To ask if you counted fingers and toes when your baby was born?

[ThatRedBeaker]

I’ve always heard people say they check their baby’s fingers and toes right away and I wonder if that’s really something most parents do in the moment? Is it instinct? Tradition? Sentimentality? Or were you too overwhelmed or emotional to even think of it?

Curious what others did and whether it actually mattered to you in that moment.

No and 12 hours later while I was feeding her I realised she had two fingers fused together. No one noticed!

Don't think I counted them but then again I think it's always quite obvious when you look that there's an extra or one missing!

I did, but the 2nd and 3rd toes are all fused on both feet in their dad's family.

I sort of assumed the midwife would do that when they do their other checks. Not sure I ever bothered. Might just do a quick check now... 😬

I didn’t count them as such, but I did realise straightaway that DD had a huge birthmark (a bit like a port-au-wine (?) stain) across a couple of her toes.

I didn’t need to, the midwife did it both times as soon as they were born. Different hospitals, born ten years apart. Just thought it was something they did routinely!

Not straight away, no!

I probably registered it subconsciously while marvelling at their perfection in subsequent days.

I didn’t check any of mine. I suppose I thought it was something the midwives did

The midwives did. (July this year!)

No! I was just happy that they arrived safely, were breathing, feeding etc. fingers were the least of my worries!

No I never did.

I didn’t but remember the midwives doing it, counting to ten out loud each time!

I think it's an expression, you don't actually count fingers and toes but sort of inspect your baby from head to toe and marvel at them being so perfectly formed. I always thought it meant that anyway.

Well, this is embarrassing... 😂😂

I gave both of mine a good inspection, it was just instinctive. Its a funny thing maternal instinct, I could see they were red squashed ugly little buggers, but also simultaneously the most beautiful babies to grace the Earth.

Pretty sure the nurses/doctors did. At least for my first I'm sure they did.

I was lying in my bed on the post natal ward when I heard the midwife ask the woman in the bed next to me if she was aware of her baby's extra toes and fingers and whether there was any family history. I checked after that... 😳

I didn't but someone did at the hospital and pointed out joined toes and explained we we could choose surgery to have them split. We didn't and DC likes their special toes.

There is something called a Newborn Check that midwives do on all babies. I’d be a bit worried if one missed fused fingers!

I was surprised they missed my daughters! A full check was done when I buzzed at 3am to say “errr, my baby’s fingers seem to be stuck together”!

No, assumed that’s what the midwives are there for! I was told before my births, ‘the midwife is there for the baby and the anaesthetist is there for you’ so felt both in safe hands!

No, but tbf they sort of waved him at me and ran off with him. Then I didn't see him undressed for a couple of days till he was under lights and the whole thing meant I didn't have that newborn 'gazing admiringly' bit

Most people can perceive 4-5 things without counting. I.e. fingers on a hand. So counting isn’t required.

4 babies and I never did this haha

Yes and I was so sleep deprived I thought that he had 6 fingers and was convinced…. Spoiler: he doesn’t.