skin to skin before or after baby gets cleaned off?

FarmvilleLover · December 2011

what are you doing, if you have a choice? i am trying to figure out what to do on my birth preferences sheet. pros and cons to each?

doodahsgurl · December 2011

Was after for my first, will be that way again, I guess. Nurses are checking on baby and doing footprints, Apgar, etc. for about 5 minutes. Then baby is all yours to hold how you want.

Sascha3 · December 2011

My first memory of my daughter was her wet, warm, slimy body laying on me immediately after birth. And I loved every second of it, and it is still a distinct memory after all of these years.

I want her right away:)

JenJH923 · December 2011

Most babies aren't actually that 'dirty' after they are born. If you wait until after the baby is cleaned off you are going to be waiting a while. The schedule at my hospital is; baby is born and stays with parents for 1 hour, then goes to the nursery and gets a bath and must stay under the warmer for one hour after that. So, you could be looking at 2 hours and the stress of bath and shots before you get your clean baby back for skin to skin. Skin to skin will help to stabilize the baby's temperature and would be more beneficial if done right away. Don't feel bad if you decide to wait though, I have plenty of patients who don't even want to hold the baby until its wrapped in clean blankets with a hat on its head. Other people refuse to have the baby bathed in the hospital and keep it 'dirty' the whole time!

BFab11 · December 2011

Before, ASAP. I'm requesting that all tests and measurements wait until we've bonded a while and ideally nursed. I don't need to know how much she weighs 5 seconds after she's born, and as long as she looks/sounds healthy everything can wait 30-60 mins.

sassafras007 · December 2011

I want this baby on me blood and nasty and all!

I did not get to hold my daughter until hours later in the NICU...

sarahlyn · December 2011

I would want to hold my baby as soon as she's born. As long as baby is breathing and okay the nurses/midwife can do all of their assessments with you holding the baby. Many hospitals are trying to be more in tune with that important bonding time right after birth when baby is alert (baby has a brief active period before a prolonged period of sleep/lethargy following birth). Many mothers also request that the gentamyacin ointment that is applied to baby's eyes be delayed during this time. Also, hospitals can do baths in the room with mom and dad post-partum. This requires that baby is at a stable temp and that the baby then has skin to skin after bath until she/he is back to temp. In my labor/delivery rotation one of the sweetest moments was seeing a new dad do skin to skin with his son after giving the baby a bath in room. I really appreciate the move from doing things in nursery to giving the family time to bond with their new infant. This can mean baby will only be gone for a short while for a hearing test or circumcision instead of for hours. Still, there is always the option to have baby in the nursery if mother is sick or has complications, and of course the NICU for babies who need special medical attention.

FarmvilleLover · December 2011

sorry in advance for lack of punc but im on my phone. I guess i just have concern that if baby isnt cleaned off at least a little bit, that it impede that first feed bc of the surrounding residue. maybe thats a stupid concern, dont know. i am all for the skin to skin asap though, i am definitely leaning that way i think.

tartaruga · December 2011

I had DD on my chest for a moment immediately after birth, then they cleaned her up and brought her back shortly afterwards (while I was delivering the placenta and such). Honestly, she was so slippery I was terrified she would slip out of my hands. I was a lot more comfortable with her clean. She took to breastfeeding immediately and perfectly at that point, once she was clean, so it was no big deal.

I don't think it really matters. Fifteen or twenty minutes isn't going to make it impossible to bond or breastfeed. Really. And you're not a bad mom if you find it more gross than beautiful and angelic.

kaybe24 · December 2011

At a breastfeeding class this weekend, they showed a DVD of babies held skin to skin with their mothers right after birth. The nurses had toweled them dry but they didn't look dirty or anything so I'm all for it.

kerryholmes · December 2011

I lifted ds out of the water and held him against my chest from the moment he came out, they did all their checking while I was holding him there, will be the same this time.

Meganequine · December 2011

I have my birth class in a week and a half and this is one of my (many) questions. Honestly it kinda grosses me out, but I don't really want to send the baby off either. I'm hoping they can quickly "towel off/dry" the baby and then give him to me.

ladybuggirls99 · December 2011

This is DD3 for us, and I want her in my arms immediately (just like both of her sisters). I know that skin to skin before the baby is cleaned off seems gross, but it's not. All you're going to care about is seeing and holding your beautiful baby as soon as possible.

Kristine Schilling · December 2011

I want skin to skin asap. Many of the tests nurses do right after birth can be done with LO on your chest. Besides, there is a theory out there about the creamy stuff on baby actually being good for their skin, let LO be dirtyish for a few minutes what the heck right?

pinksweetpea2 · December 2011

The baby is mine. That "gross stuff" is actually called vernix and is really amazing for your baby, so we will also be rubbing as much of it into her skin as possible and she will not be getting a sponge bath for several days:

https://birthbliss.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/benefits-of-vernix-its-amazing-stuff/

Newborn babies don't need baths and you would be amazed at how amazing they smell in their natural state. Yes, you should dry them off of course so they don't get cold, but giving them a bath within 24 hours of their birth seems crazy to me.

Lilena · December 2011

My baby was cleaned off ON me. As soon as he came out he was put right on me and didn't leave me until I had to go to surgery to get fixed up from the tear he gave me coming out (which was roughly 30 mins after I believe?)

MesmrEwe · December 2011

Lilena:
My baby was cleaned off ON me. As soon as he came out he was put right on me and didn't leave me until I had to go to surgery to get fixed up from the tear he gave me coming out (which was roughly 30 mins after I believe?)

This was the case for me as well with DD's birth... They put the wiping/drying towels right on my chest (I wasn't wanting/thinking "skin to skin", but wanted to hold her right away).. Provided all goes well it'll be the same thing with this LO too...

Lilena · December 2011

Also thing to note is they wipe them off, and can bathe them later. Heat lamps you DONT NEED THEM (unless something is seriously wrong) Your own body temp = BEST thing for baby when they come out. Plus you have to realize this is nature (i know im going to ramble here for a sec) but skin to skin is not just skin to skin, you are actually releasing stuff from your body to the baby when you do skin to skin right away. It's really the best thing ever.

The bonding that happens in the first min after birth is very important (and they are actually studying it now and may believe it to be the most important and has effects later on in life that are amazing)
I am not "newagey" in the least normally, but I know this stuff may sound like a load of crap or like an old wives tail but it really is the best.

If the baby comes out super duper gunky and it actually grosses you out (its okay it happens!) they can wipe them quicky and you can ask them to get them on you as soon as possible, but really it's ideal to get them on you as soon as they are out. Trust me they do a damn good job of cleaning them off while they are laying on you and looking up at you having that first time bond!

(and what's even better is the rush of endorphins you will be feeling right at this moment too its amazing - at least it was for me)

stephaniebuzzella · December 2011

BFab11:
Before, ASAP. I'm requesting that all tests and measurements wait until we've bonded a while and ideally nursed. I don't need to know how much she weighs 5 seconds after she's born, and as long as she looks/sounds healthy everything can wait 30-60 mins.

This exactly for us I never got this for my first two babies so I'm really looking forward to not giving him up

skin to skin before or after baby gets cleaned off?

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