U.S mothers, do they really take your baby away to a nursery?

[minties]

I've been watching a lot of youtube videos about birth etc, and come across lots of U.S ones. They always take the baby away from the mother into a nursery, where baby is given a soapy bath, cries lots and then is left naked with a gold heart shaped thing that monitors babies temp. It seems awefull! My baby never once left my side in hospital, and I had a c-section. I know it doesn't really sound that bad but I can't imagine having my baby, then it gets taken away. I'd be devasted, hysterical even. One lady in a video they kept her baby away from her all night, only bringing it to her to nurse once every few hours.

Speaking of c-section, I have seen/heard a lot of stories where baby isn't allowed with the mother into recovery...which can be 2 hours! Why on earth not? How does baby get their first breastfeed etc?

 

[campn]

The baby is usually in the same room with the mom, they don't take him/her away to another room unless there is a problem, also a lot of the babies are taken out and put right on the mother for skin to skin and breast-feeding so it's certainly not the usual thing. I don't know about the c-section though.

 

[momof2tobe]

You have an option where you want your baby to be. I had a csection and she was with me the whole time in the recovery room. But for the night I let them take her so i could rest. The nurses always brought her to me whenever she woke up so I could feed her. It was nice hospital and i knew she was in good hands.

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Hi Minties. I am not a mother, but I did my nursing clinicals on the labor/delivery unit. The babies were always kept in the same room as the mother. The only time they left was if they needed to go to the neonatal intensive care unit. As a nursing student, I always did the baby's first bath and change so I could assess the newborn, but afterwards, it was all up to the parents. We would give them everything- diapers, bottles, binkies, hats, and onesies.

After a C-section, all babies went to the NICU until the mother came out of the operating room. Then, on the way to the postpartum unit, we would pick up the baby and take him/her with the mother. Mind you, this was just one hospital, and I'm sure there are different policies depending on where you give birth.

I noticed, though, that unless the mother specifically asked for skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, the nurses would always take the baby immediately to the warmer to do the assessment. But, if the mothers wanted to hold the baby right away, all they had to do was ask, or have it in their birth plan. I did assessments on babies on their mother's tummies without any problem.

 

[minties]

That's reassuring, thanks everyone! I was feeling so sorry for the mums, thinking their babies had been run away with . Though the videos weren't old, and there were no parents in this nursery place - so I am guessing some hospitals do this? It seemed to be a standard practice.

My son didn't get a bath until he was about 2 weeks old, is there a particular reason for the soapy bath on the day of birth? I was under the impression that it was best to leave any vernix on as it was good for the skin.

In the operating room during/after my c-section, baby had his APGAR scores taken and checked over with his dad by his side, but only as there was meconium in my water. Then he was handed to me and I held him while being stitched, and passed him to my OH while we went to recovery. It's just on BnB I've heard a few women say that their baby was taken away until they'd finished in recovery.

 

[Fizzyfefe]

We gave infants baths to cleanse them of the mother's blood and bodily fluids left on their bodies after birth. It was for the safety of both the staff and infant. The vernix does not come off using soap. We would always use gloves on the infants until they had their first bath. Sometimes, the babies had meconium while still in the womb (their first bowel movement), or they could have an infection of some sort. It's standard precaution in hospitals to use gloves if you come in contact with any bodily fluids. It was also easier to assess the babies once you could touch them without gloves.

It seems weird to me now that babies were taken away and it was not an old-fashioned movie. Since mothers and fathers have become more proactive about the birthing process, most hospitals have changed to allow the infants to stay in the room. In the past, the men weren't even allowed in the room. Maybe those hospitals didn't have the proper equipment in the rooms?

All I can say is that the protocol for each hospital is different. And it's probably different between countries, too.

 

[lozzy21]

Niamh wasent bathed untill we got home from hospital a week later and that was with meconium, the nurse just got it off with some water and cotton wool.

 

[minties]

Very interesting. Thomas didn't need a bath and he was totally green with meconium when he came out. They just wiped him with a towel. He had a bit of blood in his hair but that just flaked and fell off.

The nursery thing was in a few "educational" videos about what to expect after your baby was born. It wasn't a room full of other babies, it was a small room with a large plastic bed thing for baby, a heatlamp and some nurses bustling around. The babies had 30 minutes to be able to maintain a certain temp while naked, then could be given to the mother.

It did seem old-fashioned, perhaps they were older videos, but still from the 2000's.

I like learning about all the differences around the world.

 

[LoraLoo]

Didnt bath any of mine, tbh id HATE for anyone other than me to give my baby its first bath. I dont understand why they do it in America x

 

[Srrme]

They normally take the baby to nursery if you allow them to, or tell them to so you can rest. It's not required.

 

[zombiedaisy]

I know the hospital I had my son and daughter at had a nursery, and if you requested for them to take them so you could rest, they would, but I never did. The nurses also gave the first bath usually after the baby was cleared and stable (within a few hours of birth) to get any stuff off, and dad usually gets to help. I actually liked this because when DH and I's daughter was born, he was clueless, so having the nurse teach him how to give her a bath was awesome... Plus it was pretty cute seeing him there all nervous and having someone to look over him with such experience. The nurses also help with breastfeeding as much as they can and helping the baby latch on as well as any help you may need with diaper changes. I dont think i'll be needing any help with that, but usually dads are given that opportunity because mom is still recovering or pretty sore. I always liked that time because it gave DH time to bond with the baby without me hovering right over top of him saying he was doing it wrong LOL

 

[lozzy21]

They dont even have nerserys in the UK, if you want to rest your baby gets taken to the nurses station.

 

[gretavon]

Its the parents choice to have the baby room in or not. They wipe the baby down and then you have skin to skin contact and breastfeed. Later they give them a bath. They dont rip them out of the mother and run off with them throw them in water and leave them wet and shivering on a towel. Get real. Its america our hospitals are like hotels and we're not a bunch of baby abusing aholes who dont cherish this experiance just as much as you because we do things a little differant.

 

[booflebump]

Its the parents choice to have the baby room in or not. They wipe the baby down and then you have skin to skin contact and breastfeed. Later they give them a bath. They dont rip them out of the mother and run off with them throw them in water and leave them wet and shivering on a towel. Get real. Its america our hospitals are like hotels and we're not a bunch of baby abusing aholes who dont cherish this experiance just as much as you because we do things a little differant.

It's perfectly normal to ask about practices in other countries - it doesn't make a person stupid or ignorant. Even if you deem it a 'stupid' question - replying in such a rude tone is unnecessary and uncalled for. I'm sure you are more than capable of expressing yourself in a far more polite manner than you have here

 

[TatorMom]

Every hospital, and more so every doctor, is different. My OB with my first son, who's now 3.5, had me reach down and pull him out. I then placed him on my chest and they wiped him down. Then they took him to the warmer beside my bed, did his APGAR, wrapped him up, and handed him back to me. I held him while I was wheeled down to the post partum unit. The only time my son's were taken away after they were born was for their circumcisions and immunizations. The nurses gave our oldest his first bath in the room with me and my husband because I had a 4th degree episiotomy and was in a lot of pain as the epi was wearing off. I loved my babies the moment I saw them, but as a nurse myself, wanted them cleaned up. I delivered my youngest, now 2.5, in a different city and my OB there actually had my husband delivery our youngest. He told him to roll up his sleeves and "catch". It was the most amazing experience. My husband still talks about it all the time. We requested the same with this delivery. As soon as my husband delivered him he set him on my chest and he latched on and started feeding. I gave him his first bath. It's different everywhere I guess. I live in the midwest. As an L&D nurse here, our regular nursery has no babies in it and is just used for storage now. We're a large hospital too. The babies only come to the special care nursery if they're having problems, for circumcisions, or mom requests they be taken so they can get some rest.

 

[silver_penny]

Minties, I will give you my experience with the one hospital birth I had: I had a breech vaginal birth in which they refused to allow my DH in the room for the birth. He was allowed in afterwards, and I got to hold DS1 while they stitched me up. When I went into recovery, baby came with but it was their poicy to take the baby to the nursery to "monitor the baby" He was taken away for over an hour. However, DH was with him the entire time. I hated it and I didn't want him to be taken to the nursery, but he was anyhow. So yes, there are still hospitals in the US that have policies that the baby be taken away from the mother.This was 3 years ago. So not so distant in the past. If I hadn't expressly said that I did not want him to be bathed, he would have been bathed by the nurses in the nursery.

 

[shantehend]

I may be wrong here, but I believe the hospitals in the US have different practices from other countries because some people in the US are "sue" crazy. Doctors and hospitals are sued all the time for malpractice, so they set standards that will allow for the safety of the patient as well as their protection. Babies are often taken to a special area, whether it be the nurses station or the nursery, to be bathed by the nurses. If the delivery was normal and low risk, I am sure you could refuse to have your baby taken away. Personally, it's only and hour or so and I wouldn't mind my baby being taken for an hour to be assessed and cleaned. Of course that is after we have had time to bond. During that time, I would get myself cleaned up and make calls to family and friends.

 

[minties]

Its the parents choice to have the baby room in or not. They wipe the baby down and then you have skin to skin contact and breastfeed. Later they give them a bath. They dont rip them out of the mother and run off with them throw them in water and leave them wet and shivering on a towel. Get real. Its america our hospitals are like hotels and we're not a bunch of baby abusing aholes who dont cherish this experiance just as much as you because we do things a little differant.

That was extremely nasty, rude and hurtful. What part of me finding it interesting how things are done in other countries warrent such a horrible reply?

I never once thought it was abusive. A little odd perhaps, but more interesting than anything.

Sarcastic crap like this is just not called for.


Thanks very much for all the other replies everyone! Really cool to learn about this sort of thing. All your experiences are lovely to hear about.

 

[korndogger123]

My paper work says..
What will happen after my baby is delievered?
If there are no problems, your baby will stay in your room for the first 2 hours after birth.

What will happen to my baby in the nursery?
After the first 2 hours in your room, your baby will be taken to the nursery to be weighed measured, bathed and given a complete medical exam. Parents may go to the nursery as well, as long as it isn't during shift change.

I think that is if you give birth in the regular L&D ward. The natural birthing center part is different though, and you labor, give birth, and recover all in the same little suite. They will do all the stuff to the baby in that room too, except the hearing test I believe.

If you want them to take baby to the nursery, they will, or you can take baby at anytime yourself.

 

[messica]

When I had my kids I requested that they not leave the room without me. The staff was actually surprised. I was told I was in the minority, most mothers do send their babies off to the nursery so they can rest. I was horrified and couldn't imagine doing such a thing.

They also thought it odd that I questioned what I was later informed was their routine circumcision practice. I was told 90-95% of all boys born there had it done before they left. A doc came in every other day and the nurses collected all the boys, lined them up in the nursery and away he went doing them all. I had researched it on my own mid pregnancy and we had come to our own conclusions in regards to what we wanted for our son. They said almost none of the parents ever even questioned it. They almost seemed offended by our opposition. To boot we were younger parents and there were some passive aggressive remarks made in regards to if we actually had any idea how silly we were being. As if the concern was a complete overreaction.

I also coslept right off the bat instead of making my babies sleep in the hard plastic bins, which caused them all to have a bird

I'm glad we've since moved, if we are successful with getting pregnant with number three I'm glad we won't be at that same hospital to deliver.

A nurse did help my husband to bathe them when I requested it be done. I hemorrhaged with both and they were covered in blood, nothing that would just "flake off" after awhile. I didn't see anything wrong with that at all.