Baby switched at birth at Sibley

[Anonymous]

The main problem with this whole thing is the OP's sensational headline, and calling her essay an "article."

I'm curious about the process of getting an essay onto the On Parenting page. Can anybody submit anything? Is there an editor to look over it? This little essay is a far cry from an actual story being investigated.

[Anonymous]

The haters on here have no idea what they're talking about. This happened in Minneapolis and the other mom did breastfeed the wrong baby. Then the baby had to "undergo a year of surveillance and medical tests for HIV and hepatitis." And that's through the hospital, not because that mom was some so called nut. The author is super lucky that the other mom didn't breastfeed her kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The haters on here have no idea what they're talking about. This happened in Minneapolis and the other mom did breastfeed the wrong baby. Then the baby had to "undergo a year of surveillance and medical tests for HIV and hepatitis." And that's through the hospital, not because that mom was some so called nut. The author is super lucky that the other mom didn't breastfeed her kid.

Because they didn't know if the mother who breastfed the baby was positive on either one of theses? Seems odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The main problem with this whole thing is the OP's sensational headline, and calling her essay an "article."

I'm curious about the process of getting an essay onto the On Parenting page. Can anybody submit anything? Is there an editor to look over it? This little essay is a far cry from an actual story being investigated.

This is my problem as well. I have a HUGE problem with what happened to OP and the hospital's response. However, her "article" is in desperate need of a good editor. It took a story that should have been a slam dunk on the sympathy vote for OP and made OP seem like the bad guy.

[Anonymous]

The sensationalism is over the top. The baby was not "switched", everyone took the right child home. I read the first few pages, and gave up.

The baby is the essay was not breastfed.

I have a big problem that it happened at all. However, this is not a switched at birth story. This is a "the hospital screwed up, and it could have been far worse." Although I would imagine the mom would have noticed that she had the wrong baby when she did a diaper change.

I'm sorry this happened to BOTH mothers. It's too bad OP couldn't have written a better account of it.

[Anonymous]

I think the personal attacks are way overboard.

My issues: Why would you post the link on here? If we were interested, many of us read the post and would see it.

This should have been a real news article, not a fluff blog piece that was way over the top. It marginalized what the real issue should have been. A nurse made a terrible error that fortunately was corrected. The flames about ebola, formula feeding and all that, made her look nutty. It took away from the important issue of a mistake, despite technology occurred and we need better tracking and monitoring systems, nurses who aren't overworked, etc.

I'm tired of the post doing more reporting this style than actual news. I want to go online and read the news. I don't want to wait 30 seconds for an ad to view a video. Just a quick blurb to know it happened and what steps the hospital is taking to make sure this doesn't happen to another family.

Assuming she is suing, why is she making a blog post? To me, this is far more about her getting publicity for her new book rather than about the actual issue.

To the other poster who had two women come into her room. That is scary and the staff should have been far more responsive. I know I've walked into a friend's room, she was in the bathroom, baby was there and held the baby. A nurse walked in and never once questioned me. I can see how something bad could easily happen.

Also, if I was that other family, assuming she wrote this without their consent, I'd be pissed to read my families story as well, especially being written in the way she wrote it. I don't have an issue with her husband checking with the other mom - hopefully he did it in a nice kind way and that is ok. Both families should work together over getting some reforms in place. But, this was about OP trying to get a reaction to meet her own needs.

This was not switched at birth. It was a hospital mistake and hospitals make huge mistakes and get away with it all the time as we live in a culture where many are rarely held accountable, especially those with money or influence.

OP, thank you for sharing what happened, but next time, if you want a positive response, write it as a reporter, not a mommy blogger. When you are in that 0-4 stage, those things are interesting but those stages are short lived and those of us with older kids are not going to read mommy blogs anymore.

[Anonymous]

If I were the other mom I would not "flip a bitch" like everyone is saying.

I would have empathized and reassured her that everything was ok. Why do you all think she was getting hounded?

Have you all NO empathy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The haters on here have no idea what they're talking about. This happened in Minneapolis and the other mom did breastfeed the wrong baby. Then the baby had to "undergo a year of surveillance and medical tests for HIV and hepatitis." And that's through the hospital, not because that mom was some so called nut. The author is super lucky that the other mom didn't breastfeed her kid.

Because they didn't know if the mother who breastfed the baby was positive on either one of theses? Seems odd.

Mom would probably have to consent to testing. If she didn't consent, they probably had to assume the worst. Or there were concerns about mom due to past history and therefore monitoring was necessary. Author is fortunate it was Formula and not breastmilk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The main problem with this whole thing is the OP's sensational headline, and calling her essay an "article."

I'm curious about the process of getting an essay onto the On Parenting page. Can anybody submit anything? Is there an editor to look over it? This little essay is a far cry from an actual story being investigated.

Ha ha, yeah, the "main problem" is the headline and OP's writing style. The main problem is that OP's baby was given to a stranger by the hospital staff. What the hospital did is shocking, no matter what kind of writer OP happens to be. I bet not many new mothers in the hospital after giving birth are professional writers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The haters on here have no idea what they're talking about. This happened in Minneapolis and the other mom did breastfeed the wrong baby. Then the baby had to "undergo a year of surveillance and medical tests for HIV and hepatitis." And that's through the hospital, not because that mom was some so called nut. The author is super lucky that the other mom didn't breastfeed her kid.

Because they didn't know if the mother who breastfed the baby was positive on either one of theses? Seems odd.

Mom would probably have to consent to testing. If she didn't consent, they probably had to assume the worst. Or there were concerns about mom due to past history and therefore monitoring was necessary. Author is fortunate it was Formula and not breastmilk.

Maybe they knew she was positive and had to see if there had been transmission to the baby.

[Anonymous]

Coincidentally, OP decided to write up her "horror story" in which nothing bad actually happened to anyone, just as she has her first book coming out, conveniently linked in her bio at the WaPo.

Gosh, what are the chances that someone in DC would exaggerate a fairly minor incident with no ramifications in order to get a bit of publicity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The main problem with this whole thing is the OP's sensational headline, and calling her essay an "article."

I'm curious about the process of getting an essay onto the On Parenting page. Can anybody submit anything? Is there an editor to look over it? This little essay is a far cry from an actual story being investigated.

To be fair, usually it's the editor and not the journalist who writes the headlines. WaPo editors (and editors of other papers as well) have to create sensational titles to get clicks. Often you'll see a difference between the online headline and the print headline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the bands don't have names on them at all? At Gtown my band and my baby's band both had my name on them (along with patient number, I think).

I am the prior GW poster. Now that I recall, GW definitely has names on the baby band at least.

Yes, I would wonder why Sibley wouldn't do that.

They have the mother's name on it and the sex of the baby. At least mine did three yrs ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree the title is misleading but how is a hospital giving a baby to the wrong mother not a big deal? It's a never event. That's what hospitals call these things. Also, Sibley wouldn't have lawyered up if they didn't think it was a big deal.

Right? I am flabbergasted at folks that think this is no big deal. This is a major failing for Sibley.

The "folks that think this is no big deal" are no doubt Sibley's PR or legal machine springing into action.

This is what I think, too. Disgusting!

No...just a mom who has more worries than my child being momentarily held by another mom, or being formula fed. I've got 99 problems, but those ain't one of them.

You are an idiot. I would have been pissed if my child went to a total stranger without my permision for whatever benign reason you might think it is. They all got lucky that nothing more serous happened. Luck should not play a role in situations like this.

Fine, be pissed. For a minute. That's natural. But talking about it as your child being "switched at birth"????????? Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main problem with this whole thing is the OP's sensational headline, and calling her essay an "article."

I'm curious about the process of getting an essay onto the On Parenting page. Can anybody submit anything? Is there an editor to look over it? This little essay is a far cry from an actual story being investigated.

To be fair, usually it's the editor and not the journalist who writes the headlines. WaPo editors (and editors of other papers as well) have to create sensational titles to get clicks. Often you'll see a difference between the online headline and the print headline.

Except, here, the OP created the DCUM title, and she posted in twitter with the same vocabulary choice of "baby switched." In this instance, it's all OP.