I was told its beneficial for babe not to be bathed in the first week. Whatever vernix left on baby helps keep their temperatures stable and its also good left to soak into the skin.

With Megan I didn't get as much skin to skin as I was wanting as they were more eager to clean her up a bit and wrap her up and I was not protesting enough. But she never left our room for checks or weight,,, they did that all in the room.

With Jordan my nurse was in less of a hurry and it was obvious she was very much for skin to skin and breastfeeding. I did ask for an hour before the eye meds etc. Jordan was born and immediately layed on a blanket on my chest. After initial bonding that way dh cut the cord ( i asked for delayed cord clamping so they waited a minute or 2) the nurse helped undo my gown to lay her directly on my chest after that... And she wasnt wiped down yet at that point, just a tiny bit on her face. Otherwise covered in vernix I was delivering the placenta (I'm assuming.. Lol) and getting stitched but really didn't notice as it was all about dh, Jordan, and I. I breastfed her for almost an hour then before she was even taken off me to be weighed ( right at the bottom of my bed ) and put in the warmer for the nurse to recut her cord shorter and do a couple of checks on her. I held Jordan during her first shot and her getting her eye cream and we breastfed again. The nurse was going to give Jordan a sponge bath but I asked if dh could do it ( he did that for Megan and it was great bonding for the 2 of them). The nurse looked surprised but let dh do it and the nurse left the room for a bit. I took this time to take pics of the 2 of them and then call my parents. So initial bonding with Jordan was probably 2 hrs?

Thanks all for your replies.
Great to see many hospitals nowadays encourage at least an hour of skin-to-skin contact immediately after the baby is born.

I am actually quite lucky that my Dr here in Fiji is open to my wishes as I will be delivering in the only private hospital here in the capital, as the other hospital has between 25- 40 births per day delivering babies is almost production-line work, instead respecting a woman's wishes in birth. Their main aim is to get the baby delivered alive, and also not to have the mum die in childbirth! I had an antenatal talk in the public hospital and they gave us a tour of the wards.. i really wanted to cry when I saw them and all the women in various stages of labour.

We are so lucky to get the support to make the births of our babies a positive experience.

At my hospital here in California.. they do all the weighing and washing and measuring in the same room you have them in..baby NEVER leaves your side unless something is wrong. SO I don't hold any of mine right away I have them cleaned up first.. and deliver my placenta.. so within 5 mins I have my baby in my arms all clean and blood free.

Assuming baby an I are well, I'll be having at least an hour of skin to skin, and then will pass baby to DH for more skin to skin. Baby won't be washed, but probably rubbed down a little while I hold him/her. We'll save washing for a week or so.