Mother/ Baby Unit or L&D

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 3, 2006

Well in most places, mother-baby nursing involves nursing of mom-baby couplets, and that involves teaching new parents to care for themselves and their newborns, breastfeeding assistance, monitoring the wellbeing of the couplet while in the hospital, providing resources for teaching, learning and special needs once discharged, and the like.

Labor and Delivery involves the care of a laboring mom and her support people---this involves caring for a laboring woman from the time she comes to your care through the immediate post-partum recovery (usually an hour or two) until she and her baby are moved to post-partum or m/b unit.

And just to confuse you a bit more, you have units like mine: LDRP units. In these, nurses are cross-trained to care for laboring women, well newborns and post-partum moms, all of it. If you start in one of these, the learning curve is very sharp indeed, but it's also satisfying, as you get to do it all----I never get bored or burnt out. Also, I find I get to know my patients better since they are with me throughout their hospital stay. It also does not involve moving mom/baby couplets to new rooms, which I love.

If you are going to work in a place that does L/D and PP (mother/baby) separately, you would do well to start in M/B first, then do L/D. The acuity is higher, most often in L/D and most new grads just seem to do well starting out in M/B first. Now that is not to say M/B nurses do not work hard, or are not expert in their care; they certainly ARE. But the acuity and skill sets for L/D and M/B are different--so that often, new grads just seem to do well doing M/B first, then L/D.

Hope this helps!

capribry · Mar 4, 2006

Well in most places, mother-baby nursing involves nursing of mom-baby couplets, and that involves teaching new parents to care for themselves and their newborns, breastfeeding assistance, monitoring the wellbeing of the couplet while in the hospital, providing resources for teaching, learning and special needs once discharged, and the like.
Labor and Delivery involves the care of a laboring mom and her support people---this involves caring for a laboring woman from the time she comes to your care through the immediate post-partum recovery (usually an hour or two) until she and her baby are moved to post-partum or m/b unit.
And just to confuse you a bit more, you have units like mine: LDRP units. In these, nurses are cross-trained to care for laboring women, well newborns and post-partum moms, all of it. If you start in one of these, the learning curve is very sharp indeed, but it's also satisfying, as you get to do it all----I never get bored or burnt out. Also, I find I get to know my patients better since they are with me throughout their hospital stay. It also does not involve moving mom/baby couplets to new rooms, which I love.
If you are going to work in a place that does L/D and PP (mother/baby) separately, you would do well to start in M/B first, then do L/D. The acuity is higher, most often in L/D and most new grads just seem to do well starting out in M/B first. Now that is not to say M/B nurses do not work hard, or are not expert in their care; they certainly ARE. But the acuity and skill sets for L/D and M/B are different--so that often, new grads just seem to do well doing M/B first, then L/D.
Hope this helps!

That is very interesting. I am also a pre-nursing student due to start nursing school in Sept. and also interested in working in L&D. But after I read your thread, I think I might like the mother and baby part more. Can you tell me if this is the same as the nurses who works with the babies in the well care nursery?

LandDRN · Mar 4, 2006

Also forgot to mention in previous post, in addition to Labor and fetal monitoring, if you choose to do L&D you also have to learn to circulate and (in our facility) scruband assist operative cases ( c-sections, procedures for retained placentas and cervical lacerations, ect.) and be able to ( again in our facility at least, I know some go to the general OR and PACU) recover your patient in the recovery room. Usually this requires your ACLS certification in addition to your BLS and NRP that our M/B requires. This seems to be another area moms tend to "go bad" in more often.

Newbie Nurse SMP · Mar 5, 2006

Well in most places, mother-baby nursing involves nursing of mom-baby couplets, and that involves teaching new parents to care for themselves and their newborns, breastfeeding assistance, monitoring the wellbeing of the couplet while in the hospital, providing resources for teaching, learning and special needs once discharged, and the like.
Labor and Delivery involves the care of a laboring mom and her support people---this involves caring for a laboring woman from the time she comes to your care through the immediate post-partum recovery (usually an hour or two) until she and her baby are moved to post-partum or m/b unit.
And just to confuse you a bit more, you have units like mine: LDRP units. In these, nurses are cross-trained to care for laboring women, well newborns and post-partum moms, all of it. If you start in one of these, the learning curve is very sharp indeed, but it's also satisfying, as you get to do it all----I never get bored or burnt out. Also, I find I get to know my patients better since they are with me throughout their hospital stay. It also does not involve moving mom/baby couplets to new rooms, which I love.
If you are going to work in a place that does L/D and PP (mother/baby) separately, you would do well to start in M/B first, then do L/D. The acuity is higher, most often in L/D and most new grads just seem to do well starting out in M/B first. Now that is not to say M/B nurses do not work hard, or are not expert in their care; they certainly ARE. But the acuity and skill sets for L/D and M/B are different--so that often, new grads just seem to do well doing M/B first, then L/D.
Hope this helps!

Hi,

Thank you so much for the explanation! It was very helpful. I am very sure now that mother/baby is what I would like to do well at least when starting! It sounds as if new grads can find their niche better in M/B before they get into the craziness that can be L&D. I remember how the L&D unit was when my aunt gave birth. Very busy nurses running around and unfortunately they didnt make me feel very welcome as a coach to my aunt. I am thinking that is because they were stressed.

But again thank you! If you ever have any great stories from your unit please share them with me. I would love to hear all I can. :w00t:

Have a great weekend!!

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 5, 2006

Also forgot to mention in previous post, in addition to Labor and fetal monitoring, if you choose to do L&D you also have to learn to circulate and (in our facility) scruband assist operative cases ( c-sections, procedures for retained placentas and cervical lacerations, ect.) and be able to ( again in our facility at least, I know some go to the general OR and PACU) recover your patient in the recovery room. Usually this requires your ACLS certification in addition to your BLS and NRP that our M/B requires. This seems to be another area moms tend to "go bad" in more often.

Yep we do, too. Like I said, most new graduates would do well starting out in Mother/Baby, PP units, then moving to L/D if they choose. To learn all of it is certainly possible, I did it. But it's extraordinarily difficult and the learning curve, VERY steep. Circulating in OR IS a duty of L/D nurses where I work, as well. That in itself takes time to learn. You are held to AORN standards, on top of everything else. Mother-Baby is a great place to start out, if you are entering OB.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 5, 2006

Hi,
Thank you so much for the explanation! It was very helpful. I am very sure now that mother/baby is what I would like to do well at least when starting! It sounds as if new grads can find their niche better in M/B before they get into the craziness that can be L&D. I remember how the L&D unit was when my aunt gave birth. Very busy nurses running around and unfortunately they didnt make me feel very welcome as a coach to my aunt. I am thinking that is because they were stressed.
But again thank you! If you ever have any great stories from your unit please share them with me. I would love to hear all I can. :w00t:
Have a great weekend!!

Sometimes, when things are tense or going "bad" or nurses are inexperienced, they give off a mistaken air like this. Don't let it get to you, and do remember how it made you feel. I find even in the most tense and tough times, keeping support people "in the loop" as much as possible does a lot to build trust and dispel angst. It's so important we try to keep EVERYone involved calm as possible, even in crisis times. You learn this with experience in OB.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 5, 2006

That is very interesting. I am also a pre-nursing student due to start nursing school in Sept. and also interested in working in L&D. But after I read your thread, I think I might like the mother and baby part more. Can you tell me if this is the same as the nurses who works with the babies in the well care nursery?

If you want to work with healthy newborns and really delve into mother and baby care after delivery, Mother/Baby IS definately for you. Be sure you get really well-versed in breastfeeding issues and assistance. This alone, is invaluable. I love caring for mom-baby couplets----but love L/D also. That is why I choose to work LDRP. Everyone finds his/her niche, sooner or later. You will, too!

GOOD LUCK.