moms and babies staying together

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hi

We just had another meeting for our new hospital. The VP of nursing was appalled when he saw how many babies end up in the nursery at night. He and the M/B director had quite a discussion on philosophy of patient care and our abilities to convince moms to keep their babies with them.

My question, do any of you have a policy of babies always staying with moms? What have you done to get moms to be happy keeping babies with them at night? Our patient population is very big on sending them to the nursery so they can sleep!

Thanks

Remember: The hospital will encourage/mandate whichever policy saves the most $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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

our hospital has no mandate; we nurses take it on ourselves to encourage rooming-in, period. staffing patterns and census' only play a part in this. there is plenty of evidence-based rationale for ROOMING-IN and no, it's not always about saving $$$. And another thing to consider:

when you have 1 RN overseeing care of 8-10 (or, likely more) SICK med/surg patients downstairs, its a damn-sight tougher to justify bringing in an extra nurse to watch a couple healthy babies in an otherwise empty nursery. It's not hard to see why hospitals/supervisors will NOT go for that, really!

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This is a big issue at my hospital, I work at a hospital who has the most births per year in the entire country and their goal is supposed to be family centered. We have 20 rooms on 6 different pods and believe me, on each pod @ least 16-18 babies are in the nursery each night. I do not mind because that is the reason I work nights (my baby time:) but some find it very annoying having to take care of these needy Mom's and the babies. But I blame it on the hospital, our patients come from mid-upper class areas and expect to be catered to, I even had a new Mom ask me if we had wet nurses to nurse her baby for her!!!!! They are given a tour before they even come in to have the baby and are shown the nursery (which is always full) during the tour, now why wouldn't they be thinking hmmmmm nursery? Sleep!!!! I do believe they should keep them @ least one night while they are there just to get used to it, but if a Mom is drugged up, on mag, new c-section, I will gladly take the baby for everyone's safety! Just my 2 cents!

Michelle

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by chellet98

I even had a new Mom ask me if we had wet nurses to nurse her baby for her!!!!! Michelle

NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too, take care of many upwardly-mobile professional people too, like doctors, lawyers, business owners and NEVER have I heard THIS ONE!!! wow I would be speechless....and that would be a first, just ask anyone here at the boards! I am FLOOOORED.:eek:

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Our babies stay with Mom from delivery to discharge...unless of course Mom is on Mag, or baby is unstable.

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Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too, take care of many upwardly-mobile professional people too, like doctors, lawyers, business owners and NEVER have I heard THIS ONE!!! wow I would be speechless....and that would be a first, just ask anyone here at the boards! I am FLOOOORED.:eek:

Believe it girl, I was shocked as hell myself, but do remember I live in Georgia, and these sweet georgia peaches are not used to doing much on there own. I had only read about a wet nurse in history books never thought in 2003 someone would ask for one:eek: I simply told her no, but it was very tempting to say a few other things that were on my mind.

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Originally posted by fergus51

I find this policy works because women know about it long before they give birth, and because post partum rooms are all private so that a support person can usually stay overnight and help.

How great is that? I like the idea of permitting the support person to spend the night. Too often they too have a difficult time adjusting to a new and or first time babe.

Good for your facility!

C

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All of our healthy babies stay with the mom for the entire hospital stay. We will take babies for short periods if we are not buzy to allow for mom's to have a few hours rest. Few of our moms take us up on this though. We will do PKUs, hearing test or other procedures in our nursery. Many of our parents come with because they don't want their babies out of their sites. We have a high hispanic population and I think that has a lot to do with it. I like the rooming in. I think it gives the moms an acurate picture of what it will be like when they go home. Especially first time moms. I love my baby time and willfully take a baby for a few hours if I have time but I think parents should not depend on a nursery during their pp stay.

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

At the LDRP unit I was recently working at, the practice has always been to keep babe w/mom (or preferably, mom & dad). I have noticed, lately, there has been a huge increase of babies being brought and "dropped off" in the nursery. Our nursery is not staffed for this, often those babies would end up just crying and being neglected. If I was on, those babies stay w/mom! This is THEIR baby, like Deb said, I'm not going home w/them and those 24hrs after birth are all too short to assess for BF'ing/feeding issues, bonding, well baby care, etc.

I'm sorry, unless mom or baby is not well, the baby belongs w/the parents. I don't care what their economic status is. If they want a babysitter, let them hire one! And, LOL, to the request for a "wet nurse", that is TOO much!:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.
Originally posted by Geeg

Remember: The hospital will encourage/mandate whichever policy saves the most $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Usually I agree, the hospital does whatever it can to save $$$$$, but in this instance, nah, newborns belong w/their moms, period. MOST mothers WANT their babies w/them as well, but there are a few "princesses" who want to be catered to hand and foot...well, I hope they have hired help at home, but I am not their handmaiden...LOL!:chuckle

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Originally posted by opalm

How great is that? I like the idea of permitting the support person to spend the night. Too often they too have a difficult time adjusting to a new and or first time babe.

Good for your facility!

C

they aren't just permitted, it is very much encouraged, almost to the point where it is wierd if someone doesn't stay the night. It is really helpful, esp. post c-section!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm certainly not an OB nurse, but I have had two kids, so I'll put in my $0.02 worth. My oldest was born in 1980 in a military hospital and because my husband was a sergeant I was responsible to make my own bed and change the linens! In addition to taking care of my newborn - hubby was at work. Then, when our second son was born in 1985 we lived in Spain and had him in a civilian (spanish) hospital. Had to provide my own linens, pads, diapers, clothing, everything.

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