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October 2015 Moms
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Skin to Skin Confusion

puppetpantspuppetpants member
in October 2015 Moms
I don't want to be a difficult in the delivery room, but...I've read in baby books that immediate skin to skin contact is important for the baby and should take precedence over weighing or apgar scores. I asked about this tonight at our birthing class and the instructor said that the baby will be taken from me and cleaned up, taken for blood tests for an hour or two, and then returned to me for this important bonding/breastfeeding. Does anyone have any experience with this? Will I/should I request to postpone the heel prick/blood tests? THANK YOU!
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Re: Skin to Skin Confusion

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  • christina4436christina4436 member
    You can ask to have them wait 20 mins or so to do all that. Most hospitals should as long as baby is healthy, breathing in own and no immediate needs. Talk to your doctor specifically she can put it in your file. I asked to do delayed cord clamping as well so they will be stuck to me for a bit longer anyway until cord stops pulsing! Apparently they will get more cord blood/nutrients. Figure can't hurt!
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  • JaqiDec04JaqiDec04 member
    My hospital wanted something similar, I through a huge fit, and they did all those things in my room.

    There is absolutely no reason for the baby to be gone that long, or why they couldn't do it in your room.

    I'd talk to your doctor, and check your hospitals policies.
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  • ajhellmuthajhellmuth member
    edited September 2015
    I would definitely speak up and request to have immediate skin to skin. My hospital where I've delivered my 3 previous children has always done skin to skin but each time they've allowed for longer time. My youngest they let me hold for 45 min and nurse right away. Then I gave them the go ahead to get her cleaned up & weighed. They also do all of the tests and everything in the room. They only take the baby if there's a problem or you request for baby to go to the nursery so you can sleep a bit.
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  • cbolton19cbolton19 member
    edited September 2015
    Like the previous posters said, definitely speak up about this! I would not let them take the baby from me for that long. Skin to skin contact is so beneficial in that first hour (I've seen it called the golden hour). Assuming there is nothing wrong with your baby at birth, I would ask that you get a minimum of an hour with them before they do anything. Weighing, bathing and blood work is totally unnecessary before then. If you are planning on breastfeeding, then immediate breastfeeding will also help you deliver the placenta. Definitely talk to your doctor about this.

    ETA: like the other poster said, read up and ask about delayed cord clamping. There are a lot of great benefits to it.
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  • alinic916alinic916 member
    It depends on the hospital.  Some do skin to skin automatically before anything as long as baby is healthy.  Some hospitals you may need to ask them to make it a priority to do it immediately.
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  • sarahewilliams118sarahewilliams118 member
    My hospital does immediate skin on skin contact, and the only time the baby leaves your room is to be circumcised before you go home. They also require 1-2 hours of family bonding time for just mother and father to bond with baby right after the testing and weighing (which is all done in the room).....
    All of this is important. I would speak up!!
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  • violetigerlilyvioletigerlily member
    I agree.  Maybe it would be helpful to bring it up to your doctor as something you'd really like to do but have in your back pocket a pamphlet/printout about the benefits from a legitimate medical organization (not a mommy website).  A PP mentioned that the Mayo clinic does it, that might be a place to start.  

    My hospital is a big prestigious ivy league teaching hospital and they made a huge deal of their skin-to-skin program that is standard now for every birth, including information on the medical benefits for both baby and mom.  While some things mom's to be put in their birth plan are nice but not supported strongly medically by clinical trials, skin to skin seems to be new but have strong medical proof behind it (so long as the baby isn't in distress of course and needing immediate medical attention). Your hospital might just not be up to date with this newer practice. Good luck.  
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  • kstitt0830kstitt0830 member
    It's YOUR baby what you say goes, tell them to do all tests in room with you and if they can't then find a different hospital before delivery
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  • LiveNLove44LiveNLove44 member
    The part where you said they'd take baby for an "hour or two" totally surprised me. I am shocked that the instructor said it takes that long, and I would be a bit confused if I were you, too. As PPs have said, talk with your doctor about it. You have rights as a patient to make some of those timeline decisions as long as baby's health is good. You're doing a great job already by asking the right questions!
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  • jslikojsliko member
    Just to add one more post- yes, it is extremely beneficial to get some immediate skin-to-skin time after birth. It is one of the criteria to become a "baby friendly" hospital (I think). Unless there is a medical problem with mom or baby, OP, you have every right to request s2s..and know that by asking, you are following established pediatric guidelines.... Good luck!
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  • on_the_moveon_the_move member
    I agree with everything PPs have said and wanted to let you know they can do apgar scores with baby right on you. It is just them looking at the baby and assessing how it is doing (pinking up, breathing, etc). It will need to be done imediately and 5 mins later, but they don't need to have the baby for that.

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  • leighann1leighann1 member
    Agree with other posters, it's definitely worth a conversation and worth demanding, as this has become standard care across many, many hospitals. 

    If you need some fuel for your fight, here is the World Health Organization's recommendation (pg 3): 

    and a journal article from the National Institute of Health website: 
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  • alinic916alinic916 member
    Was the birthing class instructor from your hospital or a different one?  If she was from another hospital, they may do things different.  Have you done a hospital tour yet?  They did talk to us about standard procedures, rooming in, skin to skin, etc on our hospital tour. Your baby should never leave you for "an hour or two" as you stated.  Most things they do with the babies only takes a few minutes.
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  • arwestover3arwestover3 member
    Skin to skin right away for sure, as long as baby is okay! In my hospital they literally just catch the baby and put her right on mama! And they can do a lot of those tests while baby's on your chest :)
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  • amberrmariee20amberrmariee20 member
    I didn't have an option for skin to skin with my son, he was born and wasn't breathing, they took him from me and I never got to see him for 4.5 hours. When they did eventually bring him to me I put him on my chest. I'm hoping this time it's different and I can't hold my son right away.
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