Now there's a novel idea Rachel! I agree 100% that we need to be supportive, and offer coping strategies, and you are right, the artificial environment of the hospital does nothing to enhance a woman's sense of well-being or confidence, the fragmentation of care just creates more confusion and angst with most women wanting to 'do the right thing' by the staff, rather than being able to concentrate on doing the right thing by themselves and their family, and baby. How to address the lack of continuity...well there's another can of worms...
Tania x -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish Sent: Wednesday, 21 September 2005 10:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Midwifery-led units - warning, a bit of a rave! I think the 'baby friendly initiative' doesn't take into consideration the artificial environment women find themselves in whilst trying to adapt to motherhood. In other cultures, and not so long ago here, women would have birthed at home supported by other women (family and friends). They would have been surrounded by supporter who knew them. These supporters would have cared for them and their baby in a familiar environment and facilitated their adaption to motherhood. Now they are on hospital ward with all the noise, lack of privacy + isolated from their support people (even their partners). Often recovering from a 'medical birth'. They are awake all day with comings and goings (visitors, people emptying bins, mw doing obs). Then we expect them to deal with the natural instinct of a baby who wants to breastfeed all night. I have sat with too many exhausted, weeping women to enforce rooming-in. I explain the baby's behaviour, and that it is normal. Then provide coping strategies. Starting with sleeping with baby in bed suckling and last on the list is: I can take your baby and settle him, but will bring him back when he needs food, because only you can feed him. I feel that if a woman is in a hospital, the mws should take on the role of her family and settle the baby for her if she wants us to. The difference a straight 3-4 hours sleep can make to womens ability to cope is sometimes hugh. >From personal experience, I feel that having no rest or break in hospital with my first significantly compromised my adaption to motherhood - I was totally exhausted. It was one of the main reasons I had my second at home. I could sleep in my own bed with my baby and husband at night, and in the day family would care for her whilst I had a nap. If we are going to be truely 'baby friendly' we need to move birth back into the family environment. Rachel >From: JoFromOz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Midwifery-led units - warning, a bit of a rave! >Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 19:34:42 +0800 > >Tania Smallwood wrote: > >>What an interesting and thought provoking conversation...I have always >>felt >>too that there must be a middle ground, but surely, we need to be >>adequately >>and realistically preparing women for what they will face when they get >>home. A new mother expects to be tired, and yes, we can try in hospital >>to >>give them time to rest, but taking a baby to the nursery, bottle feeding >>it, >>and letting mothers sleep all night until the day of discharge, (which is >>what I saw happen in my midwifery training, only a few years ago) is >>surely >>a recipe for disaster. Reality has to hit eventually, surely it's better >>to >>happen with the support of midwives during those first few days, so some >>strategies can be made to cope with excessive feeding, not settling etc, >>rather than finding out on the first night home that your baby doesn't >>actually sleep all night! >> >>I'm not sure I agree that we need to be 'prioritising' the mothers need >>for >>rest over the babies need for attention, I think it is our job as midwives >>to help the new family adjust to the needs of the new baby, to be able to >>recognize the need for rest, and then to gain the skills and strategies to >>be able to achieve that rest, while adjusting to all the demands of new >>parenting. So it is a juggling act, but shouldn't we be trying to arm >>women >>and couples with ways of dealing with it, rather than taking away the >>'problem' and creating a false sense of reality? >> >>I think 'woman friendly' needs to be seen in a realistic light, we are >>there >>to help the women in their early mothering, this for me, does not include >>taking over part of that mothering, or protecting her from the realities >>she >>will face only too soon, without the safety net of midwifery staff on tap. >> >>Just my thoughts... >> >>Tania >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of brendamanning >>Sent: Wednesday, 21 September 2005 4:23 PM >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Midwifery-led units - warning, a bit of a rave! >> >>Kate, >> >>Must admit I also promote 'women friendly' care, not including some of the >>things your colleague does, but if we don't care for the mothers how can >>we expect them to nurture their babies?? >>They need nurturing too, mothers need mothering & baby-friendly can be >>very hard on the women. I feel that his is where the term 'breast-feeding >>nazi' originated, not prioritising the maternal need for rest & >>recovery/convalescence over the obsession with infant attention. >> >>Must be a happy medium ! >> >>BM >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Kate &/or Nick" >><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: <[email protected]> >>Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 3:22 PM >>Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Midwifery-led units - warning, a bit of a rave! >> >> >> >> >>>----- >>how about the 'woman friendly birth centre'? >>> >>>There's a lot of different definitions of that one. Just had a placement >>>with a m/w who promoted woman-friendly over baby-friendly. Her idea of >>>w-f >>>was to have longer hospital stays, baby in nursery, bottlefed until >>>woman's >>>milk comes in. She theorised that it would give mother a chance to sleep, >>>recover from the birth, and remove the stress of a hungry baby unable to >>>feed. >>> >>>Just doesn't gel to me. >>> >>>Kate >>> >>>-- >>>This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >>>Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. >>> >> >>-- >>This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >>Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. >> >> >> >> >>-- >>This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >>Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. >> >> >> >> >I agree, Tania. Antenatally, the women need to focus more on parenting and >what to expect there, rather than just the labour and birth. It's just not >normal to have a mother and baby separated just so Mum can get some sleep. >If she was meant to have sleep, then the baby would be asleep. This is >where the midwives need to be woman-friendly and push this sleeptime for >mum, and kick those pesky visitors out! Personally, I don't believe in >visitors in maternity wards, except of course the partner and any of their >other children. Ok, perhaps one hour a day, max. It's just such an >important time for learning new skills and getting as much rest as baby >allows. Visitors only seem to get in the way! > >JMHO :) > >Jo (Mum to Will, almost 4 months old, and who is developing eczema) _________________________________________________________________ MSN Messenger 7.5 is now out. Download it for FREE here. http://messenger.msn.co.uk -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
