how quickly do you get to clean up?

[kiki22]

I'm a bit of a clean freak and am really worried about what happend once the babys out about getting cleaned up and mess on bed getting cleaned up... I know everyones going to say you won't care but i might i have a friend who is the same and she was totally frekaed out when they put the baby on her while he was all gunky am i may very well react the same, i'm hoping i won't care but feel like i need to know what will happen so i can relax about it.

So basically i want to know what happens to all the gunk on the bed and sheets? when do they clean them and when do i get cleaned up? i'm not talking fully showered just a wipe down.

I know i'm a freak but i can't help feeling sick at the thought of being covered with blood and god knows what else midwife didn't help by laughing and saying if i don't like mess i'm in for a shock :( I feel really guilty for feeling this way i know all i should care about is baby but can't help it.

hehe hunky babies :)

I was kept as clean as a whistle by the midwife- my nightie was spotless. My slippers caught my waters, but they dried off fine and I remember the midwife wiping the floor down and I cleaned my legs. When I went into the theatre however for the forceps, DD pooed on me on the way out and the obsterician did a rubbish job cleaning me up and the nurse did it again. Not that I could see. DD was all wrapped up and clean when given to me (not my choice). My body was numbed right up to my armpits and when that finally wore off about 8 hours later I was able to have a full shower. Before then, the midwives regularly checked and changed the maternity pads. For the next 3 days in hospital I was able to shower regularly and I gave DD a wipe down with cotton wool soaked in water daily on a muslin on the bed. To be honest it was the easiest 3 days as I only had to sort me, DD and our bedspace!! Good luck!

I hadn't really thought about it till reading this tread but after having DS i was taken to theater to be stitched, fell asleep in theater came too after (about 3am) fed DS and went back to sleep (had been a long hard labor) woke up the next day (still unable to move my legs after the spinal from theater) and was wearing a theater gown and nothing else. I had one of those bed mats under me as was not wearing a pad or knicker so just bleeding on to the mat yuk. I asked a midwife to help me clean up she did not seem happy to help out at all especially as i hadnt packed a flannel. I got a shower that evening.

Baby wasnt bathed until the following day so over a day and a half after being born so had crusty blood on his head but the midwifes said that was best for baby's skin. Not sure if that is the case in all hospitals

DD was pretty bloody and mucky, but I wanted skin to skin straight away, and they kind of half-wrap the baby up to keep them warm so I couldn't tell she was in need of a bath until much later!

All the post-birth gunk gets whipped away straight away. I had a 2nd degree tear with DD so had to have stitches etc, and was knackered so had a little kip. After that the MWs showed me where the showers were and I was able to have a wash just a few hours after the birth, just before we went to the postnatal ward.

I had DS at home and the MWs cleaned up everything asap. I was v impressed! There was hardly even any washing to do.