At 03:47 PM 08/23/2002 -0700, Dianna Tolen wrote:
I remember having this discussion maybe a year or two ago and I
changed the way I do things a bit because of some of the replys. I
think it was one of the Michaels (I apologize if the credit is not
where the credit is due) that said a whole speech to the parents in
the hospital with each newborn about how babies poop "You will see
them scrunch up their face like this... and kick their legs, and turn
red and purple sometimes, and grunt like crazy while having a BM, but
have you ever watched yourself???" Meaning, this is the normal way
some infants poop so let it be.
Yes, that was me that posted something along those lines. So, let's get
this straight...Dianna can remember who posted something a year ago and I
can't remember who posted "pop-tarts" less than one week ago <VBG>???
I have since perfected a great speech myself that I give in the
nursery to all parents about how poop can happen 7 times a day or
once every 7 days and that as long as it is soft, and non bloody,
there is no worries and basically I don't want to hear about it
because it is normal. That has cut down on 95% of the "constipation"
calls. (the other 5% is from families I did not see and therefore did
not get the speech!!!)
Your families must really listen if your "hospital talks" cut down on that
many calls. No matter how many times I go over certain things in the
hospital, I still get panicked calls about: newborn "gas", breast feeding
"diarrhea" or "constipation", newborns not wanting to sleep at night,
bleeding from the vagina during the first week, bleeding from the umbilical
cord when it falls off, erythema toxicum, baby acne, etc. I think that new
parents are just so overwhelmed and tired that 95% of what I say isn't
retained.
I know, maybe I'll design a pamphlet...but that can be expensive to
publish...maybe I'll find a company to sponsor it and put their logo on the
cover...
Michael Sachs, M.D.
General Pediatrician
P.S. Just so there's no confusion, the last part was a JOKE!!!