~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This message is from PedTalk! To reply to the group, use . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The baby could easily be cared for without leaving the mom's side--that's one thing you can give her without any problem. She might consent to the blood sugar monitoring if it could be done in her room; the baby can be put to breast immediately and nursed frequently, which might well obviate the need to supplement (which I would only use if the baby were truly symptomatic or had very low glucose). The vitamin K shot could easily be deferred until you had time to go talk with the family the next morning and explain why you would like to do it. This is somewhat difficult, but not at all impossible. In our "routine" care of newborns, we do a lot of things that are truly unnecessary and not always in the best interests of babies--like separating them from their moms, doing unnecessary tests & procedures, and interfering with normal lactation. With a this mom, some explanations of "why" each thing needs to be done and a promise to keep the baby with her could go a long way. I'm a pediatrician and mother of 4 and I didn't let my babies out of my sight, either, after they were born--I know only too well the tendency of hospital nurseries to do things that aren't in the baby's best interests (like give inappropriate artificial feedings to breastfed babies), and I wasn't taking any chances. So, I do understand where this mom is coming from, and I sympathize. Good luck. Linda L. Shaw MD