Bath at Hospital

MrsBigTime · December 2012

This may be an absolutely ridiculous question, but when your LO gets their first bath at the hospital, do the nurses use soap?

I do think I want DD to have a bath, but I don't know about having one with soap. I certiantly don't want her to get soap with fragrance right away and I know my hospital uses J and J. I guess I'm wondering if I should pack my own soap in our bag, or am I being too obsessive over something stupid like soap?? ;

nanabanana06 · December 2012

Yes, they use soap. I am passing on he bath all together. Usually they won't let you use soap you bring on baby. Which sucks. I don't want my child bathed in those chemicals. So I'm just passing on it all together. They get nice and clean after their initial rub down. I will just take my kid home and bath them myself in the soap I chose.

KatieKim0815 · December 2012

They use the really mild J&J one. Not heavily scented at all. They don't use the majorly scented lavender one.

I would opt for it personally. It just gets a lot of the gunk off them and the nurses are so gentle and don't overdue it. They also answered questions for me.

But when I got home I only used water for a while!

Meli B · December 2012

Yes they get a bath but they use a mild soap...they definitely need a bath after their birth.

mrsz2008 · December 2012

They do use soap, I never noticed much of a fragrance from it. He also got another bath the next day that DH and I did while the nurse helped us along, we were able to use the baby wash we brought from home, which was Yes to Baby Carrots. Wouldn't hurt to bring your own and ask the nurse before delivery to use that if possible, if not, you're no worse off.

hellopoppyseed · December 2012

My children have not suffered any short or long term consequences due to their bath after birth. They need a good scrub down. I highly doubt it's scented or has harsh chemicals. I bet it would be hard to even buy something milder than what they use. No hospital is harming newborns with bath soap or you probably would have heard of it. In the grand scheme, it's no big deal.

StefandTodd · December 2012

My son got his first bath at home when he was about 60 hours old. I'll probably wait even longer this time around...maybe just wait until the umbilical cord falls off (of course, this time I'm planning a water birth, so he will have been "rinsed" in that way. They're not dirty, they don't *need* a bath, and there are plenty of benefits to not bathing right away.

You could just ask that they not use anything but water...but I'm curious if you'll get the same reaction that I did to declining a bath altogether (nurses have to wear gloves to handle baby).

Beth.1212 · December 2012

I would hope that you could request a bath with either no soap at all or just the soap that you bring. I imagine that varies by hospital, though. It's worth a shot, anyways. Worst case scenario, you can request that they refrain from giving your DD a bath at all.

For those that may not be aware (I wasn't until my recent childcare class):

Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo contains formaldehyde and chemicals that releases formaldehyde - at least, the formulations used in the United States, Canada and China do. Lab tests have revealed that Johnson?s Baby Shampoo contains two carcinogens?formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane?that were not listed on labels. Another compound used that is harmful is quaternium-15, a chemical preservative that kills bacteria by releasing formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde was recently added to the U.S. government list of known human carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program, under the Department of Health and Human Services. Formaldehyde and quaternium-15 are also potent allergens that can trigger rashes and other skin inflammation problems. According to a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses? Association, quaternium-15 is ?the most sensitizing formaldehyde-releasing preservative and has been repeatedly shown to be a strong allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.?

In response to consumer demand, the company launched a ?natural? version of baby shampoo that does not contain chemicals associated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane.

Johnson & Johnson?s announced in November 2011 that it would globally reformulate its baby products to remove carcinogens 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde by the end of 2013. However, we're not there yet, meaning that the products on the shelf may still contain these compounds. As far as I know, they'll eliminate quaternium-15 by the end of 2015.

https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=888

https://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23972

https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=1054

MrsSmithinOR · December 2012

We are declining the bath at the hospital. If she's especially bloody, we'll use just a wet washcloth to wash her hair but otherwise, the vernix is good for their skin and I plan on just rubbing it in

sschwege · December 2012

This isn't a ridiculous question at all! We are planning to decline the bath this time. Poor DD was screaming her head off. I just think it's enough excitement being born, then all the newborn procedures without getting them wet while they are still learning to regulate their body temperatures. Plus the vernix (sp?) is supposed to be good for their skin.

My understanding is hospital staff will have to wear gloves while handling the baby for their own protection, but honestly that's fine with me!

shootingstars00 · December 2012

Hmm I don't remember but according to everyone else - yes. I was sad that I wasn't the one giving DD her first bath. But I was so out of it anyway!

mrsneau · December 2012

Beth.1212:
I would hope that you could request a bath with either no soap at all or just the soap that you bring. I imagine that varies by hospital, though. It's worth a shot, anyways. Worst case scenario, you can request that they refrain from giving your DD a bath at all.
For those that may not be aware (I wasn't until my recent childcare class):
Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo contains formaldehyde and chemicals that releases formaldehyde - at least, the formulations used in the United States, Canada and China do. Lab tests have revealed that Johnson?s Baby Shampoo contains two carcinogens?formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane?that were not listed on labels. Another compound used that is harmful is quaternium-15, a chemical preservative that kills bacteria by releasing formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde was recently added to the U.S. government list of known human carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program, under the Department of Health and Human Services. Formaldehyde and quaternium-15 are also potent allergens that can trigger rashes and other skin inflammation problems. According to a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses? Association, quaternium-15 is ?the most sensitizing formaldehyde-releasing preservative and has been repeatedly shown to be a strong allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.?

In response to consumer demand, the company launched a ?natural? version of baby shampoo that does not contain chemicals associated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane.
Johnson & Johnson?s announced in November 2011 that it would globally reformulate its baby products to remove carcinogens 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde by the end of 2013. However, we're not there yet, meaning that the products on the shelf may still contain these compounds. As far as I know, they'll eliminate quaternium-15 by the end of 2015.
https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=888
https://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23972
https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=1054

I recommend Baby Don't Cry by Paul Mitchell.

robyn2201 · December 2012

Yes they will use soap. Have you thought about just declining it all together? The vernix is actually really good for their skin. Our plan was to decline it and we were happily surprised to find out that my hospital just recently started recommending no bath!

nanabanana06 · December 2012

mrsneau:
Beth.1212:
I would hope that you could request a bath with either no soap at all or just the soap that you bring. I imagine that varies by hospital, though. It's worth a shot, anyways. Worst case scenario, you can request that they refrain from giving your DD a bath at all.
For those that may not be aware (I wasn't until my recent childcare class):
Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo contains formaldehyde and chemicals that releases formaldehyde - at least, the formulations used in the United States, Canada and China do. Lab tests have revealed that Johnson?s Baby Shampoo contains two carcinogens?formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane?that were not listed on labels. Another compound used that is harmful is quaternium-15, a chemical preservative that kills bacteria by releasing formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde was recently added to the U.S. government list of known human carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program, under the Department of Health and Human Services. Formaldehyde and quaternium-15 are also potent allergens that can trigger rashes and other skin inflammation problems. According to a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses? Association, quaternium-15 is ?the most sensitizing formaldehyde-releasing preservative and has been repeatedly shown to be a strong allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.?

In response to consumer demand, the company launched a ?natural? version of baby shampoo that does not contain chemicals associated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane.
Johnson & Johnson?s announced in November 2011 that it would globally reformulate its baby products to remove carcinogens 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde by the end of 2013. However, we're not there yet, meaning that the products on the shelf may still contain these compounds. As far as I know, they'll eliminate quaternium-15 by the end of 2015.
https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=888
https://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23972
https://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=1054

I recommend Baby Don't Cry by Paul Mitchell.

That stuff is rated really bad for toxicity. You need to do more research. I only use products that rate a 0 or a 1 on the toxicity scale. Which Paul Mitchell was a 3, I think.

perfectlove09 · December 2012

hellopoppyseed:
My children have not suffered any short or long term consequences due to their bath after birth. They need a good scrub down. I highly doubt it's scented or has harsh chemicals. I bet it would be hard to even buy something milder than what they use. No hospital is harming newborns with bath soap or you probably would have heard of it. In the grand scheme, it's no big deal.

I somewhat agree with what you've said. I'm sure your kids haven't suffered any life long ailments due to their hospital bath but I don't agree that hospitals won't use something that might harm them or might not be necessary. If you think about it, the nurses are required to wear gloves when holding your baby if you decline te bath...whatever they are washing the baby with must be strong enough to warrant them no longer wearing the gloves. If it was truely mild soap it wouldn't kill all of the bacteria they are afraid of.
I'm back and forth on this one. I'm going to ask the hospital what soap they use and if its not 100 percent natural I may decline it.

gakester8 · December 2012

our hospital uses J&J so my doula told me to pack my own if I don't want them using that one. I added a line in our birth plan about asking us before using products on the baby because we're bringing organic/natural ones to use.

ForeverEverAfter · December 2012

Our hospital uses JJ too and I have an issue with it. A PP mentioned the chemicals most alarming, but I also don't like SLS. Baby skin does not need those harsh chemicals. I will be declining the bath from the nurses. If the baby needs to be bathed, I'll do it myself with the Dr Bronners soap I have.

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