Anyone going baby friendly?

[babyktchr]

We are in the beginning stages of initiation of the WHO baby friendly initiative. Just wondering if anyone else has received the accreditation or is in the process. I am having difficulty with it really. Not that I am against breastfeeding. I really just don't want to discriminate against a bottlefeeding woman. Would love to hear your thought!!

[J_9!]

If they (the new moms) aren't willing to fork out $10-$20 for a diaper bag of their own, then why the heck did they have a child? I don't see people saying, "I decided to gestate for 40 weeks and raise a kid for 18+ years just so I could get a cheap diaper bag for free."

Does the hospital send home food for the new moms who are breastfeeding? If not, why should the hospital send home food for bottle-fed babies?

When I had my son, I had already purchased diapers, wipes, clothing, a crib, a breast pump, bottles, a corificeat, etc. My home was stocked with the things I would need when I brought my baby home. By saying that the hospital should send home formula for bottle-fed babies, that's like saying the parents who choose to bottle feed are too stupid to know how to properly care for a baby... in which case, why wouldn't you also call social services to have the baby placed in foster care?

If someone really hasn't given a single solitary thought to how they plan to feed their baby after it's born, and if someone really isn't capable of going out and buying bottles and formula if they choose not to breastfeed, then why are we letting them take a defenseless neonate home in the first place?

Pregnancy is not always a choice...sometimes it's an accident. Teens get pregnant and don't work, can't purchase the items that you were able to afford. Some gals have no support whatsoever. So, what are we going to do? Boot them out the door with nothing for their babies? Our local churches even make up bags so that these young women can have a blanket to take home...or some clothes to send the babies home.

As I stated, my hospital is located in a very rural part of the deep south. We have some of the poorest of the poor at my facility.

[J_9!]

Actually, my oldest daughter had a baby in Juy...she got a pro breastfeeding bag form the local breastfeeding consortium, with breast pads, some personal care items...even a battery powered breast pump.

I wish we were lucky enough to have something like that where I live.

[dscrn]

The pump was a very nice surprise-she has an electric pump, but this is a great ite to send home with especially a first timerI tell frieds and family to hold off purchasing an expensive pum, until they know if they will need it. Onceopened, breast pumps cannot be returned to stor, due to board of health rules...

[J_9!]

The pump was a very nice surprise-she has an electric pump, but this is a great ite to send home with especially a first timerI tell frieds and family to hold off purchasing an expensive pum, until they know if they will need it. Onceopened, breast pumps cannot be returned to stor, due to board of health rules...

I may talk to my local heart-to-heart and see if I can get something like this started. It's a great idea, but in the rural south we rely on donations, this may just be a big project for me...but one that everyone will benefit in the end.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Pregnancy is not always a choice...sometimes it's an accident. Teens get pregnant and don't work, can't purchase the items that you were able to afford. Some gals have no support whatsoever. So, what are we going to do? Boot them out the door with nothing for their babies? Our local churches even make up bags so that these young women can have a blanket to take home...or some clothes to send the babies home.

As I stated, my hospital is located in a very rural part of the deep south. We have some of the poorest of the poor at my facility.

Do you not have Social Services? I wouldn't want to send ANY baby home with a parent who doesn't have even the bare minimum of necessities to care for a child -- this would be the same whether the mother was breastfeeding or bottlefeeding. And I would have no qualms calling in Child Protective Services if the mother's not willing to cooperate with getting signed up with social services.

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

I would like to have a piece of both worlds. I would like to retain the formula bags for the bottlefeeding moms and then develop a pro breast feeding bag for the moms. I just don't think we should have to be in an all or nothing initiative. Intentionally or unintentionally, someone will be offended. I just think the baby friendly title would be offensive to anyone who chose NOT to breastfeed.

There is no easy answer. While promoting breastfeeding is a great idea, I don't believe it should be forced or guilted into it, nor should anyone feel slighted because they chose not to.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Do you not have Social Services? I wouldn't want to send ANY baby home with a parent who doesn't have even the bare minimum of necessities to care for a child -- this would be the same whether the mother was breastfeeding or bottlefeeding. And I would have no qualms calling in Child Protective Services if the mother's not willing to cooperate with getting signed up with social services.

Surely you are not this naive.

We give a formula diaper bag to EVERY MOTHER that leaves the hospital.

Every mother.

You know why? Because the formula companies send them to us FOR FREE and whether the formula is being paid for by cash or by WIC...the formula company is still getting paid...and the least that they can do is kick Mom a free diaper bag with coupons, samples and other information before she goes home for the couple of thousand that the formula company is going to make over the next year off that mother or the state, take your pick.

You would actually contact Child Protective services just because a mother won't get signed up with social services?

I hope you did a thorough interview to find out what her support sytem is...because if that is the type of crap you are pulling at your hospital, it's only a matter of time before a mother sues you and you end up getting a complaint filed against your license on that.

I had a Hispanic family once...and this taught me a HUGE lesson in not assuming anything.

They were very simple people...the brought nothing to the room...nothing. They used everything that the hospital had right down to a toothbrush. I started to get very concerned, because they were so quiet....I took this as a "sign" that they may not be financiall prepared for the baby. Mom didn't even bring a nightgown with her...she wore the ones the hospital had and wore her same clothes back home when we were ready to discharge her.

We went in one last time with an interpreter and asked them again, if they had everything that they needed, if they needed any help, etc.

They said they did.

I brought the baby into the room...told them before hand...I hadn't seen a car seat yet (this was a full termer)....and I was fearing that they didn't understand that they could not leave without one. When I brought the baby into the room...they had brand new outfit, new blankets, brand new diaper bag, brand new car seat (not a cheap one)....and a brand new stroller (a nice one) to put it in.

I wheeled them down as they got into a relatively new looking SUV that was a model I couldn't even afford for myself.

You have to be very, very careful when you start assuming things.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

You have to be very, very careful when you start assuming things.

Not sure if you're assuming here, or if you didn't read the context of my post?

I was responding to someone talking about people who are known to be in dire financial/support situations. (Poverty-level teenage girls with no job and no family support, etc.) The comment was made about how local churches put together goodie bags for people in this situation just so that they have a blanket and outfit to dress the baby in. My post was in response to that particular situation.

If I *know* (not "assume") that the mother doesn't have the necessary gear/food/supplies to take care of the baby, I wouldn't feel comfortable sending a neonate home in that situation unless social services was involved in some manner. I can't feel like I'm "doing a good job" looking out for the baby's welfare just because I sent home two days' worth of formula... what the heck is going to happen to the poor baby on Day 3???

At no time did I say that I would expect every mother to sign up with social services or I'd call CPS on them.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Not sure if you're assuming here, or if you didn't read the context of my post?

I was responding to someone talking about people who are known to be in dire financial/support situations. (Poverty-level teenage girls with no job and no family support, etc.) The comment was made about how local churches put together goodie bags for people in this situation just so that they have a blanket and outfit to dress the baby in. My post was in response to that particular situation.

If I *know* (not "assume") that the mother doesn't have the necessary gear/food/supplies to take care of the baby, I wouldn't feel comfortable sending a neonate home in that situation unless social services was involved in some manner. I can't feel like I'm "doing a good job" looking out for the baby's welfare just because I sent home two days' worth of formula... what the heck is going to happen to the poor baby on Day 3???

At no time did I say that I would expect every mother to sign up with social services or I'd call CPS on them.

Are you a licensed social worker?

I suspect not.

You would be very surprised to know what is "required" to deem a mother unfit and unable to take care of a baby.

Social services is not going to require that the baby has the diaper bag. They are going to require her to have a bare-minimum car seat, a house with running hot water, and safe place for the baby to sleep, heat and refrigeration.

That is pretty much it. Everything else is "nice to haves".

If the mother is already on food stamps and/or WIC...they will not issue her any financial assistance for her baby until her baby is born and she can frequently not get a WIC appointment until 1 or 2 days after discharge.

Mothers that do not work..and their financial status is determined by the state....not you....cannot purchase formula with food stamps.

WE DO NOT, as a hospital, pay for the formula...A can of formula for a newborn will last almost 3 or 4 days. That is plenty of time for a WIC appointment.

Your job is to confirm that there is an appointment with WIC.

I don't know of ANY mother that purchases formula before the baby even gets here...b/c you don't know what the Pediatrician will want...do you want Mom to have to go grocery shopping when she gets out of the hospital or do you want her to go home with the baby and rest???

Per my hospital policy, nurses are not permitted to call social services directly while on duty, without going through case management. Yes, a nurse can technically override that but not after contacting case management first.

You technically don't even know if that mother is even going to keep the WIC appointment.

I'm surprised you don't ask mother's to bring snapshots of their home for your approval.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Wow, talk about assuming....

[dscrn]

You hit the nail on the head!

[J_9!]

Our facility has both breastfeeding AND bottle feeding diaper bags. We don't leave anyone out...we even have spanish bags for our rare spanish speaking patient.

As has been stated, we cannot call social services, but put in for a consult from case management. Yes, we do that on occasion.

I don't see anything wrong with churches putting together goodie bags for the unfortunate. Believe it or not, this, many times, brings the patient into the church where they receive support rather than criticism.