Hospital selection can be as important to the success of a breastfeeding experience as finding an Obgyn that meets your prenatal care and delivery needs. This is something that I learned from having two deliveries in two different hospitals.
The first hospital selection was a end of the pregnancy switch of Obgyn's that resulted in a delivery that had hospital view points of the 60's. Not only are we talking practices but the decor suggested that not much money had been spent on their maternity ward. They had the visitor hours (which could include your spouse if you ended up having another patient in the other bed) at 12pm-7pm every day. All of the bath, foot prints, and other things done with the infant were done in the nursery and not by choice. While they had a lactation consultant, I have come to learn that the consultant probably needs a training on identifying and knowing about posterior tongue ties. The ironic thing was this hospital had a donor milk program and it was a nurse that sometimes was brought up to the floor to help that mentioned that when my son was entering the critical point for not having been able to latch.
The first hospital experience was a nightmare. The lactation consultant told me that my son was afraid to suffocate and yet never tried putting their finger in the mouth of the baby. I had finger fed my nephew so I had tried putting my finger in the mouth and he had begun sucking so I knew that what she was saying didn't make any sense. I was fortunate that I had a sister whom had breastfed and worked in another hospital as a Labor and Delivery nurse. It was her advise and support encouraging me that I could be successful and reminding me that success was based on determination and trust. It was also my husband whom got up and cleaned pumping supplies and helped to get me up for the pumping sessions and encouraging me with his words. We finally found a nipple shield that helped him latch.
I was fortunate that I didn't end up with another member in my room. I'm not sure what I would have done. The night nurse wasn't very helpful.
Its really sad but a hospital staff can be the biggest support system and the make it or break it. The night nurse actually told me she didn't see breastfeeding as that much work. Fine that was okay for her. But to hear her saying that my choice to want to do something as being ridiculous was hurtful. I was glad to be out of the hospital.
My second experience was an emergency c-section with a hospital that clearly puts their money to the Maternity Ward and Labor Departments. Unlike the first c-section, in the surgery room, I got more than a cursory glance of my baby as the other hospital gave me a two second look before sending to the nursery. This hospital layed my daughter across my chest for some skin to skin. Sadly I would feel nauseous and puke luckly not on my daughter. I also had the worst shakes but my daughter sat in my arms as I was rolled back to the post recovery room. I was allowed to have my baby as I was recovering from the spinal. I even got to attempt a latch. I would discover a little later that my daughter had the same issues as my son. This hospital listened and got me the ENT to address the tongue tie. It wasn't a perfect scenario. There were still nurses when I needed the SNS system that would roll their eyes as they didn't want the extra load. It is a shame because the nurses are probably understaffed. It isn't the patient fault either. As employees and even us as patients can demand hospitals to staff appropriately such that the stress isn't on the backs of the people whom are there to support new moms in their journey of breastfeeding.
Note this blogger doesn't see anything wrong with those that formula feed. I do not judge others that don't select breastfeeding. I think that a baby fed is a baby fed. This is something that I wanted for my baby. Life or death you better believe I would have given formula if there was no other option. Due to medical conditions, I have a lot of things that I can't do. I wanted to have something that I could do and not be denied physically and maybe that helped me to be persistent and stubborn that I wanted to be successful.
Biggest recommendation talk to the Obgyn and have them ask that a pump be delivered to your room post delivery. This will help to stimulate your breasts to get the colostrum and milk to start flowing. Also seek hospitals that have a very good support system and really seem to support breastfeeding.
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