Do moms ever get upset when they have to leave baby to be monitored in the nursery?

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I'm just wondering, I had my daughter in 2001 and when I asked if she could stay with me they said it was policy to monitor her in the nursery at least 5 hours. Then they told me there was another delivery coming in and I was going to have to get out of the nice big delivery room (which was right across from the nursery) and be moved "down the hall." I wanted to walk but they wouldn't allow it and they wheeled me waaaay down to a dingy little room at the other end of the unit. Since I was still feeling the effects of the epidural I went right to sleep afterwards and when they wheeled her into my room about 6 hrs. later they informed me they gave her a bottle (even though she was to be breastfed).

Now, there were no ill-effects and I'm not complaining, I'm not high maintenance at all, but are there any pointers you could give an expectant mother so she may possibly avoid any conflicts or confusion next time?

For example, can a new mom request to be called to the nursery if the baby starts crying and wants to eat, rather than them just giving the baby a bottle to shut it up?

Or, if she is able, do most hospital policies allow her to come stay with the baby in the nursery during the time baby is being monitored?

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

when i had my baby in feb she stayed in the nursery for 4 hours and the only reason was her temp was to low and some blood sugar issues. she had to get to a certain temp then they brought her to me. the nurse had told me that it would have been more like 2 hours if there were no problems. the nurses did come get her for a hour every shift for assessments and stuff. gave me time to shower and change clothes....

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What are the policies after a C-section? I had my son 4 1/2 yrs ago and at the time, the hospital had a seperate floor for the surgery and then they put me in recovery with all the other surgical patients before bringing me up to postpartum.

I was lying next to a guy (like 2 feet away) who was recovering from his surgery... 1 hour after having MY baby. And they wouldn't allow my husband or other family to see me (or my son for that matter). I was alone (aside of the other patients), for 2 + hours, wanting to be with my baby and it was horrible. I also felt really good at that time. By the time I was sent up to postpartum, I was tired and just wanted to sleep. I was all itchy from the spinal block and I was frustrated that he was 3+ hours old and I hadn't even held him yet.

I just thought it was terrible that they didn't bring me back up to L & D and let me be with my son rather then with a bunch of other surgical patients.

ETA: with my last baby I DEMANDED that I be with her after the birth. They sent me back up to L & D after my section and I was bfing her within the hour. It was much more enjoyable.

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

Well first off, we do our c/s on our own unit, in our own OR. Our patients recover in their private rooms, not in a PACU on a general OR unit. That is a big difference right there. Even after a c/s, the mom can hold and feed her newborn as soon as she feels ready. And most of them do just that.

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Well first off, we do our c/s on our own unit, in our own OR. Our patients recover in their private rooms, not in a PACU on a general OR unit. That is a big difference right there. Even after a c/s, the mom can hold and feed her newborn as soon as she feels ready. And most of them do just that.

I'm glad to know this isn't the norm.... :uhoh3:

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
As far as bottlefeeding a breast baby without moms permission or knowledge, that is not right. If there is a blood sugar issue baby could be cup fed or have an IV placed, lots of things that could be done besides bottle.

Good luck with the baby MM, and let us know when he/she gets here!

I'd be far more upset if my baby had an IV placed without my knowledge than given a bottle for a low glucose! Why choose an invasive procedure when not absolutely necessary?

Recently we had a mom (and family) who'd had all the brainwashing well established about the horrors of bottle feeding. Of course, this babe had a glucose of 39 (not a stick, a draw) and by our protocol, required a formula feed. The poor postpartum nurse, who is quiet, wonderful and very sensitive, got a really cold shoulder (to say the least) from the family when she explained what had to happen next and why. She mentioned it to me and I suggested she send in one of our nurses who also does NICU, to explain it. Maybe that would help. And it did.

But sometimes, even with all the explanations in the world, people have an idea that we, the medical people, are the bad guys and our mission in life is to do something bad to them and their babies.

I'm all for moms keeping their babies in the room. But with a cast of thousands watching the birth and hanging around until midnight or later, I don't understand why they still expect nursing staff to come "get the baby out of the warmer for me" or "change the diaper" (after they've had several demos) and all that. The whole idea is for them to get to know their baby, not to party with their entire neighborhood or family.

In our place, only the sick babies, early babies, or those needing some temporary care go to the NICU. Rarely, it will tick off people to find out there's no newborn nursery, but it still happens. Parents are encouraged to go there to be with their babies...and even our c/s moms are taken in a w/c as soon as physically possible. Once in a while, we've even wheeled a c/s mom in there on a gurney.

The normal newborns stay with their moms all the time except for blood draws. Everything else is done in the room, at mom's bedside.

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I would definately take a tour of the hospital you plan to give birth in. I am a secretary on a maternity unit and in our hospital the policy is as long as the baby is fine at the time of birth the baby can stay with the Mother. The labor nurse is usually in the room with the patient for 1-2 hours after birth doing her charting and all the vitals that have to be done so if there is a problem with the baby it usually comes up before the labor nurse can leave the room for a extended period of time. When a baby does go to the nursery we make note of when the baby needs to feed and whether the baby is a breast or bottle baby. If the baby is unstable but able to be fed and a breast baby the mother is asked to come to the nursery to feed if at all possible, but will not be supplemented without permission. If it's a bottle baby and the parent wants to feed we usually try to get mom into the nursery unless it is a.) a bad night or b.) Mom is REALLY tired and needs her rest, but we try to get permission to feed with all of our babies

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In the hospital I work in we have our own OR, if there is an emergency and we have to use the main OR normally the problems are pretty extensive and the patients stay on med/surg floors for telemetry. It's unfortunate, but we also do not allow those patients to see their baby. If our babies leave the floor they are not permitted back to the OB floor. Our babies go to the nursery qshift for vitals and the risk of infection from one baby to another is too high if a baby leaves the floor. However the father is always allowed to go with the patient to recovery. Is there another hospital thats closer that has a special OR for the c/s patients on the L&D floor?

What are the policies after a C-section? I had my son 4 1/2 yrs ago and at the time, the hospital had a seperate floor for the surgery and then they put me in recovery with all the other surgical patients before bringing me up to postpartum.

I was lying next to a guy (like 2 feet away) who was recovering from his surgery... 1 hour after having MY baby. And they wouldn't allow my husband or other family to see me (or my son for that matter). I was alone (aside of the other patients), for 2 + hours, wanting to be with my baby and it was horrible. I also felt really good at that time. By the time I was sent up to postpartum, I was tired and just wanted to sleep. I was all itchy from the spinal block and I was frustrated that he was 3+ hours old and I hadn't even held him yet.

I just thought it was terrible that they didn't bring me back up to L & D and let me be with my son rather then with a bunch of other surgical patients.

ETA: with my last baby I DEMANDED that I be with her after the birth. They sent me back up to L & D after my section and I was bfing her within the hour. It was much more enjoyable.

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This has made me think. Next time I work I'm going to have to ask this question... I'm not sure what we do if the mother refuses to supplement a baby with glucose issues. If the baby has glucose issues first the mother/baby nurse asks if we can supplement, if that doesn't work the nursery nurse speaks to the parents, the next step is the neonatalogist speaks to the parents, but I have never heard of anyone refusing past that step. I don't know what we do.

I'd be far more upset if my baby had an IV placed without my knowledge than given a bottle for a low glucose! Why choose an invasive procedure when not absolutely necessary?

Recently we had a mom (and family) who'd had all the brainwashing well established about the horrors of bottle feeding. Of course, this babe had a glucose of 39 (not a stick, a draw) and by our protocol, required a formula feed. The poor postpartum nurse, who is quiet, wonderful and very sensitive, got a really cold shoulder (to say the least) from the family when she explained what had to happen next and why. She mentioned it to me and I suggested she send in one of our nurses who also does NICU, to explain it. Maybe that would help. And it did.

But sometimes, even with all the explanations in the world, people have an idea that we, the medical people, are the bad guys and our mission in life is to do something bad to them and their babies.

I'm all for moms keeping their babies in the room. But with a cast of thousands watching the birth and hanging around until midnight or later, I don't understand why they still expect nursing staff to come "get the baby out of the warmer for me" or "change the diaper" (after they've had several demos) and all that. The whole idea is for them to get to know their baby, not to party with their entire neighborhood or family.

In our place, only the sick babies, early babies, or those needing some temporary care go to the NICU. Rarely, it will tick off people to find out there's no newborn nursery, but it still happens. Parents are encouraged to go there to be with their babies...and even our c/s moms are taken in a w/c as soon as physically possible. Once in a while, we've even wheeled a c/s mom in there on a gurney.

The normal newborns stay with their moms all the time except for blood draws. Everything else is done in the room, at mom's bedside.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.
I'd be far more upset if my baby had an IV placed without my knowledge than given a bottle for a low glucose! Why choose an invasive procedure when not absolutely necessary?

Recently we had a mom (and family) who'd had all the brainwashing well established about the horrors of bottle feeding. Of course, this babe had a glucose of 39 (not a stick, a draw) and by our protocol, required a formula feed. The poor postpartum nurse, who is quiet, wonderful and very sensitive, got a really cold shoulder (to say the least) from the family when she explained what had to happen next and why. She mentioned it to me and I suggested she send in one of our nurses who also does NICU, to explain it. Maybe that would help. And it did.

But sometimes, even with all the explanations in the world, people have an idea that we, the medical people, are the bad guys and our mission in life is to do something bad to them and their babies.

I'm all for moms keeping their babies in the room. But with a cast of thousands watching the birth and hanging around until midnight or later, I don't understand why they still expect nursing staff to come "get the baby out of the warmer for me" or "change the diaper" (after they've had several demos) and all that. The whole idea is for them to get to know their baby, not to party with their entire neighborhood or family.

In our place, only the sick babies, early babies, or those needing some temporary care go to the NICU. Rarely, it will tick off people to find out there's no newborn nursery, but it still happens. Parents are encouraged to go there to be with their babies...and even our c/s moms are taken in a w/c as soon as physically possible. Once in a while, we've even wheeled a c/s mom in there on a gurney.

The normal newborns stay with their moms all the time except for blood draws. Everything else is done in the room, at mom's bedside.

I, personally, would use formula. But not everyone would. It has to do with the ph of the gut, I'm not sure of all the science, but in it IV glucose is recommended as a better solution than formula (by la leche, and some other bf groups). The bottom line is, it should be moms choice, give a list of things you could do if low bs possible. Bottle fed, cup fed, IV glucose. As I said in another thread, DM moms are now being told by some OBs, CNM, etc to begin pumping at 38 weeks so if baby has a low bs they can give colostrum instead of formula. And I have seen alot of times where IV glucose was the only thing to stabilize the sugar, so it might end up there anyway. Who are we to say that formula is "safer" than an IV with glucose. It should be moms choice.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Sometimes I don't think people realize the consequences of hypoglycemia, especially in newborns. There is not a real big margin for messing around. They don't realize that it's something that needs a fairly immediate solution, not hemming & hawing worrying about nipple confusion & gut pH etc. I'm not disagreeing that colostrum is best -- I completely agree. But if I had to choose between a baby getting some formula or a baby seizing or brain damaged r/t prolonged low BS, the choice is not a hard one. I personally think pumping at 38weeks in a stable pregnancy is not such a bad idea, esp if low glucose is reasonably anticipated.

Some hypoglycemia issues could be resolved by (big shocker) putting baby to breast right after birth, if s/he is healthy.

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The hospital that does the largest maternity business (and for them it is BIG business, heavily marketed...) it is policy that all babies (assuming stability) spend up to an hour with their mothers immediately following birth, then they are taken to the nursery for a mandatory 6 hour "observation" period.

I had to stop accepting doula clients at that hospital because it just got to the point where it upset me too much after a while.

ETA: I forgot to say that it's amazing to me the number of clients I had who didnt feel empowered enough to politely demand the baby be brought to them, or not be taken in the first place. In the case of a stable mom and baby, any type of "monitoring" can be done in the room with mom, as many other hospitals do. Instead of finding their voices as mothers, they would wait and wait, watching the minutes & hours tick by, yearning for their baby....it's just senseless & sad.

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm willing to bet that the relative safety of formula wayyyyy surpasses the safety of an invasive IV catheter.

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