# What are the benefits to waiting a few days for the first bath?



## angel2010

If I end up with a hospital birth, I want to have the best experience I can. I don't want the baby to leave my sight at all. I don't want them to bathe the baby at all. I want to be the one to bathe it the first time (at home) and to dress it. In case I get any grief I want to be able to back-up my reasoning (other than with just "because its my baby").So, what are the benefits to waiting? I know that a bath right after birth can interfere with body temp, bonding and breastfeeding, but what out later?


----------



## booflebump

Leaving the vernix on the skin is better for them than water/soap, and provides protection from infections x


----------



## elohcin

Vernix, definitely. That stuff is gold! Also, there is some evidence that the amniotic fluid leaves a certain scent on the baby that helps it recognize it's mothers scent as well (particularly the areola, which is one reason for the "breast crawl"). 

Plus, new babies definitely aren't "dirty". :)


----------



## gryphongrl

All I can think of are what you, elohcin and booflebump mentioned, but I think that's PLENTY reason to not bathe a baby for at least a few days. That breast crawl, for example, is so awesome. I see a lot of women like to bathe as well, right after birth while their baby is being bathed, but you just ruin those good natural smell cues doing that. The nurses apparently don't like it because then they have to wear gloves while handling the baby, but that would be fine by me - it's nice to colonize their germ-free skin with germs from you and your family and only you and your family. So if they wash him down, then carry him back to you (now, not wearing gloves) his skin is going to be immediately colonized with bacteria other than yours, right? 

Oh yes and I just remembered the vernix inhibits the peeling and rashes that so many newborns get.


----------



## angel2010

Thanks ladies! Does anyone have any arguments if there was meconium (sp?) in the waters?


----------



## elohcin

I think you can gently wipe them clean if you feel the need but a bath- particularly one given in a hospital- is a COMPLETELY different process.

I have taken herbal baths with my babies after our homebirths (not immediately, but within a day or two) but we don't "wash", we just kind of float around in the water and enjoy it.

What gryphongrl mentioned about colonization is HUGE. Babies and colonization is a topic that very few health care providers will even think about. We know as ADULTS that it is important to not deplete our skin of it's natural oils by washing (particularly with soap) on a daily basis, and it's been shown that MRSA, for example, runs more rampant when the skin doesn't have it's natural barriers. So for babies it's even a bigger issue, IMO, especially in a hospital where bacteria already runs the house.


----------



## gryphongrl

Vernix wouldn't allow the growth on the skin of bacteria that would be found in the meconium, so I don't see that just giving them a rub down instead of soap would hurt the baby. Also I don't believe that meconium smells bad... it's not like they'd be coated in poo. And as far as the risk to you handling a baby with trace of meconium on him, well, that won't be the last poo you'll have on you, right? So I think my feeling would be "I don't care" if there was meconium in the water or not. I looked at some stats and for non-complicated, full term births, meconium is not too common. And midwives say that a lot of times it's just a trace, meaning it happened days/week ago and the amniotic fluid has already mostly flushed it.


----------



## angel2010

I don't mind the poo on me at all. I just feel they would be more pushy for a bath if there was meconium.


----------



## angel2010

Thanks for all the great replies. I was unaware about the bacteria thing and that is a great reason to wait!


----------



## elohcin

Unfortunately, they're probably going to look at you like you have horns no matter what. (unless you have a totally awesome hopsital!) With my hospital birth, they were SO persistent with trying to get me to let them bathe her, and treated me like an idiot for not wanting to.


----------



## angel2010

elohcin said:


> Unfortunately, they're probably going to look at you like you have horns no matter what. (unless you have a totally awesome hopsital!) With my hospital birth, they were SO persistent with trying to get me to let them bathe her, and treated me like an idiot for not wanting to.

I am fully expecting resistance. I am leaning towards trying for a hwbac, but am unsure, so I want to be educated and know where I stand on everything.


----------



## elohcin

Yeah, it's funny how so often they get kind of "offended" that you have actual grounded reasons for wanting/not wanting things. Good luck with your birth when it comes around!!


----------



## angel2010

elohcin said:


> Yeah, it's funny how so often they get kind of "offended" that you have actual grounded reasons for wanting/not wanting things. Good luck with your birth when it comes around!!

Thank you!


----------



## Feronia

Thanks for all of the great information in this thread. :) I haven't heard about the benefits to delaying the first bath, but I'll definitely be pushing for this option now.


----------



## Larkspur

My baby did the BIGGEST poo just as he came out (my midwife said it was the biggest one she'd ever seen) and so he and I were both covered in meconium. I birthed at a birthing centre and they like to delay the first bath, so they just sponged him down, and he had his first bath three days later.

It's true, meconium doesn't actually smell bad. I, however, had a shower as soon as I was allowed (which, actually, was not till 24 hours later because I had to be stitched up in theatre).


----------



## gryphongrl

Larkspur, that is funny! Oh yes I would shower too if I had poo all over me, absolutely! LOL I am giggling about how proud my DH would be if our baby does that. For some reason a huge poo is pretty manly around here.


----------



## Larkspur

gryphongrl said:


> Larkspur, that is funny! Oh yes I would shower too if I had poo all over me, absolutely! LOL I am giggling about how proud my DH would be if our baby does that. For some reason a huge poo is pretty manly around here.

It was so big that he didn't poo again for another week. Never seen anything like it. :haha:


----------



## Lisasmith

Over here we are encouraged not to bath our new babies for at least 24 hours!


----------



## pimento1979

What about delaying mum's first bath/shower? The smell of amniotic fluid on the breasts can help with BFing and bonding. I waited 2 or 3 days I think :wacko:


----------



## 17thy

idk about a hospital birth and doing it, but for my home birth we left the vernix to sink in until 5 days. Its loaded with vitamin k, it makes their skin SO soft. Idk about if there is meconium in the waters though.


----------



## NaturalMomma

You want to let the vernix rub into the baby's skin. Not taking a bath will help keep the womb smell on baby and it helps baby transition from womb to world, it can also help in breastfeeding. I didn't bathe either of my boys until 2 weeks of age.


----------



## PepsiChic

Never heard of this before yet it makes so much sense!

I may also request that the nurses dont bathe the baby for the first 24 hours, but I will probably shower after our first breastfeed because I like to get up and be active and I dont personally like the feelign for being dirty and covered in blood. 

the hospitals have certain rules where you have to be able to do a certain amount of things such as get out of bed 3 times aided and unaided, get pass urine and feces, and shower unaided, the sooner I get those done the sooner I get to take baby home. With Barry we were home within 36 hours of me entering the hospital.


----------



## Irish Eyes

We had meconium here (not huge amounts admittedly!) and didn't do any washing of him for the first 2 days, I left hospital about 4/5 hours after having him. He didn't have his first proper bath for about 2 weeks, just wiped him a bit.

We dressed him at the hospital and the 2 doctors that checked him over were wearing gloves anyway.


----------



## Monalissa

Interesting thread!! Is it possible to (gently) wash the other goop off while leaving most of the vernix on? I don't know my hospital's policy on baths.


----------



## lovealittle1

Just remember that you do not have to consent to anything in hospital. Your baby your choice and saying the sentence "I do not consent" is usually all it takes. It's none of their business why you choose not to do certain things. Another reason not mentioned here is that hospitals generally use horrible chemically soap. Brand new babies certainly do not need soap and especially not the cheap stuff.


----------



## Lulu

Am I right in assuming that nurses bathing babies is mainly a US thing? When I had my son (3.5yrs ago) it was up to the mothers to clean their babies. We ended up staying in hospital for 7 days and all I did was give him a 'top & tail' around his face and bottom with clean water and cotton wool - no soap at all. In fact I think he was nearly 2 weeks old when I eventually had the courage to give him a bath!

The only encouraging the nurses did to give babies a bath was to see that mums, especially teen mums, knew how to give a bath.

Hope you get what you want :hugs:


----------



## PepsiChic

Lulu said:


> Am I right in assuming that nurses bathing babies is mainly a US thing? When I had my son (3.5yrs ago) it was up to the mothers to clean their babies. We ended up staying in hospital for 7 days and all I did was give him a 'top & tail' around his face and bottom with clean water and cotton wool - no soap at all. In fact I think he was nearly 2 weeks old when I eventually had the courage to give him a bath!
> 
> The only encouraging the nurses did to give babies a bath was to see that mums, especially teen mums, knew how to give a bath.
> 
> Hope you get what you want :hugs:

Im guessing it is an American thing. Thoguth when I think back to it now, they just gave Barry a quick wipe over with a sponge and a little warm water, no soaps. Mostly to get the blood off I think so that I could take him and feed him.


----------



## Lisasmith

Yep, I think it's an American thing


----------



## elohcin

Yes, very much an American thing (as are most unnecessary birth practices...*sigh*). Baby is usually wiped down immediately after birth, then "bathed" (which oftentimes means washed up under running water) a while later, or the next day (depending on the hospital stay).


----------



## gryphongrl

elohcin said:


> Yes, very much an American thing (as are most unnecessary birth practices...*sigh*). Baby is usually wiped down immediately after birth, then "bathed" (which oftentimes means washed up under running water) a while later, or the next day (depending on the hospital stay).

Colorado is now over 1% homebirth, which is a lot for the US (country average .59%)... I hope that at some point, the hospitals sit up and take notice, as they lose more and more of their most lucrative business (maternity) due to their practices. Maybe that will take 3%? 5%? But I think it's coming.


----------



## angel2010

gryphongrl said:


> elohcin said:
> 
> 
> Yes, very much an American thing (as are most unnecessary birth practices...*sigh*). Baby is usually wiped down immediately after birth, then "bathed" (which oftentimes means washed up under running water) a while later, or the next day (depending on the hospital stay).
> 
> Colorado is now over 1% homebirth, which is a lot for the US (country average .59%)... I hope that at some point, the hospitals sit up and take notice, as they lose more and more of their most lucrative business (maternity) due to their practices. Maybe that will take 3%? 5%? But I think it's coming.Click to expand...

I think we can see changes in the way women are thinking about birth all across the U.S. The changes have been very small and I think it will take a long time for the real changes that need to happen take place (insurance covering more and vbac trials common practice and less induction). We are on the right path though.


----------



## missmiylove

Woww I never knew anything about this stuff!
I guess that's one more thing ill be arguing with the nurses about.
I want a homebirth bt I'm worried bc it's my first baby..I have gbs & idk idk..I'm jst confused lol


----------



## Lozdi

Its a good idea to have a bath not long after giving birth, BUT, in my opinion, you only really need to sit in a couple of inches of water to give your bits a bath, theres no need to use soap or have a full body wash that removes the natural scents your baby is attracted to. After my last birth, a home birth, I had a small bath a few hours after with a bit of tea tree and lavender in it, baby didn't come into the bath with me until he was a few days old and I had stopped using the lavender. He loved it! It does my head in to hear of u.s practices of washing the baby straight away etc, I'm in the uk and my midwives pretty much just followed my lead. They were fantastic! I thought they would be more in my face it being a home birth but they were so relaxed and happy it was wonderful- I would do it again!

missmiylove, I don't think you would be 'allowed' a homebirth with gbs, don't they need to give you iv antibiotics for it?


----------



## gryphongrl

Lozdi said:


> missmiylove, I don't think you would be 'allowed' a homebirth with gbs, don't they need to give you iv antibiotics for it?

Actually a lot of homebirthers don't even get tested for GBS. Even if they do, 14-15 weeks is too early to determine if you'd still be a carrier near the end of pregnancy. Finally, the antibiotics are optional, and there are lots of ways to improve your immunity (Vit C, garlic, etc) near the end of pregnancy to try to flush it out of your system. ... 

But there are lots of threads on third trimester about the treating of this so I won't belabor the point :)


----------



## Lozdi

Ahh thats good! I figured that if you had it, they would use it as an excuse to refuse a homebirth. :wacko:


----------

