Don't Rough My Newborn Up!!!!!!!

Published

:kiss Hi, nurses, have you ever had a patient who comfronted you about handling their newborns too roughly? I was just wondering because when my cousin had her baby girl she became upset with the way the baby was being tossed around. I understand both sides though. On one hand, the nurse is experience and knows different ways to handle the infant and on the other hand, the newborn is so fragile and should be treated delicately.

So what is your opinion?(be specific and oh if you need to vent about a certain comfrontation, please feel free to do so!) - I get a kick out of ya'll stories.

by the way.....I love allnurses.com:nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've only had that happen once, and we actually had to code that baby so it wasn't my biggest concern... I have seen parents freak at other nurses for it (like one parent who thought the nurse rubbed the baby too hard while bathing and one who thought the nurse lifted the baby too quickly when putting it on the scale).

In my experience parents often greatly overexaggerate the way a baby needs to be held and picked up. Babies really aren't THAT fragile. If they were, the species would never have lasted this long. Nurses who work with babies day in and day out aren't stupid enough to harm a baby by handling it too roughly. That said, if a parent really seems concerned about the baby being fragile, I will make an effort to handle the baby with kid gloves so to speak. But, that's just something I'll do to make them happy, not because it's really necessary.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We get that all the time....parents will kind of freak out when we turn the preemies from front to back while still on the vent, or how we burp them (okay, you do have to pat them a bit more then with the fingertips people). We also get the "you bundled him way too tight!". They also kind of get nuts when they watch us put in IV's, esp on the big kids and you bend their foot or hand or arm a certain way. This is why we ask parents to step out now.

I do get a chuckle when they say...oh, don't touch the soft spot, you'll kill him! They are pretty amazed that we feel them and they don't keel over.

I guess because we do it all the time we aren't timid.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

This is going to sound very strange. I am an experienced OB-GYN NP. Worked with many many many newborns. I've birthed two of my own even.

But, when my first grandson was born, things changed. Watching the nurses handle him was hard. I knew in my mind what was going on, but my heart was saying, "no no". It's a very different experience. And, I would have thought the parent or grandparent protested too much. But, until you are in that situation where you wish you could just take the little one away and protect him/her, you cannot relate.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Siri's post is EXCELLENT!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, L&D, OB, Home Health, Management.

Siri, I agree with you that it is different with grandkids, but sometimes it can be VERY frustrating to have parents complain when they don't have a clue!!We had a baby we were resusitating - apgar 1 at 1 min - and the whole time the parents watched us, afterr baby was OK - 10 min apgar 9 - no apparent sequalae - the mother FREAKED because the baby had a small (.2mm) scratch on her arm!! I could have screamed when she was demanding the nurses get 'disciplined' for hurting her baby!! Took a lot of calming down before I could talk to her and explain what was happening and why without getting the hospital, doctor or myself sued and without 'disciplining' my staff.

Some people are nuts!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Oh, I understand completely, Sable's mom. I have been exactly where you are.

But, that mom didn't freak because of a 0.2 mm scratch. It was just seeing the near death of her infant. The scratch was the after shock and the only thing to which she could relate "injury".

Nuts or not, it's something to experience on the other end.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I made my own sisters nervous when I had my babies and I would pick them up casually or dress/change them. And I could also tolerate a little fussy crying from my babies(you learn that after spending a couple shifts in the nursery):lol2: OB nurses are also very good at soothing babies. You get used to working with babies quickly and carefully, or just getting into the folds to clean them well.

It does look abrupt sometimes when I notice certain nurses doing it and I understand the concern. If I had not worked in OB prior to having my children, I would have felt the same way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We had a grandmother get extremely angry when the Ballard was being done! She said we were abusing the infant and demanded to take the baby out of the nursery.

The infant was a level II secondary to being 34 weeks.

In spite of every kind effort, she did not want to hear the explanation of what was being done. She continued to scream outside of the nursery until security had to be called to tell her to calm down or leave.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I understand about the apgar and everything! I been through it with my son who was born butt first, he also had jaundice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In EMS I have always heard, If you drop a baby pick it up, thats why they come with bungee cords.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

what is a ballard? sorry i'm a pre-nursing student and don't know all the technical terms yet.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion