Baby on your chest right away, or after it's cleaned?

Annya26

When your babies are born do you want them to put it on your chest as soon as s/he comes out, or do you want them to clean your LO before giving you the baby?

I was just watching A Baby Story and the Dr. was holding the baby down below the sheet where Mom couldn't see him for what felt like an eternity while he clamped the cord, suctioned him out, etc. Mom was straining to see and clearly to excited and I felt like the Dr. made it such a cold and standard type event. All I could think was SHOW HER THE BABY!!! 

I definitely want to hold my baby the second he is out, truthfully if I thought I could I would want to deliver him myself into my own hands. 

cschissell

I want the baby placed on my chest immediately.  I am considering doing a water birth and in a lot of instances the mother actually does "catch" her own baby. 

NiniJ55

DS was not placed on my chest immediately.  They took him to the warmer to get cleaned up and DH was taking pictures standing in my way.  I had to tell him to MOVE... LOL.. although it kinda felt like an enternity -- it really was not long at all.

This time I'm pretty sure the same will happen.  It never occured to me to have him placed on my chest right away.  I could ask this time, I guess.

dizzycooks

I would like her cleaned up first...The idea of her being all sticky and stuff grosses me out to be honest.

m1ssl1ss

i want him immediately just for a couple minutes. i am already impatient- you want to tell me i'm waiting how long for this pregnancy and i STILL can't see him?? lol

i kinda fear tho that he'll be less comfortable if all that stuff starts drying on his poor sensitive skin so i don't mind giving him up after a few for his bath.

haswelljme

I was wondering this before too, I had watched some baby show where the mother practically grabbed the baby from the doctor and immediately put it on her chest, bloody mucous and whatever else getting all over her tank top. First of all, I was already thrown off by the noises she had been making during labor (she went drug free), so I immediately thought it was gross and was convinced I would want baby cleaned off.

Now, the more I think about it I want the baby as soon as possible, blood and mucous and all! I will definitely be asking for this to happen.

cynasmin

I think you can have whatever you want put into your birth plan. My preference is at least a quick towel down but i'd like to give the cord a chance to finish pulsating. Another 5 -10 mins isn't gonna kill me. Plus I think I'll have a harder time letting go once I hold him. Also in my mind i think its really special to have DH hold him first for a few seconds and then hand him to me. I'm my dream is all clean and neat and I don't have to muster up the energy to shower (but I realized I probably will need/want to anyway)

All that being said I don't actually really care how it all goes down - other than letting the cord pulsate.

MrsLeanna

I didn't really have a choice because DD needed to be seen right away by the NICU team in the room so she was handed to them as soon as she came out. To be honest, the second she came out, I closed my eyes and put my head back because I was exhausted from pushing for an hour and half and I was so happy to have the relief from the pain and pressure that I literally zoned out for a second. My OB held her up so I could see her before he handed her off so I did see her briefly then I saw her more from the pics DH took. It was probably 5 minutes or so by the time she had gotten her APGARs and was cleaned and bundled and I got her, in that time the placenta was being delivered and I was getting stitched up. It was no big deal to me really. I'm ok this time waiting until she's cleaned up to hold her, I have a big ick factor, and I don't really want all the blood and other stuff on me. 

jason&robin

I want my baby right away. Nothing is better...

MAMAxB

I will have him or her right away. I was holding DD when my DH cut the cord and I delivered the afterbirth.

farmfanatik

I defnitely think I will want my baby right away also. I can;t wait to see what he looks like.

MrsAMB07

They put DS on my belly right away the second he came out and toweled him off. It was honestly the most amazing moment ever. I tear up now just thinking about it. It was really brief but I got a good look at him and then they took him to be fully cleaned, weighed, etc.

I have no reason to think they wouldn't do the same this time if all goes as planned. 

Huahine

I'm specifying delayed cord clamping in my birth plan (why waste all that precious blood?), so baby will be all messy and laying on my chest (or stomach or however far the cord will reach) while it finishes pulsing.

AfterAll

With my son they laid him on me as they were cleaning him up.  The "ick" factor was the furthest thing from my mind at that moment, you are kind of just overcome with a rush of emotions and all you think is "give me my baby".

ThePastor'sWife

DS was placed on my chest immediately, and it was so sweet.  Hoping this OB practice/hospital will do the same w/ this LO!

mudluscious4

I want him right away. As for the gross factor, I've never minded slime much but anyway I figure I'll be high out of my mind either due to the natural endorphin rush if I go through with med free or the narco induced haze if I don't so I probably won't mind a little baby slime.

selenawrites

At our hospital tour earlier this week, they emphasized that they promote skin-to-skin contact with baby and mother immediately after birth and giving the baby a chance to latch, which made me feel a lot better about choosing to deliver there. The nurse did mention that it's not always possible to hold your baby right away, but they do their best to let you hold him as soon as it's safe to do so.

kcvasquez

I always thought I would never want baby on me right away but after having a c-section and only getting to see him from far away before they took him, (I never even got to kiss him) I want my baby the second he is born. I'm hoping for a successful VBAC and that is one of the first things on my birth plan list for when LO is born.

jinnlinn

jason&robin:

I want my baby right away. Nothing is better...

 

OMG so cute!!!!

Jess084

Right away!

SunshineK14

Definitely right away!  I'm so looking forward to that moment!  Every single time I've watched a delivery, it is such a special moment when doctor pulls the baby out, and puts him/her on the mom's chest/belly.

Also for those concerned about being grossed out, they can easily put a towel/blanket on your chest before the baby comes out.

DEBBIE33CASEY

I would prefer BEFORE but with my DD it was after.  I will comment to my delivering OB that I'd like to hold DS before cleaning, or at least asap since I know the suctioning and other things can be important. But I'd love nothing more than having baby plopped right up on me the second he's out!

fool4babe

My midwife actually let's the mother ( or father ) pull the baby out and up to their chests! I will be doing this so I'm sure she won't be clean ;-) I would be upset if the Dr. did delay by doing all those things... Unless it was necessary as baby wasn't breathing well. My DD was put directly on my belly and I nursed her within 10 minutes.

rebeccamisel

Ew.  The boy definitely needs to be cleaned off first haha.

rachoochoo2

Right away! It is the one thing I would change about my birthing experience with my daughter. Every nurse that came into my room that day asked me what my preference was on that and I told every last one of them that I wanted to hold her right away. When she came out, they whisked her over to the sink to clean her first.

caramel hottie

DH will be "catching" the baby, so, I hope he will hold her for a minute, then give her to me, goop and all.  Both my sons were put right on my chest as soon as they were born.

As we are having a homebirth, we are delaying the cord clamping, not bathing for a few hours, and all tests/suctioning will happen on me or next to me.

Annya26

I'm seeing a lot of people mention "delayed cord clamping" and letting it finish pulsating. Can someone explain this to me please?

laceyann2008

I want my baby as soon as possible and as soon as it is safe for me and her both. 

Annya26:

I'm seeing a lot of people mention "delayed cord clamping" and letting it finish pulsating. Can someone explain this to me please?

We are doing this. This allows all the iron rich blood in the cord to get to baby instead of "going to waste" so to speak. 

 

MrsLeanna

Annya26:

I'm seeing a lot of people mention "delayed cord clamping" and letting it finish pulsating. Can someone explain this to me please?

It allows all the cord blood to go into the baby. Not something you can do if you're going to store the cord blood, which we are because we want to be able to use the stem cells and tissue if god forbid we need any of it later on. 

Annya26

Thanks for the explanations ladies. I didn't realize this was something that had to be discussed or planned for, it sounds like it should be common sense!?!?!

I haven't decided if I am going bank to cord blood yet, still researching, but if I don't then I am DEFINITELY going to request that LO gets all the blood from the cord! 

laceyann2008

MrsLeanna:

Annya26:

I'm seeing a lot of people mention "delayed cord clamping" and letting it finish pulsating. Can someone explain this to me please?

It allows all the cord blood to go into the baby. Not something you can do if you're going to store the cord blood, which we are because we want to be able to use the stem cells and tissue if god forbid we need any of it later on. 

I forgot about cord blood banking! We would love to do it, but it's just not something we can afford right now and correct me if I am wrong but most insurances won't cover it. 

I actually wanted to donate our baby's cord blood for a close friend of the family that has leukemia and isn't able to find a match in hopes that our LO's cord blood is a match but 1) I don't even know if that's possible/will work, 2) there's a great chance that she won't be a match for him and 3) I wouldn't even know how to go about that process if 1 and 2 panned out.

ronnie day

I wanted the baby on my chest right away but ended up with a c-section so I didn't get my baby for two hours after delivery.  

pcrock92

I watch A Baby Story all the time and also Make Room for Multiples. On Make Room for Multiples there was this lady who had twins (she delivered vaginally), and had them placed directly on her chest after each was delivered and she literally kissed their heads before they were wiped off or cleaned or anything. I definitely want to hold my baby right away, before he's cleaned off.. but I won't be kissing his head lol. It was pretty gross to me, but I guess it's all personal preference.

christina627

Baby on my chest right after.  With first DH caught DS's legs (he didn't want to stop holding my hands to catch, so I had to tell him to go do it.) 

The other day I watched baby story and it was the parent's 5th baby (I think) and the doctor just held the baby up and talked about it for what seemed like a long time...I was like, "just give the baby to the PARENTS!"

Annya26

pcrock92:

I watch A Baby Story all the time and also Make Room for Multiples. On Make Room for Multiples there was this lady who had twins (she delivered vaginally), and had them placed directly on her chest after each was delivered and she literally kissed their heads before they were wiped off or cleaned or anything. I definitely want to hold my baby right away, before he's cleaned off.. but I won't be kissing his head lol. It was pretty gross to me, but I guess it's all personal preference.

I'm not squeamish at all (would actually like to catch my own baby if they would let me) but I cannot see myself kissing him pre wipe off. 

I was at the hospital 4 hours after my ex fiance's Godson was born and while I was holding him I noticed this little "thing" in his hair. As soon as I picked it out and had it on my finger I realized that chances are, seeing as this baby had been no where in his life but in his Mother and held by people in the hospital that there was a strong chance that it came from inside of his Mother. Needless to say I was a little disgusted... :P I don't think I will have a problem when its MY goopy nasty baby though! 

littlemonster417

We had this discussion a while back because I felt guilty for wishing the baby to be cleaned first...

I still feel that way.

Sascha3

One of my clearest memories of the birth of my daughter was them laying her immediately on my chest after.  It was incredible and I remember her feeling warm and wet.  I "think" they cut the cord at the same time. (That part is not clear...it was 23 yrs ago  It was a powerful memory and sensation and I hope to experience it again.  The last thing you are thinking is ewww.  It was only for a minute then they cleaned her up before I was able to actually hold her.