Skin to skin after birth

[SpringCrane]

My OB just gave me a birthing plan form to fill out, and one of the sections is about my skin to skin preferences for immediately after birth. I'm familiar with the advantages, and it is definitely something I hope I am able to do; however, one of the options to choose between was to have the baby immediately given to me or to have him "lightly toweled off" and then handed to me. Is there any great disadvantage to having him just a wee bit cleaned up before he's placed on my chest? I'm not really squeamish around blood, but it just kind of sounds... messy to have him put directly on me after pushing him out. Separate from this choice is the choice to not have anyone take him away or fiddle with him for the first hour, so I'm not worried about them "toweling" him off for ages while they actually do other things before giving him to me.

And, of course, this is all assuming all is well. If there is a medical reason for them to take him and care for him some way to make sure he's healthy, I will be happy to let them do their job and keep my baby healthy!

I'm in the US, btw, if there are different practices in different places

 

[Lulu1982]

I guess it's just preference. After I had my daughter she was given to me immediately and she latched to feed while her cord was still attached and we waited for the placenta. I can't imagine it hang been any other way and I think that even for the midwives to have taken her for a minute to towel her off would have felt strange for me. She had just come into the world and there was no way anyone other than me was going to be the first the hold or touch her! (Obviously allowing for medical emergencies)

 

[amjon]

I had them put my daughter directly on me and they kind of wiped her off while she was there.

 

[special_kala]

We wont be cleaning baby at all. There is so much goodness on their skin i wouldnt consider that being rubbed off

 

[fionar]

My son was put right on to me, goo and all, after he was born and it was lovely, I didn't even notice the mess. We'll be doing the same again.

And yeah, what special_kala said - we won't be CLEANING baby, either. Dabbing some of the especially gooey spots, but no bath for some time after birth - there's no need for it, that's good stuff on there!

 

[vic161209]

even with true skin to skin they will towel rub to dry your baby right away(so they dont get cold) but this is done while baby is on your tummy, i.e second your baby is out the midwife will lift baby to your tummy then put towel over the top n rub them dry/clean, then swap to a clean blanket/towel to put over u and baby to keep babys back warm. dont worry about mess babies r mostly wet rather than bloody n u can easily wash your tummy after your skin to skin time

 

[phoebemum]

When I had my daughter, I asked for her to be cleaned off first.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it and it's entirely everyone's preference. She was towelled dry and put in a little outfit while I delivered placenta. I preferred it that way so whatever you feel just go with. xx

 

[chulie]

Ya I'm in Canada and my baby was basically cleaned on me...they lifted her up after they cut the cord, put her on the weight thing right beside me...put this gooey stuff on her eyes that all babies get to prevent some sort of eye infection(my dr said basically it takes too long to find out if a baby has this eye issue and by the time they do, it could cause the baby blindness, so since the goo isn't bad, it's done a precaution for ALL babies) so that was put on and then she was put right on me....still kinda gooey but she was pretty clean when she was born..they more rubbed her to help with the mucous...she had MAJOR mucous problems...even with a vaginally delivery. So ya...then she laid there for a very long time and wiggled herself down to my boob and started nursing on her own.....I was SO beyond amazed this happened I vowed nothing would stop me from nursing if that's what my 10 minute old could do!!!! hahaahaha....and I wasn't that "pro nursing" until that moment....

 

[special_kala]

Babies in the UK dont get eye drops, as far as im aware its incase baby is exposed to STIs during delivery which we are tested for in pregnancy

 

[Tami]

Are you expected to breast feed during skin to skin? If this is the case how does it work for formula feeders?

 

[chulie]

Babies in the UK dont get eye drops, as far as im aware its incase baby is exposed to STIs during delivery which we are tested for in pregnancy

So are we in Canada??? we're tested for STI's as well.......it's not really eye drops...it looks like vaseline over the babies eyes....I guess it's a canadian thing? hahahhaa....I'll have to google and see what this is?

 

[flubdub]

All my LO's have practically been thrown at me straight after birth. Tbh you really don't care if they're clean or not. There's no reason the baby can't lie on your chest while somebody gives him/her a light rub down anyway

 

[overcomer79]

It was so different. My son was bathed immediately. My daughter was put on me and towelled off. They didn't bathe her until she was over a day old.

 

[Pink Flowers]

I will be asking for baby to be cleaned before.

Oliver was kind of just dumped on me and it was horrid, he was blue and floppy. They had to take him off to suction his mouth and throat and I would rather they did that and cleaned baby if it came to it again this time. x

 

[chulie]

Babies in the UK dont get eye drops, as far as im aware its incase baby is exposed to STIs during delivery which we are tested for in pregnancy

So are we in Canada??? we're tested for STI's as well.......it's not really eye drops...it looks like vaseline over the babies eyes....I guess it's a canadian thing? hahahhaa....I'll have to google and see what this is?

So I googled....they always say every day is a learning day...hahaha...so now I know what that goop is...contrary to what people believe the goop is not just in case you have an STI(because like I said...we're also tested and I know I have no STI's of any kind!)...it's for any infection of any kind that may happen. Some women may test negative for strep B but actually have it ect ect....so the safety of the "goop" outweighs the risk because it can cause blindness.....hmmm...who knew??? hahhahaa...In certain states and some places it's actually the law in hospitals...but I'm sure that's different if you have a homebirth or something....not sure if it's actually "law" in Canada??

Apparently it used to be something called silver nitrate but that is no longer used. It apparently also is to help open up the tear ducts...which is a laugh because my daughter had to have surgery at 1 because her ducts never opened....maybe next baby I'll ask for a double helping...I never want to go through that again!!! hahahaa....oh and it can be delayed up to 1 hour after birth..IF people want it and don't want it to interfere with the intial bonding...

 

[CupcakeBaby]

I don't want any cleaning at all. I want her on my chest the second she's out and it's in my plan for her to stay there for an hour at least until she's had a feed and I'm happy for her to be moved. Then she can be weighed and DH can dress her etc while I have a bath.

We won't be bathing her for 6 weeks but of course any goo will be dabbed off before she's dressed.

 

[cantwaitforu]

I would have loved immediate contact. But I had a CS due to baby being breech. Because of this, they immediately gave him to the pediatrician who was present during the procedure, weighed him, checked his hips (as they need to do with breech babies) and the regular tests. Then, they gave him to DH for skin on skin while I was being stitched up.

This is what upset me about having the planned CS.

BUT....

Once I got him, I got to have skin on skin contact for the next 24 hours until I finally started letting people hold him. We successfully breastfed for 12 months, he was such a good baby - never cried, always seemed content, ate well, pooped great, got rid of gas and slept very well.

Now, he is 16 months old and is very loving, affectionate and outspoken LOL.

If something doesn't go as planned, don't worry. You have a lifetime together and there is so much more to nurturing than this.

 

[lilliesmummie]

With my first, she was placed straight onto me, and I was shocked because she was covered in vernix or whatever its called lol! I didnt wipe it off either.. After a snuggle, she was wrapped up in a towel where I breast fed her and cuddle for about an hour. I then went in the shower whilst OH or my mum ( I really can't remember ) Got her dressed and wrapped up.. All i know is, once i got out the shower, she was fully dressed, hat, baby gro, the lot lol. I loved feeling her bare skin on mine and still do to this day and shes 20months. (If we bath or shower together, Ill pick her up and we will share one towel) I think it's lovely and very natural. Definitely will be doing it with DD2, if all goes well, which im sure it will! xxxx

 

[Athena]

We wont be cleaning baby at all. There is so much goodness on their skin i wouldnt consider that being rubbed off

If I have a water birth will baby lose protective coating/vernix? I'd rather baby wasn't cleaned either but just wondered if the water washes it off? Don't know if you know or not

 

[rowleypolie]

We didn't get an option as there was merc in the waters with both kids, and they pediatric doc gets baby first to clean out as much as they can from getting into the lungs. After about 5-10 minutes of them checking her and cleaning her, we got skin on skin time for about an hour. I am squimish too so there's no way we would do it before a slight toweling off. I did have them wait for all the jabs and other checks though