Please don’t forget the fathers.
Most couples I talk to that choose private care (up here) do so because dad can
stay with them. This is dispite the c/s rate being twice as high as the public
hospital. Truly valuable postpartum care should treat the family unit in
whatever form it comes. As a Doula we do postpartum care work & in
truth find that it is families with other children that love the idea. They are
anticipating the work ahead in real terms. I think we do place too many
expectations on new mums, but it is cultural not just from care givers. I did
it to myself after my first baby was born. C/s but careing for everything
includeing nappy buckets as soon as I got home. Secong time was natural but I allowed
my mother to care for us while I spent time with my baby. Anyway the ideal
place would run rather more like a hotel or part time in home care where the
whole family is nurtured. That’s just my consumer perspective.
Cheers
Philippa Scott
Birth Buddies - Doula
Providing
Informational, Physical & Emotional Support during Pregnancy, Child Birth
& the Newborn time.
President of the
Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Mary Murphy
Sent: Wednesday, 23 November 2005
7:43 AM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Mother/baby
friendly
Excuse cross-posting, but this is very pertinent. MM
22 November 2005
NICE consultation supports breastfeeding and
Baby Friendly; immediate public input requested
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued two
documents for consultation which could have a dramatic influence on efforts to
promote and protect breastfeeding in England
and Wales.
The public consultation is now open but ends on 30 November. Public endorsement
of strong and effective recommendations by NICE is likely to ensure that the
resulting document is fully supportive of sound breastfeeding practice.
The clinical Postnatal Care Guideline
gives recommendations on what constitutes 'core care' and should be available
to all mothers and babies in the postnatal period. Core care is described in
three areas: infant feeding, maintaining maternal health and maintaining infant
health.
A small number of recommendations are indentified as Key Priorities for
implementation, including that 'All maternity care providers should implement
an externally evaluated structured programme that encourages breastfeeding
using the Baby Friendly Initiative as a minimum standard'.
Much of the 'core care' in infant feeding is that described by the Baby
Friendly best practice standards, including skin-to-skin contact, early
initiation of breastfeeding, rooming-in, feeding on demand, routine and
effective information and support to mothers.
The document also compares the costs of implementing
the Baby Friendly standards and achieving accreditation with the savings to be
made from the lower treatment costs which would result. It concludes that 'it
is highly likely that the Initiative 'is cost-effective'.
Issued at the same time as the care guidelines, a Public Health Action Briefing makes recommendations for
actions required to increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding.
This also recommends that 'the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative should be
implemented as routine practice across NHS Trusts in England'.
A wide range of recommendations for action are made, including effective
education for health professionals, changes to health care practices, media
programmes and peer support. Practice changes required for Baby Friendly
accreditation are promoted, including exclusive breastfeeding, rooming-in,
demand feeding and an end to promotion for artificial feeding.
When issued, the NICE guidelines will provide a sound foundation to support
breastfeeding promotion work throughout the health services.
