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?

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[MermaidMom]

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?

 

[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.

 

[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).

 

[hayley x]

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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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!

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[SmokyJoe78]

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 It really scares me that things like this still go on and that's in the USA

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[MermaidMom]

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.

 

[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