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 just sat in awe looking at the baby

I counted eyes. Was convinced that she had only one. She was fine.

Checking fingers and toes isn’t a jokey or superstition thing there are conditions in the womb that can cause severe deformities in the hands and feet that people have to live with

My partner says he did in the moments after our girl was born, while they were examining and weighing her. Not sure if he means it literally or whether he was just gazing at her perfection 😄

Yep because my partner was born with 6 fingers on each hand!

Never occurred to me. I assumed the midwives and paediatrician did this. I had c-sections and there were a lot of people in the room.

I didn’t but the midwives did.

Nope. The midwife mentioned it with one of them (just in a ‘and all 10 fingers and toes!’ way) And I remember saying ‘Oh I hadn’t even thought to check!’. With the other it didn’t even cross my mind. I’ve still never checked but think we would have noticed by now.

Dd was born without a hand.

Some variation of limb loss happens for about 60 babies a year in the UK (and no she isn't a thalidomide baby nor is it connected to pollution - 99% of them they don't know why, most of the rest are genetic/chromosome abnormalities. Yes, I'm sure you know someone who was missing a hand/leg/random other body part and I'm sure I'm delighted to be run down how they did everything <in a surprised tone of voice>. It really helps knowing that, you know.)

When I was pregnant with ds (my next baby) someone (who knew dd very well) asked me if I knew "what I was having". When I said no, they replied "as long as they have all their fingers and toes". There was not a flicker of thought that might be inappropriate.
But I didn't count his fingers and toes when he came out. I was too busy admiring my baby. I didn't count dd's, even though I knew from the scan. Once they were out those things weren't important at that moment.

Edited to say: People who are saying "checking that they're perfect" are actually being quite offensive.
Dd was and is still perfect.

I don't remember counting fingers and toes - all I remember is dd's alarming colour, navy and purple head to toe! I think she was whisked away pretty quickly to be 'pinked up'. Looking back I think it was a miracle she survived. When I Google blue babies none are even close to dd's vivid hue. Maybe time has warped my memory.

It didn’t even occur to me!

The midwives did. She had 12 fingers.

I didnt with 1st but dp noticed something was up when she had an extra toe on each foot. I remember mw was very focused on it not being a big deal and just said oh they will sort that out later. In the 3 dc afterwards we've always counted just to make sure

Sort of, but with DD1 I was more distracted by her unusually shaped head which looked slightly rugby ball shaped. I hadn't realised how much their soft heads can compress and then change later. With DD2 I was surprised at how different she was from DD1, all elongated and hairless. Whereas DD1 was so small and dark haired. At their full adult height now, DD1 is 5'4" with long, thick, dark hair, and DD2 is 5'10" with fair, curly hair.