maregram

Thanks for the link. It was informative. Just wanted to clarify that our babies are not routinely screened, only those that are symptomatic and fall into a high-rish category. The concern I have with our protocol is the 4 consecutive >60 results. If anyone comes across that evidence I'd really like to see it. It's new for us and I don't see anyone else doing it. Thanks again for the article!

Our hospital just recently up'd the anty with the glucose protocol. They say that 'evidence-based practice' says that you need 4 consecutive glucoses >60! Some of our babies are getting sticks for 24hrs or more! Only because if there's a glucose below 60, lets say 58 on any one of them ... then you have to start all over again!!! It's ridiculous. I've asked to see the research on this as I find it hard to believe that the way we are doing it is 'evidence-based'. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

I have worked in a few different hospitals and each one did it different. One place the baby came right after delivery to the nursery for admission. We did vitals, shots, bathing, rewarming, etc. Sometimes we'd get 5-6 babies within a short period of time. Needless to say those babies didn't get out to their moms sometimes for 3-4 hours!!! I hated it ... so I quit. Another place we did newborn admissions along with our assignment of 8 babies. It was ridiculous. Again, sometimes the infant wouldn't get out of the nursery for several hours as we were tied up taking care of all the other babies we were assigned. I quit that place too. FINALLY ... I found a hospital that does not separate baby and mom. The baby comes from L&D on moms chest and stays in the room with parents. We used to bath the baby as soon as the temp was stable but now we're waiting 6hrs. to bath a baby. Our manager says the evidence shows that the temp stabilizes better skin to skin for a longer period of time. After the six hours, if it's still on my shift, the baby gets bathed right there in the room in the sink ... immersed in water. Which is okay by the way! It's wonderfu! They cry for few seconds and then they just seem to relax and love it! They feel back at home. It's my favorite part of the job! Some people still do the sponge bathing and you hear those babies screaming the entire time!!! Not the ones that are comfy and warm. They scream when you take them out! But as soon as they're skin to skin they calm down. I once heard, that only in the human species do we take our young and separate them at birth. All other mammals keep their young very close to them. You think as humans we would see the value of this.

That is awesome!!! I totally believe in the non separation concept. I love putting the baby skin to skin on the daddy after the bath. Some dads are reluctant to take their shirts off, but once that little one is skin to skin on them ... there's no letting go! They often thank me afterwards. We get lots of good pictures too.