What's "normal"?

kmm2150 · December 2011

I've been looking at a lot of people's birth plans, and often see stuff about not clamping the cord right away, about skin-to-skin, and about the baby staying with mom and dad for all procedures. I guess I'm wondering if these things - or other things commonly mentioned in birth plans - are really things you have to fight for or if they are standard procedure in a lot of hospitals. I was watching some birth show on tv and they seemed to be doing the skin-to-skin thing pretty automatically, and I know our hospital said the baby will never leave the room unless there's something wrong, etc. I can see there being more of an issue with delaying things like tests and vaccines that are standard procedure.

This is probably a better question for my dr./my hospital, but I guess I'm just wondering what people's experiences have been!

sschwege · December 2011

I think skin-to-skin is pretty automatic these days, but not so much when our parents were having kids. My MIL reached out to touch her son and was told not to touch him because her hands weren't sterile! I think with most hospitals you still have to specify delayed cord clamping and even going with the baby for all procedures. DD stayed with us for everything with the exception of her hearing test. I'm sure we could have gone with/had them do it in the room but it was 4am and I just wanted to rest! I wouldn't say it's a fight, but something that probably still has to be specified.

sociable15 · December 2011

Some of the things are normal now and some are not. I was at a birth that was induced but still vaginal delivery and baby was placed immediately in a warmer while stats were done. I've seen it happen a number of times where it's not really warranted (C-Section being teh exception, mom's got to recover a bit from surgery of course!), baby was given formula as a suppliment feeding, mom had to fight for rooming in, that kind of thing. It's a shame that I've seen it happen right after birth, really. But I think it depends on the hospital and your relationship with the staff/doctor. Some places are going to be more "consumer friendly" than others.