Baby Friendly Hospital Birth Experiences?

I'm going to have a scheduled C-Section in two weeks at a nearby hospital that is "Baby Friendly" certified. I'm wondering if anyone has a birth story with this scenario. The only birth stories that I've come across have been either c-sections at normal hospitals or vaginal births at baby friendly hospitals. I want to know what to expect.

 

I have never heard of a hospital being "baby friendly" certified. What does that mean? :unsure:

 

BFHI is a national movement of hospitals to lean more toward exclusive breast feeding (they discourage formula), rooming in with mom 24-7 (no sending the babies to the nursery to catch a few hours of sleep after your section, so dad better plan on staying!) and a lot of other stuff that is supposed to make the bonding experience better...

personally, I'm not a big fan of the concept simply because some nurses and hospitals basically are forcing you into "their" ideal - you may NOT have this experience depending on the nurses/staff that are there, but some are hardcore!

 

:good: Thanks for explaining that Amy. I personally would not want to room in with my baby. I was always one who enjoyed my bonding time with my baby, but also sent them back to the nursery to sleep so I could get my rest as well. :good: I can imagine what you mean though about some of staff/nurses being hardcore.

 

Both my pregnancies were routine, vaginal births. The twins were born in a regular 'ole hospital, my third was at a "baby friendly" one. I don't know that they were officially certified by some group or anything, but they advertised themselves as being 'baby friendly.' Honestly, I didn't see a difference either way. Both times the babies roomed with me and I was adamant that they stay with me 24/7, I did not want any of them taken to the nursery. They were only taken out to be circumcised. I wouldn't say either discouraged formula, but they didn't encourage it either. It was simply another choice, like chocolate or vanilla. They probably stressed breastfeeding more, just in that both hospitals told me all the available resource for breastfeeding. But again, it wasn't pushy, just a "here's what's available to you" kinda thing.

The lactation consultants in both hospitals were a different story, though. They were very pushy!

 

:wavey: I had a C-section with my boys in a Baby Friendly Hospital.

What I liked: I didn't have to fight to nurse my babies. The hospital was very willing to have me nurse as soon as I was sewn up. I was in the recovery room nursing them one at a time- it was very quick after they were born. I didn't have to worry that nurses would give formula when they went to the nursery. My hospital did have a nursery which was available. Yes, they encouraged babies to be in the room but at the time I was nursing and pumping around the clock, so they were accepting of me dropping off the babies with a bottle of breastmilk for an hour or two. They'd bring them back changed and fed whenever I asked- I usually just told them bring the babies back at x time. Nurses were trained by LC's on latching and common issues with newborn nursing which was really helpful for me.

What I didn't like: Kate nailed it: I had a pushy nurse the first night I was there. She brought me a pump before I asked for it which I resented as I wasn't planning on pumping at all. She wasn't the nicest person, either. However- I did need that pump and that nurse could latch my lazy baby on like nobody's business!

The LC's were good about getting both babies to tandem nurse in the hospital, too. I think they gave me the confidence to see that it was entirely possible to tandem in the beginning.

 

BFHI is actually an international initiative by WHO & UNICEF. You can read more about it here (including the 10 steps a hospital needs to complete to be considered baby friendly): http://www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/baby.htm

I myself have not birthed at a baby friendly hospital unfortunately.

 

You birthed at a baby friendly house.

 

Ha! This is true. :laughing:

 

most hospitals anymore don't have a well baby nursery - I work in the same hospital I delivered at, and at the time the babies went to the nursery, period - if you were bf'ing they'd bring the baby every 2-3 hours, if you were bottling, the nursery nurses took care of it...now the baby rooms in, but we do have a nursery - mostly for tests and such, but we will take a baby if mom is tired or sick...

I just don't like that BFHI seems to give some LC's and nurses the license to become the tit police!

 

I've given birth at 3 hospitals. I looked it up and only the first one has that designation, but I don't know if it did then (14 & 12 years ago) I honestly didn't know that there were even nurseries still. All 3 of them had you room in with your baby unless there was some kind of real reason. They would while you were showering, if you wanted. Or I think if you just coulnd't rest otherwise. I'm not sure. I kept my babies with me all the time. I did get the bags with formula and all the formula literature, etc. at that first hospital and I think with Adam at the 2nd hospital. In the first hospital, they'd let you stay for an extra 24 hours past what your insurance would pay for, if you felt the need. You basically got a room and meals, but the nurses only came when you called them, they didn't check on you all the time. I had the girlies at the same hospital as Adam, but by then they wouldn't give you those formula diaper bags unless you specifically asked for it. The default one was very pro-breastfeeding. I also had to take an informational BFing class before I was discharged, and their nurses were also lactation consultants or at least trained. Spencer was at a different hospital and I got the formula diaper bag again. But still had him in the room with me. And they had lots of BFing info on the "baby channel" on the hospital TV. But I would still say it was the least "baby friendly" by the official designation of the three. None of them gave my babies formula and I got three of them on my chest before the cord was even cut (1 at each hospital, actually... Sage had to be checked by a NICU team because of meconium in her fluid, Adam had the same thing because the cord was around his neck when he was born and Sabrina had some fluid on her lungs and went to the special care nursery for an hour but then was fine).

 

This made me laugh because every woman that I've talked to, that has had a hospital birth, has a story about "The Mean Nurse" or the "The Ornery Nurse" or the "Bossy Nurse" ect. I'm starting to wonder if having a bad experience with a nurse is inescapable.

 

I think it must be! I was very talkative (am very talkative in general) because I was nervous and scared. I had one nurse who was so dry! I thought I must've ticked her off or something!

UNC was pretty baby friendly, I think. There were babies in rooms on my ward (mine were in the NICU). I don't remember getting formula there (but did when we back transferred), they had LC's on me pretty early the first morning, and they were over the moon when we accepted donor milk after I stopped pumping.

My girls were born via emergency c section, so I'm not sure what the actual delivery experience is typically like. The care I received afterward was pretty fantastic, though.

 

The only nurse I ever had that I didn't like was with my oldest and it wasn't even when I gave birth. I actually went in because of constant contractions but they ended up sending me home. I was ticked about getting sent home at the time, but afterward I was happy because the nurse "helping" me had really been ornery. I had Sage the next day.

All attending nurses both during and after birth for my kids were angels. Seriously! I think in general it takes a special kind of person to be a nurse and an extra special one to be a good L&D nurse.

I did end up really disliking the midwife I had with Spencer, though. I'd only seen her briefly one or two times during the pregnancy, so didn't really know her. And when I started to lose it and chose to have an epidural (after going through it 4 other times, I knew this would probably happen and was fine with it), I felt like she emotionally gave up on me and was just annoyed about it all. As it turns out the epi only worked for my left leg... that's a whole other story. I'd had a midwife who was so great with Adam, so I think it felt even worse because that experience had been so good. I wished I just had a Dr. to come in and take over at the end, and leave me to the excellent nurses.

 

My hospital is certified "baby friendly" but they do have a nursery, too. Mostly the baby was with me but I had no problem sending him/her to the nursery if I wanted to rest. They would just bring the baby back. They all loved my chubby Rebecca so much I practically had to BEG to get her back

 

I don't remember having a bad nurse either time. I guess the worst for me was with the twins, there was a student nurse there and she would not go away but she had no personality. She was just a sack there in the room doing absolutely nothing. It was just odd.

The nurses that stand out the most to me are the super nice ones! With the twins, I had two that stayed even after their shift was over because they didn't want to leave me. With my third, the girls that were there when I came in were hopeful that I would deliver before they left, which I did, so they were thanking me for that! There was also a nurse's aid who was putting cold towels under my neck and on my forehead. I told her "If this baby was a girl, I would name her after you." :rotflmbo:

 

Most of the nurses and student nurses were like angels sent from heaven, they truly were wonderful, my issue with my "bad nurse!" ( and it could have also been me being hyper sensitive) was she just treated me like I was a bother to her when I was in pain and made me feel like I should be dealing with the pain better, I later found out she didnt have children and had never gone through childbirth, IMO, Working on that floor that should be a requirement. But the rest of the nurses would stay amd talk with me about my pregnancy and how easy it went, the twins, raising children in today's.society, just life in general. I had a few really bad nights pain wise with the csection amd they were there all the time bringing me ice package for my headaches, ice water, anything I needed and even after shift coming in and making sure I was okay. I sent them.all a thank you note when o got home for everything they did.

My one negative nurse didnt dampen the experience or the memories at all though.