did any of you NOT want to hold your baby right away?

star173 · May 2010

If given the option to have them place the baby in your arms or on your chest right after the birth..did you/would you refuse? I couldn't with K because the cord was wrapped around her neck 3x and she had swallowed a ton of amniotic fluid, so they took her away immediately. With Gavin, the doc put him right on my chest and a minute later a nurse put him in my arms. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, I show my SIL a picture of them handing him to me, and her response, "I'm going to have them clean the baby before I hold him". Now, she doesn't have kids, so I don't fault her for thinking this way, but I did sort of take offense since she seemed so disgusted with what I thought was a beautiful picture. I told her she'd likely change her mind when the time came, but maybe I'm wrong. IDK.

Echowysp · May 2010

I think that's something that someone, like you said, who never had kids says. I remember a few people from the tri board days posting that and them getting flamed.

I know I requested that Adam be placed on my chest right after birth and I think most people do.

miss.jess · May 2010

I took Brooke right away (they whisked her away a minute later to suction her) and plan to with Molly. I do have a friend who wants her babies cleaned first and then handed to her, but that is just her preference.

mabst196 · May 2010

I'm going to with the lack of kids contributing to that statement. I remember thinking it would be a bit gross to hold a cheesy child, but when its your cheesy child that you've just given birth to, its different and she'll see that when she has a kid.

KMLP · May 2010

I didn't really have an option, they kind of whisked him away. Then, DH got to hold him first, after he was all bundled up. I was really emotional and everything, and I just most of all wanted to know that he was okay and how much he weighed. I saw him, but I don't think I held him until after my episiotomy was all stitched up.

lauren&matt · May 2010

I didn't. I wanted her cleaned up and swaddled. I do think it's kind of gross.

to each their own. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting the baby cleaned up a bit.

punkfiction_v.3 · May 2010

::shrug:: i can't imagine *not* catching/holding them right away. but who knows -- reese laid with me for about 5mins at least before they took her to be weighed/cleaned, etc

lauren&matt · May 2010

KMLP:
I didn't really have an option, they kind of whisked him away. Then, DH got to hold him first, after he was all bundled up. I was really emotional and everything, and I just most of all wanted to know that he was okay and how much he weighed. I saw him, but I don't think I held him until after my episiotomy was all stitched up.

This is exactly how it happened w/ us. I have no regrets...

Kateysomething · May 2010

I didn't have the option with Pip because of the c/s - I know some hospitals allow for it, but ours wasn't. Perhaps because of the nature of my labor and such. Since this c/s is planner, I'll be asking about options to hold her sooner.

But, while I would have liked to hold her a bit sooner - I don't feel like I could be bonded to her anymore than I am, so I don't feel badly about it.

Mrs.Hizzo · May 2010

I took both of mine immediately. I don't think your SIL understands that after labor/childbirth, she herself will be so disgusting, she won't give a hoot whether or not the baby is clean. It never even crossed my mind, but if it had, I'd have thought "what's a little more blood and slime?"

brideofscowboy · May 2010

I wasn't even conscious during my c/s...so yes, I would have loved to hold my messy baby right away.

If you would have asked me this question before knowing I had to have a c/s, I would have said that I'd wait until he was checked out, clean and bundled.

LaurenL1976 · May 2010

Prior to being pregnant - I would have let the nursing staff do their thing before holding my baby.

But, once I was pregnant - I wanted to hold her immediately! I had 30 hours of labor, and ended up with a c/s and they wouldn't let me hold her.

I also thought breastfeeding wasn't for me. Four years ago, I wasn't into BFing at all. Again, once I was pregnant, I really wanted to do it. I often joked about 'old' me vs. 'mommy' me.

Sometimes getting pregnant changes your views

She might not have even been disgusted with your photo - maybe she was seeing the 'movie' version in her mind.

Jen&Len · May 2010

They offered to let me hold him on my chest, but I was so lightheaded and woozy from the blood loss from the c-sec that I was afraid I would drop him, so I told them not to.

iris427 · May 2010

It really makes me sad that I wasn't able to hold my baby right away. I'm hoping next time will be different. I want to hold my kid straight from the womb, goo and all Smile

I<3AGoftheS · May 2010

I used to say that ALL the time before I became a mom.

lite-bright · May 2010

I didn't have the option either time. DD1 had to be suctioned for meconium, and DD2 was a c/s. So it took a few minutes with DD1, and with DD2, I got to meet and touch her, but DH was the one holding her until we got to recovery.

I certainly wouldn't refuse if the circumstance allowed and it doesn't gross me out, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything by being handed a briefly-scrubbed, blanket-wrapped newborn instead of one fresh out the vag.

haleybeth81 · May 2010

I will admit that my second thought after "OMG I just had a baby" was "couldn't they have put a blanket on her, that's a bit gross". I definitely wanted DD#1 in my arms but would have like a buffer from all the goo.

eta I actually said" I love you baby but I'm not kissing that until it gets wiped down a bit." The MW started laughing and I didn't realize I had said it out loud.

MeanMommyLady · May 2010

I wanted the baby cleaned and swaddled before I held him. I ended up with a c-section, so I wasn't the first to hold him anyway, my DH was. They showed him to us before they wiped him down and swaddled him (we were team green and had to see the goods to believe it, plus DH is the one that announced the sex to the room so he saw baby first). I have no regrets and still wouldn't want to hold my baby until they were wiped down a little.

CaitlinJ22 · May 2010

i had told my nurse I wanted skin to skin for BFing after ds was born. So she automatically lifted my gown and put him on me when he came out. I didnt mean skin to skin righta way, but I liked feeling him. My doc was fast with the wiping though. DH said she pulled him out and wiped his face with the other hand. He wasnt that gooey

I loved having him on me right away, they even said that he could stay there longer, but I was feeling so woozy and sick that I said to take him and clean him and they gave him back 5 mins later. This time I want to hold her the whole time and BF right away.

KariChadDora · May 2010

DS was laid on my chest, skin to skin, immediately after coming out, the doctor did a quick swipe across his face before placing him on me and then the nurse immediately started wiping him up/rubbing him while he was on my chest. He stayed on my chest for almost an hour while they stitched me up and I wouldn't have it any other way! The hospital I gave birth at actually prefers that it is done this way, skin to skin immediately, they believe it is extremely beneficial in so many ways. I feel fortunate that my labor progressed in a way that allowed me this luxury.

jamie.renee · May 2010

iris427:
It really makes me sad that I wasn't able to hold my baby right away. I'm hoping next time will be different. I want to hold my kid straight from the womb, goo and all

This was me with my third. I didn't get to hold my first 2 right away (one had to have the NICU team look at her right away since she was early and my second had hip dysplasia where her leg was pretty much laying on her chest so she had to be looked at asap too). I hated that I didn't even get the option to have them on me or not because of the circumstances. I was so happy holding my gooby baby when my third was born.

LyndsayQ · May 2010

I wanted her cleaned up at first, b/f she was born, but then my OB handed her to me after she was born. I touched her, hesitantly, b/c I think I was in shock and she was very gooey.

I will do the same w/ DS (i.e. a quick hold and then clean-up and then hold/BF for much longer).

d.f · May 2010

I'm actually pretty upset that I didn't get to hold him right away like we had discussed with my midwife. His heart rate had gone down during labor so they had to call the break out the vacuum and the monitor in his scalp tore leaving a big gash in his head. Plus he was considered a late term premmie. They took him over to the team from the NICU first who checked him and the wrapped him up and gave him to me for a minute before they took him away for 4 hours. I was pissed and making DH demand he be returned before they gave him back. He was gone so long because they were watching the gash then they gave him a bath and he had trouble bringing his temperature back up.

MegGary · May 2010

They put DD in my arms on my belly right away. In the video you hear me saying, "she's soo warm". I just didn't expect that but it made sense since she had just been inside me. lol I wanted to hold her longer but they wanted to get her cleaned up. I don't think it's gross. I thought it was amazing.

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