Skin to skin after ELCS

[scaryfairy28]

Been booked today for a ELCS following failed ECV. Hospital say no to skin to skin until back in observation can I argue it? Its really important to me.

The first link is subscription only, so can't read it, the second refers to "the first hour of life", which sounds reasonable, but certainly is not "immediate" or an indication that weighing, measuring, checking the child over will have a negative impact.

OP I haven't read all the posts (sorry) but just a few points. I had a reaction to the epidural after my emcs so it wasn't safe for me to have skin-to-skin with DD (I'd have dropped her ) IME it's rare that mws rush to weigh and measure babies immediately - it's always been done 1hr+ after delivery.

My lack of skin-to-skin was just one of many factors that I believe led to our failure to bf (I would stress this was not the only factor involved) and I was very upset about it (and still am a bit) but it did not affect my bonding with DD in anyway.

i've skimmed through, so apologies if this has already been said, i don't think it has.

i was helped hugely in by request to get immediate skin to skin with dc3 by the infant feeding coordinator at the hospital... i got in touch with her a few weeks prior to the birth and told her how important it was to me to get it having not had it with ds1 and ds2.

she told me exactly what i needed to do, which was to speak to the anaesthetist before i went into theatre (they have to attach the electrodey things to your back instead of your front, and put your gown on so that you have a shoulder exposed) and the attending m/w to arrange. basically i had to keep telling everybody over and over again that i wanted skin to skin and that the baby wasn't to be weighed until i said so.

as it turned out, the feeding coordinator actually turned up on the day and came to theatre with me, and also kept telling them all over and over again what i wanted.

they wrapped dd in a towel and put her on my chest while i was stitched. it was amazing, after my previous experiences, and well worth fighting for.

so, after all that waffle, i would suggest finding out if there's an infant feeding coordinator at the hospital and seeing if you can enlist her aid.

Of course immediate skin to skin isn't the be-all and end-all, and obviously the OP is not going to do anything that jeopardises her baby's health. But she has stated it's important to her, which should be enough reason to make it happen! I imagine if you've been unlucky enough to have an ill baby that has to be rushed off to SCBU etc, then you might think people who don't have that should just be grateful. Some people have said that they didn't have the birth experience they hoped for and have since realised it didn't make the slightest difference. That's good for them, but everyone's different.

I an ELCS (breech) with DD1 and there were a couple of things that happened I didn't like - mainly that she wasn't held high over the drape so I could see her when she was lifted out - the first I saw was her wrapped up and placed on my chest. Due to being shattered and immobile from the CS and then the night feeds etc, I didn't actually see her properly naked until day 2 (although had some skin to skin before that but not really a chance to look at her if that makes sense). It really upset me at the time. Looking back 2.5 years on, of course it hasn't made the slightest difference to our relationship but even now I regret that I didn't see her covered in blood and vernix fresh from my body. Not something I have sleepless nights over, but it bothered me enough that I have put it in my CS birth plan (although hoping for VBAC) that I want to see DD2 being lifted out. Again, if it doesn't happen I won't be devastated but I will be disappointed.

Thanks for sharing all your opinions sorry it ended up being a bit contentious obviously wouldn't expect my birth plan to be followed at the detriment of my babies health but these things are important to me and while I know they probably won't be after I'd like to try for as natural experience as possible.