of my mommies. I hope to get better at getting babies to latch and teaching moms how to correctly latch their babies by practice and following our IBCLC. Luckily you will have a great advantage when you are on the floor. Would be great if you were to work Postpartum where you could really help those moms!

No problem with you asking the question at all!

[dorisemoore1]

what a great story! I start college this may to start on my pre-req's. I can't wait til can expericnce times like those....it will be a while

[batwood73]

Thanks for sharing that with us. I never knew the cards went into your file! That is sure nice to know. When I had my last child, I had the most wonderful nurses. I not only filled out the cards, but I sent them a thank you note and told them what a wonderful experience it was giving birth to my son. The nurses MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!! I have had three children, and by far, the last was the best experience simply because of the quality nurses at the hospital where I delivered. I am so glad I filled out that card and sent them another thank you : )



QUOTE=breastfeedingRN]Just wanted to share my past weekend at work. It was a great one. This is why I became a nurse. I work in Postpartum and have been on my own for a little over 2 months now.

Had a great weekend at work. Really bonded with my patients and got several comments about how they were so glad to see me, that they were happy when they saw I would be their nurse again, etc. Got lots of hugs when I said goodbye on Monday morning as well. Had 3 of the couplets for both nights, 1 new one on Sunday night, but we bonded as well. Even the hubbies thanked me. I was so happy. That is why I am a nurse.

I love to teach and help them and when I know that I have positively effected their lives, it makes all the difference. Unfortunately, not all nurses are the same. One said to me "You teach us so much. You take the time and make us feel like our questions are important. You sit on the edge of my bed and answer my questions and talk to me, not at the door or while you are leaving the room." Anyway, enough bragging. LOL.

All were breastfeeding which is great! I was trying as hard as I could to help them. Had 2 of them pumping and all but one were supplementing. I had to start supplementing one and I hate to be the first to supplement. I don't like supplementing unless it is necessary, but I really hate to have to tell the mom we need to supplement.

One of them had a positive postpartum depression risk screening (which we do on all mamas) and when I started to talk to her about it she started crying. I felt so bad. She was afraid if she told anyone the things she was thinking and feeling, that we would try to get her baby taken from her. How sad. I told her that that is not why we ask the questions. We want to get them help if they need it and help them and their partner to be aware of it. Her and her hubby had already talked about it so I chatted with both of them about community and online resources and got a social service consult for her. I had never thought that someone might think if they answer yes to those questions or talk to their doctor about it that their baby might be taken from them, that made me so sad.

All in all I left happy. Sure wish they would fill out our appreciation cards so my supervisors would know that I give good care, but they rarely do. I think they get them in their admission packets and they are forgotten about. Would be nice to have those comments in my file. But, I am happy that they are at least in my heart and mind. It was a definite picker upper![/quote]

[breastfeedingRN]

just an update! i am still loving being a nurse and loving everything except charting!

we had a meeting today on improving our service, etc and our director was talking about how implementing these steps would help, etc etc and then said something like "some of us already do these things all the time and it shows when we do rounds and talk to patient's, they fill out their press gainey's, etc. BreastfeedingRN is a name that always seems to pop up everywhere all the time, she must already be doing these things. and even more impressive because she is so new." I about died of embarrassment and turned so red I thought I might burst into flames. I hate public recognition.

even funnier, we had just filled our surveys on how we best would like to be recognized and one was publicly or privately...i had already checked privately. LOL.

she didn't have to say it either because the last time i saw her at work, she said something like "i keep seeing your name everywhere from patient's that loved you and i just wanted to tell you to keep up the good work."

i do like seeing my name from pt's because it makes it all worth it. hopefully with time my charting will be as good as my patient care and i will not be stressed all night trying to make sure all my charting is done by the time day shift gets there!

batwood73- i am not sure if they go in our file, but i think they do. we get the original and i think a copy goes in our file. i keep mine. if it is a comment in a press gainey survey, we get a copy of it and a written thanks from our director. when our supervisors go around and talk to pts and they get a comment about us, it goes in our bi-monthly newletter now which is pretty cool! i keep them all and whenever i have a crappy night and feel overwhelmed with all our paperwork and getting all the charting done, i read them and remember why i am a nurse and that the patient doesn't care if my charting is done on time, they care about being cared for.

[Jessy_RN]

Congratulations! Nice story and thank you for sharing. Those of us still in school can use some inspiration

Jessica