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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[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

 

[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.