anyone going baby friendly??

RE: Hypoglycemia, what options are the parents given if the baby has sugars <45?

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine offers evidence-based hypoglycemia protocols as well as supplementation protocols. The American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk is another valuable resource.

Stanford School of Medicine offers some fantastic resources including:
Babies At Risk: Preventable Management Guidelines
Video: Hand Expression (shows how to collect colostrum on a spoon or in a vial)
Video: Maximizing Milk Production with Hands on Pumping (shows how mothers can combine hand expression and pumping and maximize the amount of milk they are able to express)
Video: A Perfect Latch (helping a mother in 15 minutes)

The hypoglycemia protocol article that you listed, is something no hospital on the planet would be foolish enough to implement, and in fact, is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

my hunch isthat this is a somewhat dated video...what about universal precautions??

BabyLady,

Some hospitals do use those protocols because they are evidence based. What in them would be a lawsuit waiting to happen?

dscrn,

The videos were made in 2007. Definitely NOT dated.

The CDC this about breastmilk handling:
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/faq/index.htm

Ahhhh....a girl can dream. I would LOVE to have LCs in the middle of the night.

I'm so very tired of the bottle vs. breast debate. I thought I would NEVER be the one to say that either. I really do advocate breastfeeding but after helping numeous women I've come to the understanding that breastfeeding is not for everyone....and thats okay. Just because I believe and understand "breast is best" doesnt mean I can guilt, shame or force that belief on another mother. My first daughter was premature and I pumped for 6 weeks. Slowly the milk supply dwindled until there was no more. I was exhaused and really relieved to give up pumping. When I had my second daughter I was deteremined to breastfeed. She was term but also had medical issues. Long story short, I got a supplemental nurser system and human milk foritifier for her. I pumped and breastfeed for 10 weeks before I could but the supplemental nurser system and bottles away. She continued to breastfeed until she was 2 1/2. Not all mom's have the resources, determination or support to stick with it. Some don't feel that it's worth all the effort and feel that bottle feeding really is a good option. What ever mom's choose they should be educated and supported. After all it is their CHOICE.....not mine.

as to the universal precautions...since pts can refuse to be HIV tested, I think it's somewhat risky to consider this bodily fluid not one...my feeling. The feeling that I got from the policy seemed to be a wait til the baby crashes to do something. Once you have watched a baby become apneic with a low blood sugar(undx sepsis,,,no other undelying factors) seems very dangerous to wait and see

Because you would get sued by the mother who had an infant that died that was born with a low blood sugar that was slow to feed....and their attorney would jump all over the fact that you "never checked it" because "it was TRYING to breast feed, Mom was holding it, etc."

Even an attorney representing the hospital would get out the checkbook.

You flat out cannot defend in a court, not treating something you never assessed.

Stupid reason for a child to die.

I take it Mary you have never seen how fast a newborn can go downhill from a low blood sugar. If you did and knew how fast brain damage can occur and how HARD it is to correct once your infant has got to that point, if little junior has to suffer a pin prick to check it and Mom has to wait an hour or two to feed it, then so be it.

At least she'll be taking a healthy baby home instead of one that is severely brain damaged or one in a coffin.