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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: No more pacifiers at the hospital?
Kate- correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you a L&D nurse? I'd think Kate would have a greater insight into what is going on then most of us who are in for a day or two.
For more info on Baby Friendly hospitals
http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/eng/04.html
Personally, I don't think it's a big f--king deal. You want your kid to use a paci, bring it yourself.
Yes I'm a mother baby nurse. Hospitals do not pay for formula in most cases. If they offer equal rotation of all brands I believe it is supplied free from the formula companies. Diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc all cost the hospital. I know my patients take stuff. It's quite obvious when you load up the entire drawer and they wipe it all out when you bring the crib back. For what you are paying to be in the hospital it is the care you are receiving and of course we will supply you with everything you need to take care of your baby while you are there. By all means take everything from the drawer on your way home and ask for a few extra pads or undies or something.
The pacifiers are a tricky issue. I assume by not offering them they take the chance away from the staff to suggest to you maybe you want to try the pacifier. While they aren't supposed to just put them in the baby's crib they might gently suggest it to you and if they have them there it makes it that much easier. The criteria are pretty strict for this initiative. So I guess they figure if you bring your own it is totally your choice and not them at all. Personally I breast fed both of my kids and they both took a paci from day one.
There is no money or extra funding to be baby friendly. There are some grants out there though that I know hospitals can apply for. I guess they just hope it will attract patients. Baby Friendly is not supposed to make formula feeding moms feel bad. I personally don't see how it won't. There is a lot of stuff I've seen that goes with it that says how bad just one bottle is for a baby and stuff like that. I know how hard it is to breast feed and how sometimes it's just not possible. So I'm sort of torn about it all. I want to support my breast feeding moms in any way I can, but I hate to put pressure on anyone. So we'll see how it all plays out for these hospitals and if the patients like the baby friendly initiative.
I totally see what you're saying and agree that I wouldn't want FF moms to feel bad, but there are plenty of moms who WANT to BF who haven't felt supported in hospitals or felt it's just easier to FF because the formula is there so readily for them. I know of a few moms who this happened to that in retrospect wished they had stuck with BFing. Also, some hospitals push formula to BFing moms (formula was pushed on my one of my sister's babies and was "threatened" to me at the hospital we delivered in). It really is tricky to walk the line, hopefully hospitals can find a happy medium so all mothers feel supported in whatever choices they make without one side feeling they're doing something wrong.
eta - on a side note, I really don't think any of this has to do with whether pacifiers are being handed out for free at the hospital or not.
I delivered at NYU while they were in the process of being certified with the WHO initiative. As someone who wanted to BF and had my first given a bottle without my knowledge or consent before I had a chance to nurse, I was really happy with it. I was afraid to send Emma to the nursery until the nurses explained to me that they cannot give her a bottle without written consent. I needed the rest (long labor and 3 hours of pushing with forceps assisted delivery) but was terrified to send her to the nursery and have my nursing plans destroyed (those who were around when Julia was little remember me pumping 7-8x a day for 6 months). It's very easy to switch to bottle from breast, but it's not always easy to go the other direction. Anything that will help those that want to have success is a good thing.
And I'm going to go ahead and say it. Why is it bad that hospitals are encouraging what science shows is better for the baby? Formula is not a bad thing at all, and I'm very thankful the option exists, but shouldn't hospitals be in the business of encouraging optimal health? The WHO, AAP, AMA and any other board you look at agrees that formula is good but breast is better. It's even written on formula cases.
As far as whether it's a cost-cutting measure, good for them if it is. Hospital costs are completely out of control (I don't think anyone would disagree with that). It would actually be nice to see measures in place, even seemingly small ones, that might help reign that in. Diapers and in some cases formula are absolute necessities, but pacifiers are not. Pacifiers are a nice tool to help calm a baby, but I have no problem with warning the parents in advance that they need to bring their own. I would imagine parents swiping as many as they can get their hands on before they leave is part of the reason for it.
I'm going to throw another thing out there. A study came out this week citing that 1 in 7 mothers water down formula due to costs. Many of these women were unaware of the benefits of breastfeeding due to stigma within certain communities. If an initiative that leans towards breastfeeding can help break through that stigma and avoid malnourished babies because of the cost of formula, I think it's a good thing. My roommate at NYU did not know the benefits of BFing, had never met someone who BFed, but gave it a try because of the support she had there. Before leaving she had her husband grab a few nursing bras (asked me for advice on what to get since I mentioned BFing before) and said she was thrilled to avoid the cost of formula, but had always been told formula was healthier. If this initiative, while annoying to those of us who have the advantage of education, can help break some of that stigma I'm happy for it.
I totally agree with what you are saying and I think that is why so many hospitals are going for this option. There is so much evidence out there about how breast feeding can cut down on so many healthcare costs. It's proven to show less ear infections and so many other health problems. So it is good for the hospital all around. There are also some really positive things about the initiative for breast or bottle feeding like encouraging skin to skin contact immediately after birth and not separating mom and baby. I just know that a lot of moms aren't able to breast feed or do not want to and I hope it doesn't offend them.
I'm also curious how some of you would feel if you were to not get that discharge bag from the formula company when getting discharged from the hospital. You know the one that has a can or bottle of formula and some coupons and stuff. Where I work they talked about getting rid of the bags all together. Breast or bottle feeding would not get it. It costs us nothing to give them out, but basically it's like saying to a breast feeding mom just in case you fail here's some formula. So they thought of getting rid of them all together.
I think that no matter what happens someone is going to be insulted whether it is a bf'ing mom or a ff'ing mom. I think either one or the other is going to be made to feel guilty about their choice.
I bf my two children and I'm glad I did, but if I have a third I won't be doing it more than a month or so. While I loved bf'ing my kids, it really took a toll on me. It exhausted me, the hormones made me very emotional, and I gained a ton of weight because I craved sweets all the time. I just can't go through that again, especially if I have two other kids to take care. Plus, it was always a real struggle for me in the beginning because my milk takes awhile to come and my babies always lose a ton of weight. So, right there I feel guilty because even though I want to bf it doesn't seem to be helping.
So, I sympathize and support both sides.
I think the diaper bags with formula and coupons should be given to all formula feeding moms and to bf'ing moms if they ask for it.
I delivered at Valley. I was 100% set on BF'ing and thought I was doing fine in the hospital. I was mental about them not giving a paci or bottle in the middle of the night. They encouraged me to give him back to the nursery so I could sleep and said they'd wake me to feed which they did. When we went home he would not latch and my milk never really came in. I had to go to the hospital the day after I came home for a lactation consultation.
They gave me formula then too which I don't think I'd gotten prior to leaving. I also didn't raid the hospital for free shiit because it just didn't occur to me. I'd had a shower and had plenty of diapers and I didn't want a ton of maxi pads. I took their paci just in case.
Bottom line is I tried my damnedest for five and a half months to BF. Teas, pills from other countries, fenugreek, you name it. I pumped after every feeding, sometimes I'd look down into the pump bottle and it would be just blood. So I had to supplement with formula from the beginning. I would have never made enough supply for the demand. E had to go to the ped weekly because of his rapid weight loss.
I couldn't have imagined not at least trying bf and I feel I did it as long as I possibly could. But I also needed formula. And bf didn't cut down on any costs when you take into account all I spent on trying to up my production. The pills alone cost me like $200 or more plus the pump, accessories, and herbal supplements.
I appreciated getting the formula. It certainly had no bearing on me stopping BF. it wasn't like, oh this is too hard, so let me just use formula. If anything I was stubborn & determined to make it work. To me it was like pledging. Even going through the pain and blood of one day was enough to want to make it not have been for nothing.
Im sure for some having the formula could be a "safety net" but who is to say a new mom shouldn't have that safety net. Because when it comes down to it isn't the advice we're always hearing and spewing, "happy mommy = happy baby"??
While BF may be statistically healthier or whatever, it isn't magic milk. My good friend bf'd both her kids and they spent then entire winter home with her and sick. Tons of ear infections for both. I bf'd and he's had a cough since he's 10 mo. I'm not arguing the benefits because when it works the way it's "supposed" to, I'm sure it works. And like I said, especially knowing I was only doing this once, I wanted to have experienced it and I did do it for over 5 months. But I still believe in having the choice regardless. IMO its like not giving out condoms thinking that will prevent teen sex. We all know how well that works.
Taking it away just makes things more difficult for those that need or want it at a vulnerable time. If they hadn't given it to me I would've been at a loss in a snow storm as to how to feed my newborn. I just think that's a lot of unfair stress to put on a new mom if the stuff is free to the hospital anyway.
As far as the pacis and raiding the hospital supply you're always going to have people who feel they're owed stuff. Personally it didn't matter to me either way. I don't think just because having a baby is medically expensive that you deserve a years supply of free stuff. Part of why shiit is expensive is because of that attitude and people being gluttonous
I didn't get one with s and was disappointed dispite the fact I was breast feeding. I knew I planned formula later on and those sized bottles were great for cereal on the go when you first start it. Also I got so ill when he was less than a month and I could not eat or drink anything. Wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't under 3 feet of snow and had no formula as a back up for him.
I thought it was odd to just be given one with M but I'd have liked it offered with S.
Anyway, rhode island had a "ban the bag" initiative where they wanted to make it illegal for any hospital to pass out any formula bag to any patient. I'm glad it was shot down.