Although mother-infant bonding programs in hospitals are aimed at allowing mothers to spend more time with their newborns, lawmakers and mothers yesterday urged more flexibility in the programs as they can become troublesome for mothers.
“When I gave birth to my second child, I stayed in a hospital that had a mother-infant bonding program. However, I left the hospital four days after giving birth, even though the National Health Insurance would have helped to cover five days’ stay,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) told a news conference on Mother’s Day yesterday at the Legislative Yuan. “You know why? Because I was too exhausted — both mentally and physically.”
To help develop a closer relationship between mother and child, mother-infant programs allow newborns to stay in the same room as their mothers for 24 hours a day, so that mothers can breastfeed their child anytime they desire, Lin said.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
In an attempt to promote the practice, the Department of Health has made the implementation of the program part of hospitals’ performance evaluations.
“Although it is a well-intended program, I’ve received complaints from many mothers that the hospital would turn down their request to take their babies from them for a while, so that they may have a good rest,” Lin said. “I must say that, after labor, a mother does need a good rest to recover. Having the baby around 24 hours a day does not necessarily benefit the mother or the baby. A mother should have the right to choose what she wants.”
DPP Legislator Wu Yi-chen (吳宜臻) said that she was also disappointed by an inflexible mother-infant bonding program.
“I was at the edge of mental collapse after giving birth to my child because of the mother-infant bonding program,” she said. “I agree that the program is well-intended, but it must be implemented in a mother-friendly way to make sure that a mother gets enough rest while also enjoying taking care of her newborn baby.”
“The government is encouraging childbirth, but why would a woman want to have another child if she had a bad experience the first time,” Wu asked.
Taiwan Women’s Link chairwoman Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) agreed, saying that the post-delivery stay at the hospital is not the only chance for a mother to develop a relationship with her baby.
“Recovery after labor should be the priority,” she said.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
RSS