Policies and practices for maternal support options during childbirth and breastfeeding initiation after cesarean in southeastern hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

To describe policies, practices, and associated rationales of hospital obstetric units regarding mothers' support person options during childbirth and to explore practices concerning support of breastfeeding initiation after cesarean delivery.

DESIGN

Descriptive telephone survey.

SETTING

Hospitals in the southeastern region of the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of 154 obstetric nurse manager and nurse representatives employed by the participating hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Types of policies regarding mothers' support person options during childbirth and immediate postpartum stage, initiation of breastfeeding after cesarean birth, and attitudes about policies.

RESULTS

All hospitals allowed two or more support persons during vaginal births, 89% permitted only one support person during nonemergent cesareans, and 58.0% of the nurse representatives believed that mothers should be allowed a second support person. Less than one third (31.2%) of the hospitals considered a mother's request to breastfeed in the operating room, and most (78.6%) allowed mothers to breastfeed in the recovery room.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, maternal support policies, practices, and nurse representatives' attitudes were mother and family friendly, particularly related to vaginal births. Though breastfeeding initiation after cesarean birth was encouraging, support person options during nonemergent cesarean births and related rationales warrant further examination.