Nurses that give bottles to breastfeeding babies.

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I don't want to start a big controversy about nipple confusion or bottle vs breast feeding, but I need some input.

I work on an LDRP unit. We have 2 nurses (both night shift) that very frequently (I would dare say at least once every shift) that give bottles to breastfeeding babies. One of the nurses has acutally said that she give bottles to babies because she thinks it is fun to feed the babies, the other, I think just doesn't want to take the time to help with breastfeeding. These two nurses have told mothers that bottle feeding will not interfere with breastfeeding, when the mothers have specifically asked if it will.

The problem is that the next day we frequently have to spend hours with getting the babies to properly latch again. In my opinion, if the mothers want to breastfeed, it is their right to do so and not the right of the nurse to bottle feed the baby because she thinks it is fun, or assumes that the mom will be too tired to breastfeed, or doesn't want to take the time to help. (I don't know if I mentioned, usually bottles are given without the mother knowing!)

I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and if they have had any success in stopping it. We have tried everything that we can think of, we even developed a consent that the mothers are to sign before any breastfeeding baby is given a bottle, but it never gets signed.

Thanks for your help!

Specializes in LTC, Post OP.

I am a mom who has breast feed one and bottle fed one. I told my nurses from jump there is to be no bottle or nipples, while I am not sure about how i feel on the nipple confusing thing, I do know that once a baby has made up their mind to do either that may be it. My dd has never sucked a bottle in her life, not that i have not tried, but she refused would not even drink breast milk in a cup, she nursed till she was 23 months and i am proud of that:) But some day i wish she would take that bottle. Any way i think its wrong for a nurse to i against a parent wishes, if i was that MOM she would never feed another child a bottle when i would have been through with her JMO

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Specializes in NICU.
I'm with the other NICu girls..it is so much harder when they have a baby in the unit...and sometimes, that is the only thing that is holding the baby up is feedings! I am all for BF, BF my daughter for 8.5 months, but if it came down to keeping my baby in the hospital or giving a bottle, well, the bottle would win. We have the moms nurse while they are there, and we usually do supplement at least one feed a day with Neosure or Natural Care for the extra calcium and minerals that these little ones usually need. As a matter of fact, we much prefer MBM because it is much better for little immature guts :)

We get the gung ho moms too...and we make it quite clear that she will need to come and feed everytime the baby wants to eat. We do not place ng's or IV's just because the mom wants us too. That is not medically indicated. We also aren't allowed to cup or syringe feed anymore...we had 5 instances of aspiration in the nursery last year, so risk management said no more. (These were all groggy big full termers that were kind of forced to eat..not good). We also explain how non nutritive sucking is a good thing...esp. for pain management.

Those full term babies don't want to eat when they don't feel good, just like the rest of us! That's the problem with pouring formula down them. I cringe when I see babies out on the floor being cup fed...why doesn't the baby want to eat?

My youngest had to be hospitalized at 5 days of age, was bottle fed in the hospital, wouldn't touch one after he came home 3 days later. Never took another bottle, at 8 months he was weaned to a cup.

I agree that breast fed babies should be only breast fed, if that is mom's choice......and room in. That gives mom chance to nurse at any time, even if she turns into a pacifier.

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

another situation that is difficult:

when moms want to EXCLUSIVELY breastfeed but also send their screaming babies out to us to watch. Yet they admonish us "NO feeding of any sort" and we expected to keep them several hours while they rest. They can't have it both ways. IF they are to breastfeed successfully, I tell them clearly, the baby needs to stay in the room at all times. If they elect to send the baby out, and tell us not to wake them for 4 to 5 hours or more, then I tell them, I will cupfeed these babies. No baby is going hungry because mom elected to stay up all day visiting and wants to sleep all night, uninterrupated. I cant' say how many times I have run across moms like this and it burns me up.

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Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
another situation that is difficult:

when moms want to EXCLUSIVELY breastfeed but also send their screaming babies out to us to watch. Yet they admonish us "NO feeding of any sort" and we expected to keep them several hours while they rest. They can't have it both ways. IF they are to breastfeed successfully, I tell them clearly, the baby needs to stay in the room at all times. If they elect to send the baby out, and tell us not to wake them for 4 to 5 hours or more, then I tell them, I will cupfeed these babies. No baby is going hungry because mom elected to stay up all day visiting and wants to sleep all night, uninterrupated. I cant' say how many times I have run across moms like this and it burns me up.

I really admire all the L&D nurses out there that have to put up with moms or family members like that. I think I'd lose it!

When I decided to BF my youngest, I just made up my mind that I was going to do it come heck or high water, and kept her with me the whole time in the hospital. The only time she was in the nursery was for check ups and assessments. But, I also didn't have a problem with her having a pacifier or taking some sips from a bottle just until my milk came in. Maybe it was unnecessary, but the Italian side of me still has some of that "EAT, EAT" coming thru at times!

The fact is that I don't trust anyone to take care of my kids as well as I do, so I try to stay completely involved and as much in charge of their care as I can....without being obnoxious, of course! Esp. when having a baby....if they aren't sick and don't need medical supervision, then they stay with me.

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

as it should be jkaee..... healthy babies belong with their families, NOT in a nursery. But many don't agree.

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Specializes in LTC, Post OP.

i tell ya, i never realize jut how much work it was at first to breastfeed, I mean every 2 hours, then after feeding i would send her back, but they would bring her right back, so i just kept her and i notice she slept better with me and nurse as she wish, It was just kinda hard because i had a c-sec and could not get up and down out bed to get her, so she just stayed in my arm most of time unless we had visitors, I learn its hard to breastfeed with baby in nursery

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Specializes in OB, Post Partum, Home Health.

So, having shared that, you would still not give the baby a bottle unless it was medically necessary??

Hoolahan,

You said that you asked for your baby to have a bottle. I would have given your baby a bottle. I am concerned about mothers who choose to exclusively breastfeed and the nurses give bottles anyway, often without ever telling the mother. And in fact sometimes giving glucose water instead of formula in case the baby spits up, they don't want the mother to know that they bottlefed their baby. If they spit up water, they pass it off as amniotic fluid!

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So, having shared that, you would still not give the baby a bottle unless it was medically necessary??

Hoolahan,

You said that you asked for your baby to have a bottle. I would have given your baby a bottle. I am concerned about mothers who choose to exclusively breastfeed and the nurses give bottles anyway, often without ever telling the mother. And in fact sometimes giving glucose water instead of formula in case the baby spits up, they don't want the mother to know that they bottlefed their baby. If they spit up water, they pass it off as amniotic fluid!

Doesn't your hosptial room in? And it isn't an option. Not that I would have it any other way but my friend had a section and asked the nurses to take the baby to the nursery so she could rest. The nurse told her unless she or the baby was sick it wasn't going to happen. I think it is great. I mean who is going to take care of the baby when you are home. As for visitors, I insisted they only visit during mealtimes and that they bring food. Otherwise they had to call and ask first. I dozed when the baby did. Even my husband wasn't allowed to stay (except for #1 because it was just us and no kids). I remember asking my husband when I had #2 if he would be okay by himself or did he want to get some help for the 2 days. He said he and Morgan would stay with me in the hosptial. UMMM No you won't. As for the rooming in, I just wondered because when I had my 3 kids they did not leave my sight. I even when to the nursery when my 1st had to be there for observation (meconium and resp problems). There was no chance for a nurse to give them anything. Well they did go get their pics but they weren't gone long enough to have a bottle. I have to say I would be pretty mad if someone gave my bf babies a bottle. I am not sure mine would have taken it anyway. :rotfl: I remember when my 1st was dehydrated they tried to give her some pedialyte in a bottle. We ended up spoon feeding it to her.

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I don't think I agree with that "rooming in" policy where you dont get a choice!

I had an emergency caesarian and for the first few days it was very difficult to get in and out of bed. My partner was working while I was in hospital so he could take time off once we got home, so alot of the time I was there on my own.

My daughter was often in the room with me which was fine when she was asleep, but once she woke up hungry and was crying, there wasnt a lot I could do except buzz and wait for a nurse/midwife to come and help me out of bed! When they were busy this often took awhile.

Most nurses were happy to take her to the nursery over night, but a couple did try to tell me I needed to keep her in my room or I wouldn't "bond properly". Well I just buzzed until another nurse came who would take her to the nursery.

By day 5 when I was discharged I was able to get in and out of bed on my own and could look after her fine at home. And I'm happy to say we had no trouble "bonding". It amazes me when some nurses think they always know what's right.

I breastfed my daughter but she was given two bottles in hospital before my milk came in, both of which I had to sign for. To give bottles to breastfed babies without the mother knowing should definately stop, regardless of whether it causes problems or not.

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