Cleaning baby after birth

runbaby24 · February 2015

I've tried to google this, but I can't find any answers. What happens immediately after birth? When do they clean the baby? Do they give it to you and then they take it away to clean it off? How long does it take to clean the baby?

Sorry FTM here...

homediva · February 2015

They clean the vernix off baby while you are delivering the placenta....I've always had csections so they clean baby up while they close you up. It's all a beautiful blur and as long as baby is healthy he or she is bundled up, has all their vitals checked and is back in your arms very quickly!

runbaby24 · February 2015

Thank you so much! That really helps! I just want to know what to expect

snikai · February 2015

I would say that it varies greatly from delivery to delivery. Sometimes they hand baby to you right away and a moment or two later take baby to clean better and then give baby back to you. Sometimes you can help pull baby out yourself. Sometimes they clean baby first. I cut the umbilical cord myself. It all depends on the situation and doctor. I wonder if there's a way to watch reruns of that show about deliveries that used to be on because that might give you a lot of info about the process in an easier to imagine sort of way.

lovesgummies · February 2015

I had meconium (sp?) in my fluid so with the first they took her right away to check her lungs. With #2 that wasn't an issue so they put her on my chest. They did take her eventually for a bath but it was a while later. They also put ointment in their eyes. But I was able to hold them pretty soon after.

MrsPyrowiz · February 2015

FTM here too!!! It depends on the hospital. My hospital does immediate skin to skin and will postpone cleaning if you ask. That's what I plan to do because the vernix is so good for baby's skin. All of the nurses and midwives have told me all the important stuff they need to do can be done during skin to skin or after baby has breastfed which is very encouraging to me.

Mufflerlove · February 2015

As soon as she was out she pooped on their clean cloth and they wiped it all over her. So they wiped it up a bit but then put her directly on me. They didn't ever take her away. They measured and weighed her later on. She had poop smudges and dried blood in her hair until the next evening when I asked if they could wash her hair. So they washed her hair but she didn't have a full bath until day 2 after birth. She also peed all over me as soon as she was on my tummy.

jen83mn · February 2015

I was always curious about this too, only because the blood and goop kind of grosses me out! However, I know once the time comes I'm not going to care at all and will just want that baby in my arms!

runbaby24 · February 2015

@snikai‌ Never heard of that show! I'll look into it

Thanks for the responses everyone! I guess I would need to ask my doctor and hospital on what their procedure is.

LittleMommaBlueHen · February 2015

I delivered at a birth center so I pulled my kids right up to my chest.They wiped them down when I was getting stitches but no bath.

Duckybears · February 2015

I agree that it depends on your birth plan and your hospital. Let the nurses know your plan when you arrive, but be ready to adjust if there are complications.

With my son I delivered, DH cut the cord, then I had skin to skin contact while the doctor stiched me back up. After that they did a quick wipe down, weighed and measured etc. then I nursed him. (All this happened in less than an hour)

Later that night (I delivered in the morning) a nurse came in to give him a more thorough rinse/washing.

MommyofKandM · February 2015

I had c sections both times I also had them both at 37 weeks. My first I had an emergency c section and since she was in distress no one got to cut the cord and she had to be put on oxygen while in the operating room for awhile I couldn't see her and no one was saying anything I kept asking my husband what was going on and he just kept saying cleaning her up or she is just laying there he didn't tell me she was on oxygen until I was in recovery. They eventually decided she was fine and gave her to my husband about 5 minutes before we headed to recovery since your arms are strapped down I couldn't hold them until recovery. With my son he was giving to my husband pretty fast after he came out and he ended up pooping in me while they held him up for us to see so I was in the OR longer for them to clean it up and I had 48 hours worth of antibiotics. So it took longer to get to recovery before I could hold him. Also with my first while I was in recovery someone was coming in to recover for a d&c she had lost the baby so they asked me if it would be ok to take her early to give her a bath and stuff so the other lady didn't have to see or hear her...I said it was fine and they took her but looking back I wish I would have asked them to take me back to my room to recover so I didn't have to give her up so soon. Because with my son they did the bath and the weighting and measuring and test all in front of me in recovery and that was something I was glad I got to see and be apart of because I got to help and comfort him right after the sugar test and bath which both made him cry. Every experience is different because there are a million factors that play into the situation. My doctor always said make a birth plan and then be prepare to throw that out the window because babies never follow your plan haha

PregNancyClark · February 2015

We are hoping for a water birth and constant togetherness! My husband and I will bathe her ourselves after baby and I establish the first breastfeeding. I'm so excited because we had my son in a hospital and it was a very different experience!

WDDCH · February 2015

That's a question for your doctor or midwife and also you can have preference. Most of the time they put baby immediately on your stomach - blood, fluids and vernix and all. But they may wipe baby vigorously. Most don't worry about washing baby until you have your first hour together or when you hand baby off.

Some moms tell them to not wash the vernix off at all (this is my preference as vernix is loaded with antibodies and baby's skin absorbs it pretty fast actually).

So it's up to you and your care provider.

adtaylor2015 · February 2015

With my son, they put him on my chest as soon as he was born so I could see him for a minute then they did his vitals, cleaned him up, and all of the usual routine stuff before giving him back to me.

mybabynumber2 · February 2015

adtaylor2015 said:
With my son, they put him on my chest as soon as he was born so I could see him for a minute then they did his vitals, cleaned him up, and all of the usual routine stuff before giving him back to me.

Yep, same with me, before they took my son, hubby took great pride in cutting the umbilical cord.

When I say took him, it was literally about 6 foot from were I was lay lol.

KYmama9286 · February 2015

For all but my first (he was only 3lbs so they wanted to check him out immediately but once he got his 8&9 apgars they have him back to me for skin to skin) I reached down and got the baby immediately and brought the baby up for skin to skin. With #2, it was a good hour before anyone but myself got to hold her or really even touch her. With #2 it was a good two hours before they did anything. The nurses can listen to heart tones and what not while baby is on you and skin to skin is the best way for baby to regulate its body temperature (mamas body is better than their warming beds!). And the baby won't be as "gross" or slimy as some people think.

Those hours after birth were my favorites and are forever seared in my memory. Plus holding that sweet baby is a great distraction for the pain of delivering the placenta and any stitches (I deliver unmedicated so I felt everything).

KYmama9286 · February 2015

Oh and all my kids didn't get their first sponge baths for hours if not the next day, can't quite remember.

sschwege · February 2015

My hospital does it routinely, but if they didn't I would insist on immediate skin to skin and BFing before baby is weighed and cleaned up (unless of course the baby needs medical attention). That first hour or two are important for bonding and BFing, most other things can wait. With our second we actually declined baby's first bath all together, there are thought to be some benefits to leaving the vernix on the baby's skin.

ccook83 · February 2015

I pulled DS out myself and he was brought to my chest for skin to skin. My DH cut the cord and I snuggled with him for a bit before they took him a couple feet away to measure, weigh, diaper etc while the doctor stiched me up and delivered the placenta. Then he was brought back for his first feeding. We did not bath him until right before we took him home (at our hospital baby has to have his/her first bath before you go home to prove you won't drown your baby and you know what you're doing! hahaha). Our hospital is great and everything is done in one room no seperate delivery / recovery rooms as every room is private

mrscate88 · February 2015

I'm hoping I will be able to go according to my birth plan and pull baby right up onto my chest, slime and all! I don't want to wait another moment to hold my little love! That being said, some things will depend on the hospital and the doctor, and I don't mind going with the flow. I was there for my niece and nephew's birth and daddy cut the cord while doc held baby, they cleaned them up, then gave them to my sis for skin to skin contact. Either way, I'll just be happy my baby is here, safe, and healthy. I can't wait

apayne0731 · February 2015

After my daughter was born, they wiped her down and I had her skin to skin, and fed her for about an hour or so. Then as I had a shower to freshen up a little, my husband held her and they cleaned her better.

kelbel90 · February 2015

It depends on a few things. With my first, she was plopped right on my chest afterwards and they started wiping her off while I held her. With my second, because of the meconium (she pooped in the womb), they had to take her away to clean her off and make sure she was breathing well before I got to hold her.

saralynn7 · February 2015

With my daughter they immediately put her on my chest and sort of wiped her off as I held her. There were no complications so we could immediately do skin to skin but had there been concerns they would have tended to her first. We gave her her first bath much later that day and I plan to do the same with this one.

sugarmagn0lia · February 2015

As many people have said, it depends. But, assuming you are birthing at a hospital that honors your wishes, you can typically decide (assuming the birth is healthy). After being born, babies have a "golden window" of about two hours when they're very alert and aware of their surroundings, before they get very sleepy for a good couple of weeks. Assuming all goes well, I plan to take full advantage of that time with skin-to-skin contact, and wait for baby's first bath until that window has closed. From what I understand, it can be a wonderful time to initially bond and make baby feel a lot more comfortable after being thrown into a brand new and entirely different world. And don't forget about skin-to-skin for Daddy too

myspecialkid · February 2015

Thank you for posting this @runbaby24. I was familiar with the bath, measurements, and eye ointment, but didn't know leaving the vernix on was an option. So thank you to everyone who shared their experience/knowledge.

Now this may be a dumb question, but by skin to skin are we referring to naked baby laying on my bare chest? Does that mean the same for skin to skin with DH, bare chest?

MrsPyrowiz · March 2015

myspecialkid said:

Now this may be a dumb question, but by skin to skin are we referring to naked baby laying on my bare chest? Does that mean the same for skin to skin with DH, bare chest?

Yes, that's what is meant by skin to skin.

it encourages breastfeeding and bonding and is the best way to regulate baby's baby temp.

myspecialkid · March 2015

MrsPyrowiz said:

myspecialkid said:

Now this may be a dumb question, but by skin to skin are we referring to naked baby laying on my bare chest? Does that mean the same for skin to skin with DH, bare chest?
Yes, that's what is meant by skin to skin. it encourages breastfeeding and bonding and is the best way to regulate baby's baby temp.

Thank you

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