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.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS