Archive for January 2012
Baby Swap
Everyone knows that the world is not perfect, but people normally expect a reasonable amount of safety and security when they enter into a hospital. Most families expect to be given proper care at a hospital, and receiving proper information and after care. What that care looks like depends on why you where in the hospital in the first place. Since this is a birth blog, and the title is baby swap I am betting you can guess where this is going. A couple went into the hospital, had their baby, and at some point during the stay their infant was removed from their room, taken to the nursery and some how the wrong baby was placed in the wrong bassinet, and the wrong family received the wrong baby. The Mother in the video below nursed the wrong baby even! Now granted sharing milk is not that huge of a deal if all parties are involved and informed consent and what not. However this mother thought she was nursing her babe, this mother thought she was bonding with her babe, this mother spent 3 hours with another mothers child in the precious hours after birth. Here is the Video Hospital Switches Baby. Now, lets look at the ramifications of this mix up. This mother was nursing another child, their for expected her child to be breast fed, what if he was given formula by the mother who was caring for him? What if he was given a pacifier? What if this mother did not want her son circumcised, and the other mother thinking it was her own child had it done, or the other way around? What if this mother did not want Vit K shots, Eye ointment, or Hep B shots, and the other mother did and made those choices in good faith she was making them for her own child? How does this mother get back the precious precious time she missed with her baby? and Who is the stranger that cared for her child? God forbid they did not catch this mistake after “only” three hours, what if they sent this child home to the wrong family? This family was so concerned that they opted to have the child they brought home DNA tested to make sure he was in fact their child! What mother wants and needs that hanging over her head with all the other hormones and emotions flooding her body? How can this mother bond with this baby if she has doubts that he is even truly hers? I do not hide the fact that I do not think birth is a medical event, therefor I do not think it needs to happen in a hospital, but that aside, I have never heard of babies being switched at birth when born at home :-p.
Child Care
As many of my clients know, I work at a daycare center for my day job. For that reason I have gone back to school to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. Largely the classes have been easy, fun, and common sense. However this term I am taking a class in regard to child health, safety, and nutrition, and am really disturbed when it comes to the material being presented to Teachers like myself.
Currently, I am about half way through the class and so far some of the topics we have covered that I have disagreed with are;
Vaccinations, every child must be vaxed according to my text book, and my professor ~ doing anything but the normal schedule is harmful and parents who deviate ought to be reported and charged with neglect.
Even though there is no law supporting this, it was suggested that we report families of children whom we know are not up to date on their shots. So much for parents making medical decisions for their children, your daycare may very well try to undermine it.
Breastfeeding, we where taught that breastfeeding is great and wonderful, until 6 months, then again it may be considered neglectful if a parent is not feeding their children other types of food, and we should encourage parents to night wean as soon as teeth come in, to prevent “bottle mouth Decay” . We must also encourage parents to use fluoride toothpaste, and fluoride water if they are making bottles, and beware sugary drinks such as juice or breastmilk (!?)
Now the name bottle mouth decay should be a good indicator that it is not caused by breastfeeding, but alas that would be logical. Also breastmilk is not a sugary solution like Formula and Juice. Also note that extended breastfeeding and baby led weaning are not cause for concern, and are actually quite preferable to some of the things passed off as baby food in todays market!
Regulations, This class is suggesting that we have higher, tougher, stricter regulations for childcare centers, and in home centers. Now on the surfice that is not a bad thing, however when the regulations start imposing on what a parent call ask a daycare provider to do I have to object. Parents need to be able to dictate how and what kind of care their child receives such as setting their own childs feeding pattern (on demand is best, but if parents want every 2 hours, 3 hours or 4 hours the daycare should be free to comply) or how and when the child sleeps. Regulations also cost more to enforce, and the price of care goes up when centers have more over head costs, if licenced centers get to out of reach in regard to cost parents may be faced with the choice of stopping working or finding unregulated care. That does no one any good.
Abuse and Neglect, my text book makes abuse and neglect sound like a lower income issues. Well I have seen abuse and neglect at the hands of upper middle class families and upper class families as well! and to suggest that it is only the poor, or less educated people who commit crimes of abuse and neglect perpetuates the myth that it can’t happen to someone I know, and we all need to be aware of what real abuse and neglect looks like, no matter who the parent is. The book also suggests things like extended breastfeeding, and selective medical care as neglectful, as well as non-vaxing or selectively vaxing families as neglectful and that to is wrong. Parents need to be free to be parents and make informed and educated decisions in regard to the health and medical care their children receive. Yes their will always be that one family who takes it to far and crosses over into the abuse and neglect territory, but by far medical decisions belong to the family and the family alone.
So parents looking for care for your children, please ask questions, ask their policies on things, and make sure you find a center that supports you, and your child. I would hate for a loving family take their child to a center where all the staff are programed little sheep who do not and cannot think for themselves and make logical conclusions. Also, take any advice your childcare provider gives you with a grain of rice as their information may not come from the best sources, even if they are “highly educated”
My main goal is writing this, as a doula is to stop the spread of misinformation, and to bring to light something many families may not consider… I have been working in daycare for 8 years now and never knew just how the next generation of teachers are being taught until I sat in this class, as most of my classes have been pretty basic info this is the first to go as in depth in regard to some of these issues. Even after the baby comes educating yourself on whats going on is still important 