Is this a thing? First Bath?

jnnfrrose6

My mother just told me that my brother and SIL opted to wait 24 hours to bathe their new little girl.  They wanted to be the ones to do the first bath, apparently.  I've never heard of anyone doing this before.  Is this a thing?  Also, I don't know if they specifically chose that time frame before the bath, or it's just that they wanted to do the first bath and that's how long they had to wait for whatever reasons.

cuntasaurusrex

I'm going to wait to bathe LO, because I think it'll be funny to watch people cuddle him and know that they're snuggling and sniffing uterine cheese.  Er, vernix.

Skeemer

jnnfrrose6 said:

My mother just told me that my brother and SIL opted to wait 24 hours to bathe their new little girl.  They wanted to be the ones to do the first bath, apparently.  I've never heard of anyone doing this before.  Is this a thing?  Also, I don't know if they specifically chose that time frame before the bath, or it's just that they wanted to do the first bath and that's how long they had to wait for whatever reasons.

Yeah just wait until she's 5 months old & they're the only ones around to give her a bath. They'll be wondering what they thought was so special about it. Lol.

INmommy871278

The nurse actually sled if I wanted her to give DS his first bath or if I wanted to do it once I was allowed out of bed. I was a bit thrown off because I didn't know it was a thing for the parents to have the option to do it. I opted to let her do it because I couldn't handle the thought of my baby having dried gunk on him.

jnnfrrose6

aliletz said:

I'm going to wait to bathe LO, because I think it'll be funny to watch people cuddle him and know that they're snuggling and sniffing uterine cheese.  Er, vernix.

My mom said they toweled her off (of course), but her hair was pretty gross.  At least they kept the little cap on to cover that up.  Yeah, I'm kind of glad I didn't go see them last night now that I know this.  I'll wait until all my SIL's insides have been cleaned off this kid before I hold it, thankyouverymuch.

Skeemer

We weren't asked. The nurse bathed him off quickly in the sink after we held him a few minutes.

cookieinva

Well you don't really do a real bath until the umbilical cord stump heals anyway so I don't entirely get it.

BettyBoop86

I am going to have the nurses do it. I do first baths all the time work and honestly they can be gross some babies get a lot of blood clots from mommy in their hair and it is not easy to get out.

runrinserepeat

I think it's good for them to get the vernix absorbed into their skin as much as possible, instead of washed right off. I don't really remember when DD's first bath was, and I'm about 80% certain a nurse did it (thank you, sleep deprivation for making those first few days so foggy), all I know is her hair was sticking straight up after they were done instead of plastered to her head.

abchittam

I think I'll just leave that for the nurses because there is nothing special about a bath. I did all the work getting her into this world, so having someone hand me a clean baby will be nice. Just let me enjoy her.

pantherRN

The vernix can actually be beneficial if it's allowed to be absorbed into the skin instead of washed off.

[Deleted User]

Sad I don't really remember? I know they cleaned him off well after he was born and I remember the nurse we had for discharge doing a sponge bath with us but I don't remember them bathing him in-between. They probably did, I just don't recall.

Salsera29

Yeeaahhhhh...I think I'm good with the nurses doing it. 

jnnfrrose6

pantherRN said:

The vernix can actually be beneficial if it's allowed to be absorbed into the skin instead of washed off.

Beneficial how?  I'm all for doing what may be best for baby, but does it need 24 hours to absorb?  And what does it benefit?  And if they are toweling off the kid, what exactly is getting absorbed at that point?  Isn't it wiped off then?

tealowl

jnnfrrose6 said:

pantherRN said:

The vernix can actually be beneficial if it's allowed to be absorbed into the skin instead of washed off.

Beneficial how?  I'm all for doing what may be best for baby, but does it need 24 hours to absorb?  And what does it benefit?  And if they are toweling off the kid, what exactly is getting absorbed at that point?  Isn't it wiped off then?

I'm curious about this too!

Hadynimogen

neither of mine were bathed by the nurses. feeling left out now :-)

CandC13

We have been told that allowing the vernix to be absorbed can help with babies skin and not bathing them can help with initial breast feeding. We weren't told to wait a specific time allotment but to just hold off until after they have fed once or twice....apparently it has something to do with the fact that babies mow down on their fists when hungry which will then taste like the amniotic fluid - and our nipples secrete the same oils/scent which helps them make the connection....This is what I have been told...I haven't looked into yet.

katnipeverclean

I have no idea when DD's first bath was. I am assuming well after she was 36 hours old and left NICU. Who knows though. They pulled her IV hours before we were discharged so her first bath may well have been at home.

I do know that after this one is born my only request is that he/she not leave DH or I unless we request it. They'll do the weight, APGAR etc and get him/her toweled off and then I don't want that baby leaving my side so I am assuming maybe his/her first bath will be the night after delivery. I don't particularly care if I am the first to do it or if the nurses are. I've given countless baby baths so I will be fine to let someone else do it this time!

lamarei

The vernix is so important to babies skin that waiting to bathe is one of my few requests in our birth plan. It rubs in like lotion

CandC13

And here's an article about the breast feeding piece: https://www.bestforbabes.org/booby-traps-series-why-the-newborn-bath-should-wait/

kmawb

DD had her first bath at about 4 hours old by the nurse with DH standing right beside her filming it (and asking questions).  That way I got to see it later since my vantage point from my hospital bed post c/s didn't give me the best view and there was no way I was getting up to do it!

The best part was the nurse handing me a clean little newborn wearing nothing but a diaper to snuggle as soon as she was done with her bath.  Ohhhh... that clean baby smell was amazing!!

kmawb

Just wanted to add (and the stupid edit comment isn't working) that my DD had very little vernix left on her when she was born at 41w, so I don't think delaying her bath would have really benefited.  Plus once they pulled her out through the c/s incision they wiped her off before handing her to DH while I was getting closed up.

BP607

They took DS to get a bath while I got cleaned up myself.  DH said they put a scrub down on him to get all the stuff off.  I can't imagine I would have been as effective as the nurses.  I got cleaned up and moved to the post partum side and they brought him back to me and we were both squeaky clean.  

jnnfrrose6

lamarei said:

The vernix is so important to babies skin that waiting to bathe is one of my few requests in our birth plan. It rubs in like lotion

Important to baby skin how?  The link @CandC13 posted makes some sense as to why you want to at least wait an hour if possible because of smell and breastfeeding and what not, and that doesn't seem like a big deal (pretty sure a bath for the kid in the first hour will be the furthest thing from my mind), but what makes the vernix "so important," as you phrased it, for the skin?

CandC13

@jnnfrrose6 While this is not the most reliable source it gives a quick explanation on the benifits to the skin here: https://modernalternativepregnancy.com/2013/09/30/bathing-the-baby-why-you-should-wait/#.U2jxv6KBM5Y

jnnfrrose6

@CandC13  Thanks!  I checked that out and then figured I should stop using this thread as my own personal vernix google and start looking into it myself.

From the very basic info I've gathered so far, it's recommended to rub the vernix in for the most benefit (moisturization, heat retention, some possible anti-microbial benefits), rather than wash it off.  It seems to me this would be done when they are "toweling off" the baby post delivery anyways.  Essentially rubbing the stuff into the skin, just using a towel to facilitate it.  It's not like that process is an actual bath anyways.  

The only thing I haven't come across yet (in my whole 5 minutes of searching) is how long after that is most beneficial to wait for the bath to clean off anything else.  I'm sure there's some point where it's effectiveness is negligible.  Is it really up to 24 hours, or are just a few hours ok?  Obviously I have some more research to do (and something new to ask my midwife on Thursday).  DS was a c-section, so I have no idea when anything was done post delivery as I was still on the table getting sewn up.

hope1017

I'm going to wait to bathe my baby. I heard it's good to wait because it helps with their immune system so I'll be making sure the nurses at the hospital know about my request.

CandC13

I think the "toweling off" would rub it in enough too...and like mentioned by someone else if your little one is 40 weeks + they may not have much left (if any) left on them so really it comes back to 'it all depends on the situation'. I won't be waiting 24hrs but just until the timing feels right for me - whether it be 4hrs or 10. Again the idea of me giving them a bath only works if its feasible (i.e. if I don't end up with a c section and am able too).

AKbadwolf

We toweled DD off and then did skin to skin for about two hours.  After we attempted to nurse a few times the nurse gave her her first bath in the sink in our room and then we moved to the post partum room.  DD was very very cheesy when she was born. 

 

 

 

 

Kinda blurry but you get the idea.

Huahine

Prepare to gag.

We didn't give DS his first "bath" until he had been home for a week, and that was after 4 days in the hospital. So yeah, 10 days after delivery. 

He got toweled off and wiped down lots of times, but we didn't put him in a tub of water until he was around 10 days old. 

iris427

I've also heard that the vernix is good for their skin, and that delaying the bath can help them get colonized by beneficial bacteria from the mom instead of whatever bacteria is around in the hospital.

AutumnBonfire

I have no idea when DS was bathed. I wasn't involved in it. After he was born, they took him somewhere (NICU?) to make sure he was ok since they used forceps. Then they brought him back to me to hold for the first time and we tried breastfeeding. He was wiped off. Maybe they did a bath while they were transferring me to the mother/baby unit? My memory is a little fuzzy.

With this kiddo, the nurses can do it. I remember being so excited to bathe DS, but its scary bathing a newborn! His umbilical stump took 5 weeks to fall off and I was so impatient for that first real bath. He screamed the whole time and hated baths until I nursed him in the tub a few times. Now he screams when he has to get out.

shanaynerz

It's totally a thing. But you can bathe your own baby first in the hospital I believe. DD had a quick bath by the nurses in my room before they wrapped her up. It was nice they at least kept her in my room when they did it. Your brother and SIL may have waited b/c many people like to keep baby in his/her vernix as long as possible. There are apparently health benefits.

cuntasaurusrex

Protip:  Pictures of baby cheese + eating peanut butter = NO.

aimeepigott

With DS, we had the nurse do it. He was my first, but I have grown up around babies, helped with my nephew etc. They scream during their first baths and all after that until the get used to it. It's nice to know you'll be the first to do it, but I was soo exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open.

cakebatter27

Maybe I'm the odd one out but I have a lifetime of baths ahead of me. I'll let some nurse do it in my presence.

eortman

Our hospital automatically cleans off the baby while they are doing the Apgars. It's not technically a bath, but they wash them off with a clean wet towel. Neither of my kids were cheesy or stinky at all. We were advised not to give a true bath until after the umbilical cord came off.

abundancenow

My sister informed me that she did not want me to allow the nurses to bath my baby immediately. She works with a ton of midwives and they've suggested to rub all the stuff in that it is beneficial for baby's skin and immune system. I let them wash my son immediately and he has sensitive skin, eczema. I don't know if this contributed to this and I did not do personal research beyond discussing it with my sister, but it is something I planned on looking in to and am interested that this topic came up here at this time.

alyss0nl

Yeah, I'm gonna let the nurse bathe DS2. I really don't want to be the one clean off all the gunk, and aside from exhaustion, don't think I would want to do it. Now of course I'll be the one to give him his first bath at home.

AMcLaws

I'm an awful mommy who is like "yeah...could you bathe her before I go cuddling her and such?" I don't want to sniff my own uterine cheese, as @aliletz‌ so eloquently put it

knitsandgiggles

DD was covered in merconium when she was born so she was wiped off for skin to skin and nursing. After a bit more than an hour or two, she went to the nursery to be cleaned up while I went to my post partum room. I never even thought about giving her a bath, but I likely wouldn't have done it.