Baby Friendly- getting a tad over the top

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

My hospital is working toward becoming baby friendly. This entails that we promote rooming-in and breastfeeding, which I have no problem at all with- what I do have a problem with is how we are being presented with it- and how we must now interact with our patients. Our patients come from a very diverse spectrum of cultures who are set in their ways and I guess I don't really feel it's my place to be like "well welcome to America- this is how we do it, too bad so sad."

We have been ordered to move all formula, nipples and pacifiers to the back room of the nursery (which has also undergone a name change to make it less accessible and friendly sounding) so that NOBODY sees it, patients or family. We don't want them to think we promote formula or artificial nipples. We are instructed now to council every mother who has chosen to formula feed, or do breast/bottle combo on the "dangers of feeding formula to your baby". Yes, these very words were uttered and in writing. There's serious talk of making the mother sign an informed consent before giving the baby any formula- acknowledging that she is aware that she is causing harm to her baby by giving him/her formula, and that they understand that breast milk is superior to formula.

We must extensively chart WHY mom is choosing formula. We have to now keep all the shades in the nursery down so that people don't look in, and THINK it's a nursery and again to make it an in-accessible place.

This really seems out of hand to me. I love where I work, I love the field but boy, we are in for some troubles when a mom from another culture other than white-upper class wants to put their baby in the nursery so they can sleep, or can go for a walk, or wants to formula feed and then gets a 20 minute lecture implying that they're a bad mom for choosing this method. Is this true of any other hospitals out there that are baby friendly or are in the process? I feel like they're trying to brainwash us, or like it's becoming a cult-like atmosphere!

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
While breast feeding ids the "natural choice" it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Nor is a mother who is unsuccessful at breast feeding a failure as a parent. If a mother want to supplement formula fir her own child...the hospital, UNICEF, and the government should stay out of it.

I breast fed both of my children but it was MY CHOICE! But I had to stop my daughter at 7/8 weeks old.... I found myself pregnant with my son because she refused to breast feed....for almost 2 days she screamed so I called my pedi convinced there was something horribly wrong with her. He told me to buy a pregnancy test. I had to bottle feed her then she refused breast milk even on a bottle....my pedi told me some babies are very sensitive to the hormonal changes. She is a beautiful, intelligent, confident young lady.

To shame or bully someone into something is just plain wrong. To make our fellow women feel badly about themselves and not supporting each other because someone "believes" it's better is just another step towards a policed state and loss of our freedoms. Plain and simple...removing formula, refusing to give babies pacifiers, forcing breast feeding down someones throat because of personal beliefs making mothers sign papers that they are a bad parent and hurting their baby when they want to have their baby returned to the nursery so they can be afforded what little rest their BRIEF DRIVE THROUGH hospital stay affords them is just plan wrong.

Period.

Baby friendly isn't about shaming anyone. I don't think people are understanding this at all. The goal is to increase breastfeeding success rates. There are so many moms who start out and because of roadblocks or hazards in the way they stop. These roadblocks and hazards are because of the lack and support and education surrounding breastfeeding. Want to formula feed? Fine. Nobody said women can't formula feed. It is about ensuring that breastfeeding gets ALL the support it needs and we stop worrying about saying anything for fear of insulting those who want to formula feed.

I can't understand why encouraging and supporting breastfeeding and ensuring informed consent equals shaming in some people's eyes.

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Because, that is the way YOU are coming across! perhaps moderating your rhetoric will get you a different response.

Baby friendly isn't about shaming anyone. I don't think people are understanding this at all. The goal is to increase breastfeeding success rates. There are so many moms who start out and because of roadblocks or hazards in the way they stop. These roadblocks and hazards are because of the lack and support and education surrounding breastfeeding. Want to formula feed? Fine. Nobody said women can't formula feed. It is about ensuring that breastfeeding gets ALL the support it needs and we stop worrying about saying anything for fear of insulting those who want to formula feed.

I can't understand why encouraging and supporting breastfeeding and ensuring informed consent equals shaming in some people's eyes.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Because, that is the way YOU are coming across! perhaps moderating your rhetoric will get you a different response.

I'm sorry I didn't realize this was a support board for formula. I thought this was a professional discussion board. My bad...oh poor poor formula feeders we will support you to and I'm sorry that trying to boost breastfeeding and being honest about formula hurts your little heart.

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you just don't get it! look back, you will see I am pro breast feeding! geesh, pull in the talons a wee bit!

you the old saying you get more flies with honey than vinegar?

I'm sorry I didn't realize this was a support board for formula. I thought this was a professional discussion board. My bad...oh poor poor formula feeders we will support you to and I'm sorry that trying to boost breastfeeding and being honest about formula hurts your little heart.
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Specializes in OB/GYN, L&D, Postpartum Couplet Care.

I have to agree with whoever said this "Baby Friendly" initiative is going a bit too far. I love the push towards breastfeeding but ultimately feel it's a mother's choice and her choice should be supported.

I also feel a newborn nursery should be available for exhausted mothers to catch up on sleep before they head home with their babies. A primip who labored for two days and pushed for three hours without anesthesia does not need to be up all night with a fussy baby. It's just common sense. And not everyone has the luxury of a support person to spend the night in the hospital with mom to help with the baby, especially if they're in a shared PP room).

I'm also a huge fan of pacifiers and successfully breastfed my babies after introducing them to pacifiers on their first day of life.

I'm wonder why, in order to be designated "Baby Friendly," the rules have to be one-size-fits-all?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Baby friendly isn't about shaming anyone. I don't think people are understanding this at all. The goal is to increase breastfeeding success rates. There are so many moms who start out and because of roadblocks or hazards in the way they stop. These roadblocks and hazards are because of the lack and support and education surrounding breastfeeding. Want to formula feed? Fine. Nobody said women can't formula feed. It is about ensuring that breastfeeding gets ALL the support it needs and we stop worrying about saying anything for fear of insulting those who want to formula feed.

I can't understand why encouraging and supporting breastfeeding and ensuring informed consent equals shaming in some people's eyes.

Information is one thing and I think people sholud be well informed but if they make a different decision then formula should be available. I think it's going overboard on a good idea. The tactics are aggressive and intimidating. Not supportive and informative.

I watched a well educated experienced nurse with a huge heart attempt to feed her newborn without success until the baby was admitted with failure to thrive, dehydration, and weight loss....yet the baby friendly nurses were critical and made this nurse feel ashamed and inadequate because she couldn't provide for her child. I saw NO SUPPORT there what so ever.

This baby was starving to death yet they continues to encourage her to feed her child that she somehow lacked parenting skills because breast feeding wasn't working out. I find that despicable behavior. even in the "old days" people failed and hired a wet nurse or fed the children milk. The mother went into a deep depression....which she was suffering from to begin with...her family and friends finally spoke for her and got this baby a bottle. They are both fine today.

Education and encouragement is one thing. ridicule and intimidation is another. I just think some facilities and nurse go a little too far. After all it is about the patient and not the nurse. While "breast is best"...the baby will not "suffer" and deleterious effects from the bottle.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I have to agree with whoever said this "Baby Friendly" initiative is going a bit too far. I love the push towards breastfeeding but ultimately feel it's a mother's choice and her choice should be supported.

I also feel a newborn nursery should be available for exhausted mothers to catch up on sleep before they head home with their babies. A primip who labored for two days and pushed for three hours without anesthesia does not need to be up all night with a fussy baby. It's just common sense. And not everyone has the luxury of a support person to spend the night in the hospital with mom to help with the baby, especially if they're in a shared PP room).

I'm also a huge fan of pacifiers and successfully breastfed my babies after introducing them to pacifiers on their first day of life.

I'm wonder why, in order to be designated "Baby Friendly," the rules have to be one-size-fits-all?

Well said

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

And then there's this; hot off the presses. I'm always one to be fair and try to evaluate all the evidence. Let's add this to the mix. . .

Breast-feeding benefits appear to be overstated, according to study of siblings -- ScienceDaily

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Just my experience (after my first daughter was born in a baby friendly hospital) my babies doctors were much less "pushy." In fact they did not appear to care one way or another.

In fact one pediatrician told me "formula has made a lot of advancements in the past few years. The difference between formula and breast milk is very minimal."

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Just my experience (after my first daughter was born in a baby friendly hospital) my babies doctors were much less "pushy." In fact they did not appear to care one way or another. In fact one pediatrician told me "formula has made a lot of advancements in the past few years. The difference between formula and breast milk is very minimal."

And that pediatrician is VERY wrong...we know the difference is far from minimal.

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Have you read the actual paper? It's not a study. It's a review. They go waaaay back to the 70's when there was no kind of indicator of how much breastfeeding was going on and for how long. That's just one thing that is wrong about this "study". Read it with a critical eye.

And then there's this; hot off the presses. I'm always one to be fair and try to evaluate all the evidence. Let's add this to the mix. . .

Breast-feeding benefits appear to be overstated, according to study of siblings -- ScienceDaily

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It really gets me how people push breastmilk SO MUCH. I wish people were like this about anti-abortion.

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