Notes from Your Nurse: What About When I Say NO?

Notes from Your Nurse” is a blog series from adora birth + wellness to help you get acquainted with your Calgary labor and delivery team before you arrive at the hospital. Learn more about logistics, patient management, and mom judgement (note: it’s not happening as often as you think) from a real, local, anonymous labor and delivery nurse.


What does your nurse think when you decline something that is recommended (eg: breastfeeding or lactation consultant, vitamin K shot, newborn hearing test)

“You will judge yourself enough, you do not need me judging you.”

Your choice. It is your baby and your body. I still need to explain my recommendation and document that we have discussed it; I’m not asking you repeatedly because I don’t respect your wishes, but because it’s my job to make sure that you know your options and the doctor and health region’s recommendations.

For example, I want to help you feed your baby. We will do things how you want to, not how I want to or how I would feed my own. But first, I may reiterate some facts or ask how you came to your decision.

There is a lot of misinformation about pregnancy, birth, and raising children on the internet, or outdated anecdotes you hear from friends and family that we should discuss because maybe the correct information would lead you to a different decision.