# washing baby after its born



## MermaidMom

one thing i DO NOT WANT is for some nurse to whisk my baby away first thing to scrub her down harshly. so whats the protocol natural mommies? i dont want baby getting an eye infection or anything so what can i do to make sure she's healthy and with me right after birth? can she just be gently wiped down by hubby until we decide its bath time? what about the eyes?


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## Nikki_d72

I'm not sure they need to be washed at all, my DD didn't get a bath for the first couple of days and the nurses weren't too concerned at all. I think she got a wipe but was pretty vernixy for a couple of days. The more washing and wiping is done, the more likely to infect the baby, IMHO, especially in a hospital setting, where there are many bacteria that will be alien to the baby. 

Breastmilk is really good for getting rid of eye infections, I used it loads of times successfully at the first sign of any goopyness or redness when the wee one was little, and it doesn't sting the way the antibiotic drops do, and is at body temp already.


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## Bournefree

Don't let go of your baby! You dont have to and you should have to. They need your permission to take your baby from you. There is no routine need for baby to leave you.
Even if baby is not doig well on apar obs - still no need to take baby from you - any treatments can be done in your arms (clearing babies airways, giving oxygen, rubbing to stimulate..) baby will be safer and more relaxed with you.
Don't cut the cord before it has stoped plusing and breathing is fully establised, and if there are an Apar probs, and any treatemtn can be done with baby still attached - better as they are recieving 2 sources of oxygenation.

They have no need for a wash - there skin is so delicate! and Vernex is there is protect it! It will come away went ready to, days after sometimes.

It is your baby, you have taken responsiblity from the momnet they were concevied, why give that up the moment you have just met them eye to eye and hand over to a stranger for no good reason?
Xxx


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## MermaidMom

Nikki_d72 said:


> I'm not sure they need to be washed at all, my DD didn't get a bath for the first couple of days and the nurses weren't too concerned at all. I think she got a wipe but was pretty vernixy for a couple of days. The more washing and wiping is done, the more likely to infect the baby, IMHO, especially in a hospital setting, where there are many bacteria that will be alien to the baby.
> 
> Breastmilk is really good for getting rid of eye infections, I used it loads of times successfully at the first sign of any goopyness or redness when the wee one was little, and it doesn't sting the way the antibiotic drops do, and is at body temp already.

i had a friend who did breastmilk only and her baby's eyes were infected for 3 weeks :/ maybe bring along the colloidal silver?


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## chuck

DS 1 was born by EMCS but they didnt really clean him he was taken and checked of course and shown to me then I sent him out to Daddy in the recovery room he wasnt cleaned until we got to the BC a day or 2 later.

With Stanley he was delivered onto my tummy and not touched for nearly an hour but was never cleaned.

Eyes - with both nothing has been put in them.

Stanley has had a gunky eye a few times now and while I had BM I used that but he did have his eyes fussed with at the hospital eye clinic (checking for congenital defects as I have an eye condition) and lo and behold 2 days later he was gunky so I blame that for his gunky eye.


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## Kess

Isn't vernix mildly antibacterial? Dinky won't be being bathed straight away, he's being put straight on my tummy with a warm towel/sheet over his back for skin to skin, and eventually might be wiped down gently. If he got really mucky somehow I'd let MW wash him, but he's not going more than arm's length from me or his Daddy (probably for days lol).


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## hayley x

My 2 werent bathed for a week. Nothing was suggested in hospital :) x


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## MermaidMom

im worried about the hospital trying to force something on me... but just so we're clear... they legally HAVE to respect my wishes regarding everything abut my child right? im not even sure that i want a doctor 'catching' the baby. honestly i want it to be like a homebirth within a hospital, with the doctors just on standby in case baby needed emergency surgery or something.


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## summer rain

They don't use eye drops on newborns in most countries; including here. None of mine have ever had an eye infection xx


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## tristansmum

is it aa USA thing? in uk they will deliver baby straight onto you if you want and no one says anything about washing baby immediately unless you wanted it. I had EMCS but he wasn't washed. when we got to recovery and i finally got a decent look he was still covered in blood and vernex (sp). I gave him a little top and tail wash the next day but that was my choice. nothing was put in his eyes.

they need your consent to anything so if you don't want it then stand firm!


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## 24/7

Nobody mentioned bathing our little boy, and we were told to leave it as long as possible. 

He had a problem with his breathing when he was born and was taken only for a couple of minutes to a little trolley right next to me. xx


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## MermaidMom

wow america really sucks sometimes. as soon as baby is born they take it away to measure and get weight and scrub it down. i saw pictures of my niece right after birth and i was horrified by what they called standard procedure. they looked like they were being so harsh with her.


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## Nikki_d72

If the baby isn't breathing or not very well immediately after birth, a good rub with a towel can sometimes stimulate them to breathe - might this have been what you saw with your neice?


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## Kess

There was a video of standard birth in the US linked to from one of the blogs that someone on here put a link up to (sorry can't remember any more specific than that) and it looked awful. IIRC, the birth itself was as expected: flat on her back, automatic episiotomy, baby dragged out by the head roughly after clearing his airways with a suction bulb thing. But then they stuck baby over on a table, suctioned his airways again (he was already crying, so could obviously breathe), rubbed him down really roughly, etc, it was just all done so... ungently.


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## MermaidMom

no she was breathing fine... it was when they were scrubbing her during her first bath. her skin looked raw and i dont even think she had gotten to breatfeed yet.


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## SmokyJoe78

Kess said:


> There was a video of standard birth in the US linked to from one of the blogs that someone on here put a link up to (sorry can't remember any more specific than that) and it looked awful. IIRC, the birth itself was as expected: flat on her back, automatic episiotomy, baby dragged out by the head roughly after clearing his airways with a suction bulb thing. But then they stuck baby over on a table, suctioned his airways again (he was already crying, so could obviously breathe), rubbed him down really roughly, etc, it was just all done so... ungently.

That sounds awful Kess :growlmad: It really scares me that things like this still go on and that's in the USA :wacko:


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## NaturalMomma

I didn't wash either of my babies after they were born. ds1 was born in the hospital and had his hair washed a little since he had poo in it. But that was it. Didn't get a bath until 2 weeks later. And ds2 was born at home and didn't get a bath (not even hair) until around 2 weeks old when I took the first bath with him.


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## Kess

Just been talking to my Mom and she ways when I was born she really wanted to leave me be, she knew the vernix is good for the skin and antibacterial and told them not to bath me. They over-rode her wishes with, "You don't want a dirty baby, now, do you? You want a nice clean baby," and took me to be washed anyway. Grrrr.


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## MermaidMom

Kess said:


> Just been talking to my Mom and she ways when I was born she really wanted to leave me be, she knew the vernix is good for the skin and antibacterial and told them not to bath me. They over-rode her wishes with, "You don't want a dirty baby, now, do you? You want a nice clean baby," and took me to be washed anyway. Grrrr.

thats frustrating >.< and exactly what i dont want to happen. i think we will just be very firm and clear on our decision.


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## sam#3

i like to leave mine as long as poss before i bath them because i like it when they smell like my insides... and i get really emotional giving them the first wash.

make sure you speak your mind in the hospital... it is YOUR baby so YOU decide x


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## Nikki_d72

That sounds awful right enough! Put it in your birth plan? How ridiculous, to clean away the baby's natural defenses in a hospital environment, full of alien bacteria and sick people, doesn't make any sense at all! You tell em, girl!


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## lozzy21

Niamh was spot cleaned when she was a few hours old as she was coverd in meconium but they only cleaned where the poo was, she wasent bathed for a week.


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## Kess

MermaidMom said:


> Kess said:
> 
> 
> Just been talking to my Mom and she ways when I was born she really wanted to leave me be, she knew the vernix is good for the skin and antibacterial and told them not to bath me. They over-rode her wishes with, "You don't want a dirty baby, now, do you? You want a nice clean baby," and took me to be washed anyway. Grrrr.
> 
> thats frustrating >.< and exactly what i dont want to happen. i think we will just be very firm and clear on our decision.Click to expand...

And perhaps keep a physical hold of your baby. Tbh my Mom is too nice a person, she won't get stroppy enough with anyone who's bulldozing her wishes even when she should. I think in those circumstances maybe Momma Bear needs to come out.


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## chichestermum

i didnt bathe my DD until about a week and a half when her body had absorbed al the vernix, its their own antibacterial moisturising layer of safeness, no need for it to get scrubbed off! I did wipe her face with cotton wool that had been dipped in cooed boiled water, i only used this for her botty too. i used to squirt a bit of breastmilk on her eyes daily, usually at the end of the day to prevent any infections. Her first bath was just warm tap water and i didnt introduce any soap until 3 months. if she had any scratches from her nails id express some breast milk onto a cotton bud and wipe it over and let it dry as a bit of a barrier and it seemed to help them heal faster.

im going to be doing the exact same thing with DD2.

Just stand your ground with the staff and they will realise you are not a woman to be messed with :) they can't make you do anything you don't want to do and if they try then you can have a go at them, complain, scream and shout your head of until they get flung out! OTT? i dont think so, its your baby and even tho he/she will only be a few mins old you are still the parent and so make all the parenting choices! xxx


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## Greta Chick

What you described your neice went through is awful! :nope:

None of my babies were bathed or even properly wiped down when they were born. DS was born on dry land and was passed straight onto me where I cuddled him and breastfed him for about half an hour then he was just wrapped in a blanket (not wiped or anything) and given to hubby for cuddles while I had lots of stitches. DD1 was born in the birthing pool striaight onto my chest so was naturally cleaned by the water. I cuddled and breastfed her for about an hour before she was wrapped and given to hubby for cuddles while I delivered the placenta - she was also not wiped at all. DD2 was born on dry land in my living room at home and was again not wiped at all. I brought her up to my chest and cuddled and breastfed her for about 30 minutes sat on the floor, then she had skin to skin with hubby while I had a small tear stitched up. At no point were my children ever wiped down or scrubbed, I wouldn't have allowed it.

DS was bathed in the hospital, DD1 wasn't bathed until about a week old and DD2 wasn't properly bathed until she was 5 weeks old. She had vernix still on her and I wanted to make sure that had properly soaked into her skin so we just topped and tailed her with cotton wool until then.

I also loved the smell that they all had when they were first born and when they were bathed, they only had plain water until quite a few months old. They don't need anything else.

I am very defiant with what I want to happen for my labours/deliveries so if they try and do something not what I want then I will tell them straight.

xx


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## Saljae

My boys were bathed in the hospital by a nurse on the second day (I think). The first time I was grateful because I was a first time mom and was scared of doing everything wrong. The second time I was kind of annoyed because I felt like they were treating me as though I'm incompetent to bathe my own son and the nurse just seemed very rushed and uncaring. But that was kind of the theme for my second time in the hospital. I was SO wanting to be out of there and away from the nurses who treated me like I didn't already have a child and hadn't been through this before.


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## lynnikins

neither of my boys were cleaned at all i requested warm water and cotton wool to clean Ds1's hair as it needed it and was messing with the ventouse brusing and to wipe his little cheeks etc.. and just to wipe ds2's face clean but stayed away from his eyes, they both only got cotton wool and water to clean them for the first week and had their first bath after a bout a week too


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## moodle

You can put "I do not consent to..." on your birth plan, I don't see what the issue is as there's no valid medical reasoning for washing a baby!:wacko:


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## Linzi

Yeah seth didn't have a bath til after his cord dropped off (I topped & tailed him obvs but tbh I was too scared to put him in the bath on my own :() I think he was just rubbed with a towel. I would like to do the same this time although I would like to do it rather than a midwife.

Also with eyes, I think it's fairly common for babies to have gunky eyes after they're born, Seth had blocked tear ducts from birth & had them corrected at 3 yrs (although the majority clear up on their own by 1 yr). Best practice for gunky eyes when they're babies is breastmilk & massaging with your little finger between the nose & eye to get the gunk out. If there is no gunk there's not really any need to do anything.

xxx


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