Breast Milk Policies: MIX UP!

[VgsNrs]

Here is my concern, I am a nursing student and I need to create a policy on my peds floor regarding standards or a protocol when administering breast milk to the infants. It was suggested to me to go to our NICU to see what standards they went by regarding this issue, because there have been mix up's in the past, BUT there is nothing in writing. The NICU nurses just have their own way of doing it. But I still need help on where to start because I have to make this from scratch. If you have a set of standards that you use in your NICU could you please share some? (ie- 2 RN's check names, checking expire date, organization within fridge, etc.) Thanks for any feedback!

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

WHY would she make a cheesecake out of breast milk?!

Did she not realize it would bother the nurses or did she want to "get back" at the staff (sort of like spitting in one's food type thing)?!

OMG that's just nasty.

[Jolie, BSN]

WHY would she make a cheesecake out of breast milk?!

Did she not realize it would bother the nurses or did she want to "get back" at the staff (sort of like spitting in one's food type thing)?!

OMG that's just nasty.

In her own warped way, I think she was well-meaning.

This happened about 20 years ago, when breastfeeding was not terribly common in the NICU. We had few nurses with the knowledge or experience to help those rare moms who were truly devoted to nursing their babies at home, as opposed to just pumping for a short time to start the baby out on gavage feedings of breastmilk. This mom went out of her way to educate herself so that she would be successful in nursing her infant at home. I think she truly wanted to thank the nurses who had helped her, and saw this as a very "personal" way of doing so. Wierd, but personal.

We found out about it when the mother mentioned to one of the nurses that she sometimes used thawed breastmilk on her cereal, as it had a sweet flavor. The nurse asked her if she ever used it for anything else, and the truth came out. I don't know how the nurse held it together to get out of the room!

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

These are all good suggestions. I might add that your policy ought to include sterility practices, refrigerator temps and who will check the temps and how often, how long to keep milk refrigerated vs. frozen (we refrig only 48 hr and freeze up to 3 months for babies in NICU).

Our facility is "Mom-friendly" and allows lactating mothers who are employees to go to nursery to pump during work hours. But these moms have to bring their own supplies and cooler to store the milk. We supply the electric pump, but not the part that attaches to the breast.

[wjf00]

I really have to respectfully disagree there. How would you feel if you gave some kid the wrong boobie juice and later find out that the mom is indeed infected with something? That kid may not die right then and there, but later on down the road, who knows? Or a mom who previously had a negative tox and starts on doing the drugs and someone else's baby gets that? Body fluid is body fluid..at least we screen blood..we don't screen moms breastmilk that they pump, although, sometimes I think we should!

By all means be cautious, but don't exagerate the risks associated with getting the wrong breastmilk. I think your energies would be much better spent if you were trying to improve hand washing compliance. That is MUCH greater risk than recieving the wrong breastmilk.