? About not breastfeeding

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hello,

I am not looking for a big debate or anything. I just want to know if nurses, in general, look down on moms who choose not to breastfeed. Not because of a medical reason, just because mom chooses not too.

My friend had a negative experience and feels so guilty for not breast feeding now. In my opinion, I think she is more guilty about not even trying , but she keeps mentioning a comment one of the nurses made.

Just a general question

Thanks!

Specializes in MS Home Health.

As a nurse and former breastfeeding mother of two (lost 2 as well), I would hope nurses would not look down on mom's who choose not to breastfeed. That actually would be a pretty sad senario.

renerian

Specializes in MS Home Health.

As a nurse and former breastfeeding mother of two (lost 2 as well), I would hope nurses would not look down on mom's who choose not to breastfeed. That actually would be a pretty sad senario.

That is a personal health choice and frankly the nurse's opinion makes no difference. Realizing the door swings both ways.

renerian

Greetings. I'm new here and just finishing a higher diploma course in midwifery in dublin, ireland. i love midwifery.. but on to the topic of mum's who choose not to breastfeed. personally i have no problem with it. it is after all the woman's child, and we have an obligation to support the mother with whatever method of feeding she chooses for her child. my sister had her first baby only last week, and wanted to breastfeed. i helped her as much as i could but she just couldnt manage to latch the baby on without physical help. she ended up panicked and frustrated and in tears to me on the phone... in the end she chose to formula feed her baby, and the difference in them both is amazing. mum is so much more confident and relaxed.. a happy mum means a happy baby. i'm not advocating formula feeding either, but rather mum's choice for her baby.

my final exams are in three weeks... so if anyone wants to wish me luck !!!

Specializes in ER, Tele, L&D. ICU.

I am all for breastfeeding-but please new mothers...take a class, read a book, do not rely on "the nurses" to help you-solely. I have seven new mothers, I cannot physically be there for every 2 1/2 hour feeding for every mom. All it takes is ONE difficult feeder and your night is done. Then I have to do all my other nursing duties.

We are there for support but it is a large undertaking and it is very sressful. And please, do it for the right reasons, not because you SHOULD.

I have seven new mothers, I cannot physically be there for every 2 1/2 hour feeding for every mom. All it takes is ONE difficult feeder and your night is done. Then I have to do all my other nursing duties.

OMG, SEVEN? We have 4 couplets (only 3 if I get lucky) and 4 is enough even if they are all feeding great. I can help you latch, give you tips but cannot stand there for an entire feed. This applies to all baby care items too - I don't mind showing you once and giving you tips but with each successive question for the same thing it gets old. I work at a hospital in a rich part of town and nearly every shift I have at least one 40 year old professional - pharmacists, surgeons, CPAs, lawyers, engineers, executives - asking me how to change a diaper! Amazing!

Specializes in ER, Tele, L&D. ICU.
OMG, SEVEN? We have 4 couplets (only 3 if I get lucky) and 4 is enough even if they are all feeding great. I can help you latch, give you tips but cannot stand there for an entire feed. This applies to all baby care items too - I don't mind showing you once and giving you tips but with each successive question for the same thing it gets old. I work at a hospital in a rich part of town and nearly every shift I have at least one 40 year old professional - pharmacists, surgeons, CPAs, lawyers, engineers, executives - asking me how to change a diaper! Amazing!

That is our maximum and it is, needless to say not considered *safe* but our management feels that healthy couplets do not need nursing assistance so they cancel each other out (than why are they in hospital?) Recent union negotiations have changed our max to five-still quite heavy!

It is amazing, isn't it, when you have a 35plus well-educated teacher, pharmacist, engineer (the teacher/engineer combo is the best) and they need guidance with their upteenth diaper change. Seriously, it is a diaper change. I often will go assist because otherwise I end up changing the bed linens as the baby usually voids all over the bed anyway because they *insist* on changing the baby on their bed and leave the poor child exposed while they go wet a washcloth, etc. Maybe it is rocket science...(kidding)

SuperFlyRN ~ You have such a poor attitude. Why are you in this profession?

Why is it funny when a new dad can't change a diaper, but ridiculous when a mom can't? Everybody needs to learn sometime. If your job is that hectic maybe you should look elsewhere for employment.

As far as advising new parents to take a b'fding class......I don't think it's doing much good on a nursing board. IMO, OBs really drop the ball in this area. They are the ones who should be educating expectant parents. You can't blame a new parent for not knowing what they don't know they should know. I DID take a class (with my husband) with my first child. He was 5 weeks early so they cut me some slack I guess. When my second child was born, I needed assistance at first....MAN, I bet you would have thought I was ignorant, huh!!

If you don't have time for such petty tasks, what DO you have time for??

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Let me get this straight:

SEVEN MOMS?????????

Do you do couplet care, or just moms? And IF you do just moms, why can't the nurse responsible for the BABIES help out then???

And if this is SEVEN couplets---that translates to 14 patients-----well, someone at your unit better be looking at AWHONN recommended staffing ratios PDQ. No wonder you are burnt out.....I feel for you, but especially those MOMS!!!!

Let me get this straight:

SEVEN MOMS?????????

well, someone at your unit better be looking at AWHONN recommended staffing ratios PDQ. No wonder you are burnt out.....I feel for you, but especially those MOMS!!!!

Her profile says she is in Canada - maybe things are different there?

SuperFlyRN ~ You have such a poor attitude. Why are you in this profession?

Why is it funny when a new dad can't change a diaper, but ridiculous when a mom can't? Everybody needs to learn sometime.

I know you weren't speaking to me but I agree with SuperFlyRN about the diapers. I am the most tolerant person in the world, usually. I spent hours helping teary moms with sore nipples breastfeed, discussing burping, infant sleeping, feeding and infant elimination patterns and all the other teaching. But disposable diapers? Not rocket science. My 14 y/or has been changing her brother and sister for years and I never had to "show" her how to do it even though she obviously never had experience.

I just don't understand how grown people can make it all the way to their late 30's/early 40's and have never changed a diaper! No siblings, no babysitting, no other little kids around, nieces, nephews, neighbors? And these are highly educated intelligent people. Don't worry - I do go show them again for the umpteenth time - because our hospital is strongly geared toward "customer service" (not a surprise given our population) and if our patients call us on the callbell and ask us to change the baby's diaper - even if they are going home in a hour - it's our job to do it.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

But AWHONN standards should apply in Canada, too, really.

If you don't have time for such petty tasks, what DO you have time for??

Assessing postpartums for bleeding and fever, doing NSTs on the antenatals, hanging antibiotics, giving out meds, getting the post-sections up to walk and staying on top of their pain, teaching care of stitches and hemorrhoids, teaching incentive spirometer use, etc. Nurses are not maids and servants. Parents should change their own babies diapers.

Altalorraine

+ Add a Comment