skin to skin contact post birth

[lainey1981]

hi ladies

I attended an NHS breastfeeding workshop yesterday which I found very reassuring and informative. The best thing I feel I came away with was understanding the importance of skin to skin contact for an hour after birth - i hadn't realised up til now how much that can help with bonding and BF etc.

My hospital (Kings) seems very to have a very baby friendly approach post birth and encourage this bonding time before baby is weighed etc

I have a question (probably sounds pathetic though) can I ask for skin to skin but for the baby to be wiped a little before being placed on me? or will the wiping impact on this?

sorry I feel a little thick, but feel I would be more comfortable if the baby wasn't covered in blood etc

lol - you are right I probably won't care - but will put in my birth plan or tell midwife that I want this skin to skin straight away. From what I understood yesterday, It's standard procedure at my hospital - although I assume they ask you.

I have to support the last poster. You won't care.

It was the most amazing thing ever to hold her. It's only when I see the photos of her on my chest that I notice there was any blood, etc. I don't remember if they wiped her or not or what happened in what order. BTW I was also sweaty as hell and wearing a stained hospital gown after the labour, so not exactly presentable either.

Good luck with the birth.

Some research has shown it is better not to wipe the baby. The smell of the amniotic fluid on the baby helps with bonding and the fluid helps the baby find the breast and the nipple.
Babies, especuially those that have an unmedicated birth have rsponses that encourae the 'breast crawl' and self attachment to the nipple.
Unless there is a good reason to move the baby, it should be birthed straight onto the mothers abdomen and not cleaned, wiped, wrapped or seperated from the Mother for at least the first hour and until after the first breastfeed. (This includes waiting to weigh the baby!)
More info here
www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/article.asp/PK_articleID/43/breastcrawl.htm
Selina

Don't assume it will be routine! I did, and the midwife tried to whisk DS away to clean him up and dress him - DP and I both went "nooooo!"

Be insistant that you want skin to skin and you want to initiate feeding as soon as possible.

Ach, lainey, they can wipe the baby a little for you but you probably won't care. And even if they do wipe him/her, the baby might decide to wee all over you, as DD3 did within seconds of emerging

thanks for all your replies - I knew i was being silly about wanting him to be wiped- it's not important!

selina thanks your advice about the hour of skin to skin backs up what midwife said in bf class, she didn't mention the wiping, but it makes sense that this is part of bonding etc

born you are right, even though have been told it's standard I will make sure it is in my birth plan (when I get round to writing it - am 38+4 so need to get on with it!) and make sure we tell midwife too.

poledra lol, a lovely bonding moment

Selina that's interesting.

The immediate smell of ds2, unwiped, was lush and I think it helped me to bond. Maybe - I couldn't help just sniffing him.

Oh, I didn't want him washed. If I could bottle that smell...

I didn't know about the smell of amniotic fluid - really interesting, Selina.

When DD was born and handed to me, I remember thinking that she smelled like the meat soups my Nan used to make... I guess amniotic fluid is a bit like a hot, biological soup! Weird but made me smile at the time.

:) Kind of a funny story, when I was having my first, his head started to crown and the midwife asked if I wanted to touch his head so I obligingly put my hand down there to have a feel and said "Ew" and looked at my wet fingers! My DH teased me about that! But funny enough once he was out they put him on my chest and I couldn't care less that he was all slimy! I agree that it is important for baby to be on you straight away to help with bonding, but also really important because it regulates baby's temperature naturally and means they are less likely to need artificial warming. (I've also been told, when you have a shower after the birth, don't wash your nipples with soap! Those little gross bits of crusty colostrum you have probably been leaking little bits of help baby find your nipples by the smell, washing your nipples clean makes it harder to encourage baby to find the food for himself...)