There’s a growing trend taking place, whereby hospitals are beginning to do away with traditional nurseries. The initiative which is being referred to as “baby friendly”, will have Mothers care for their new-born throughout the entire duration of their hospital stay.
The reasoning behind the “baby friendly” initiative is that hospitals are trying to encourage new Moms to breastfeed and boost greater bonding opportunities between Mom and Baby, by having them stay together at all times.
It all sounds good and well, but there are certainly some cons to this drive. Any Mom who has just given birth could do with some sleep. For first-time Moms especially, having the comfort that a nurse is watching your baby – someone who is qualified and who will be able to pick up if anything is wrong with baby, is great.
There are probably quite a few Mom’s who will support this new initiative, however for most new parents who are hoping to regain some strength before going home, where they will need to care for their baby day and night – this may not be the best concept.
If I think back to my hospital stays after giving birth, I cannot picture it without the help of the nurses and hospital staff. I had no problems bonding or breastfeeding, in fact, the nurses were the ones assisting and encouraging me along the way!
In the U.S, there are 355 “baby friendly” hospitals and that number is growing. So if you are due to give birth soon, it’s probably a good idea to find out whether they have or plan to implement this new initiative.
If they have the baby-friendly policy, it will really help if you have someone there with you to assist you with the child. I to rest as much as you can before going home.t w