Anyone going baby friendly?

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

In what way are you required to discriminate against someone who chooses to bottle feed?

dscrn · Sep 16, 2009

I really think that, unless you are "mommy friendly", there could be some problems. I am a staunch advocate of breastfeeding. I think that patients should be informed of the benefits of breast feeding, and that they most likely have made their baby feeding decision prior to admission. We had a staff ped who, I'm sure had the best intentions,but she sometimes tried to "guilt" new moms into breastfeeding...very seldom successful, but we had some very upset moms, following rounds. This is one of the biggest decisions that new parents need to make-our position should be inform, and support...NOT discriminate...

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

we have to get rid of anything that has advertising from a formula company. we now have to pay for formula and had to stop using the formula bags for discharge. we have a new bag that is full of other products that are not formula (hair care products, tooth brushes etc). if you give a baby formula as a supplement there has to be medical reasons to do so (if the baby is breastfeeding). the nurses have to complete 18 hours of breastfeeding education. on the other hand, the bottle fed moms will not get formula to go home with, nor a diaper bag. we have a 60% breastfeeding rate and i just see the bottlefeeding moms having a huge problem with not receiving the bag. even breastfeeding moms like the bags for pete's sake. ultimately i guess it makes no sense to me that we can put things in a bag that have names on them and we are pretty much advertising those products...and formula is a big no no. i just see the fit that is going to be thrown when we say we don't have the bags. i totally agree with the above poster....i am all for being mommy friendly.

scribblerpnp · Sep 16, 2009

I will say that when I came home from the hospital the first day of breastfeeding was so hellacious (my milk had not come in yet) that if I had formula in the house I would have used it. I was SOOOO close to running into the office where I work to get some. My husband really guilted me into NOT doing it. And I am forever thankful for that. 8 mos and my child hasn't had a taste of formula.

So I am all for no formula to be sent home with these breastfeeding moms.

dscrn · Sep 16, 2009

and if mom is exhausted , and does not want to nurse the baby, and baby is hungry...you let baby scream? Not mommy or baby friendly, I'd say..been there, done that. Are pacifiers also forbidden? :banghead:

dscrn · Sep 16, 2009

Glad that breastfeeding wored for you-it is a wonderful relationship between mom and baby. As much as I advocate, there are those moms that choose not to breastfeed. In essence, they are sent home from the hospital NOT having the food that baby has eaten for 3 days or more...

nursejoy1, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

Some women want to breastfeed and can't. I attempted to breastfeed and I was not producing enough milk. I was young and not well informed about breastfeeding. (was not a nurse yet) My son wanted to nurse all the time, always seemed hungry and I was just told- " You will make milk to meet his demands." This is not always the case. I got the flu when he was 1 month old and was given medicine by an MD and after the 1st 2 doses called the pharmacy w/ question and was told in no uncertain terms I could not breastfeed after taking this med. When we tried my son on formula, he only drank 1- 1 1/2 oz every 3-4 hrs!!! Tried water, etc, finaly took him to the ER and MD said try pedialyte. He drank 2 oz q 4 hrs for the 1st 2 days, then started developing an appetite! I know that it takes a while for babies to acclimate to formula, but MD at ER said that I was not producing enough milk at all!! So what about those moms who would LOVE to breastfeed, but can't? I feel that is very discriminatory and very pushy of the hospital to attempt to push the issue! It should be left to the parents to decide after getting all the facts.

dscrn · Sep 16, 2009

You make some very good oints. New parents confidence is kind of shaky already, no sense throwing guilt into te mix..One of my daughters atempted to nurse both of her babies..he ended up in the er dehydrated-and looked like a failure to thrive baby. When breastfeeding wrks, great...but there remain some women who can't, or don;t choose to

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

Glad that breastfeeding wored for you-it is a wonderful relationship between mom and baby. As much as I advocate, there are those moms that choose not to breastfeed. In essence, they are sent home from the hospital NOT having the food that baby has eaten for 3 days or more...

Like with a car seat, isn't that something they should plan for?

OTOH, I don't see what the big deal is giving a mom who chooses to bottlefeed formula. If the formula companies want to give away their formula, and the moms want to give their babies the formula, what's the issue?

I feel queasy taking home a big bag loaded with pro formula crap and formula just in case! But who can make cash off of breastfeeding moms so much so that they want to market to them? Whomever that is, tell them to give us cool bags, too.

justiceforjoy · Sep 16, 2009

and if mom is exhausted , and does not want to nurse the baby, and baby is hungry...you let baby scream? Not mommy or baby friendly, I'd say..been there, done that. Are pacifiers also forbidden?

What? I'd have smacked a nurse if they tried to "supplement" formula to my breastfed newborn because she was "hungry." Seriously, I would have smacked her.

OP - all of those changes being made sound like good ones to me except for the bags issue. Are there no longer bags, or are just the breastfeeding moms receiving them?

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

The deal with the baby friendly initiative is that it is all or nothing. You cannot allow advertising of formula, thus the bags go away and the free formula goes away. This applies to everyone, not just the breastfeeding folk. Everyone is forced to comply with the initiative regulations. Pacifiers for breastfeeding moms are highly discouraged and should only be used for medical purposes and then thrown away (say, for a circ for pain relief measures etc). When you go thru the process, it is almost like a JCAHO review. They have actually been known to call parents to find out if formula or pacifiers were given to their baby. I just have such mixed feelings about having to explain the baby friendly initiative to bottle feeding patients when I inform them they will not be getting a diaper bag to go home with. How do you think that will make them feel when being baby friendly is all about breastfeeding. Certainly some will think they are not baby friendly because they aren't.

Thanks for the replies thus far. This is interesting.