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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

weird instinct feeling after giving birth

23 replies

sallyrosie · 06/09/2006 16:15

ok - this is weird but after having my dd 2 years ago I remember sitting awake in the middle of the night (trying to stop her screaming for food) on the postnatal ward and feeling a really strong urge to lick her head clean (as all covered in blood etc. Yuck). Was totally bizarre but really really strong instinctive feeling. Has anyone else had an equally weird thing happen to them?
Am just curious as due to have no.2 soon and wonder whether same will happen!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Elibean · 06/09/2006 23:21

Um, not quite the same, but...

dd had to have a venflon (needle thingy) put in back of her hand a couple of days after birth. It was really upsetting. A nice paediatrician came to do it, and let me sit nearby...dd was pretty much asleep (and actually didn't seem to notice, she was that gentle) and the doctor had her back to me, so I couldn't actually see dd's hand. We were chatting, and I had no idea she'd started the procedure - felt a sharp pain in the back of my hand and thought I'd knocked it against something. Looked down, nothing - at that exact moment, the doctor turned round and said 'there, all done'.

I swear I felt what was being done to my baby...

Good luck with #2!

Toady · 07/09/2006 20:38

No bonded straight away with all three of mine but never had the urge to lick their heads

Each to their own, lol.

Gizmo · 07/09/2006 21:01

Sure you hadn't just given birth to a Raspberry Ripple cornetto?

Original poster

sallyrosie · 07/09/2006 21:07

I know - it was very very strange indeed!! Maybe due to the total sleep deprivation of long labour then very very hungry and thirsty baby! I know the advice is no formula/water if you're planning to bf - but she wanted to feed the whole of the first night - I'm sure a little drink would have settled her off then we could both have slept.
Interesting re the venflon!
Also the midwives took her away while I went to the loo and tried to settle her - found I could pick out her cry among the others on the ward even though she was only a few hours old. Really bizarre!

OP posts:

marthamoo · 07/09/2006 21:09

Animals lick their newborns to clean them and - I think - stimulate them to start breathing so perhaps it was some kind of weird throw-back thing. And people do eat their placentas, I guess.

My friend wanted to lick rusty cars while pregnant.

mummyplonk · 07/09/2006 21:17

Sorry havnt read all thread due to 2 under 18 months but had to pop in to say, I had dreams and told my family as I am so Un-maternal(such-a-word?) but when I was heavily pregnant with DS1 kept dreaming of licking him as soon as he was born like a Lioness licking it's cub. Wont go into details but Sallyrosie I think we have both confirmed we are not weirdo's thank god!

Gizmo · 07/09/2006 22:22

My MIL has fond memories of craving specific types of earth when pregnant with DH - I rather envy people with such strong instinctive reactions to pregnancy and parenting, because I certainly never had any and it made me easy prey for the parenting 'gurus'

upandaway · 07/09/2006 22:48

I understand that feeling sallyrosie ! I think its the same as wanting to bury your nose in their plump little cheeks all the time. My Mum always used to say "oooh I could just eat you !"
We come from a long line of cannibals!!!

waterfalls · 07/09/2006 22:53

Apparently biting your baby's bum is an instinct in a lot of women, apparently a sign of deep affection.

moondog · 07/09/2006 22:57

I think that is really interesting SallyRosie.
I'm sure the MWs/doulas on MN could tell similar tales.
For all my lentil leanings,I had no deep maternal instincts at all.In fact I ordered them to take my babe away. both times!

Saturn74 · 07/09/2006 22:59

LOL Gizmo!

Saturn74 · 07/09/2006 23:01

Re the cornetto comment, not your other one BTW. (Thought I'd just make that clear !)

upandaway · 07/09/2006 23:26

Exactly Waterfalls !

alexsmum · 07/09/2006 23:31

i had the exact same urge with ds1 the day after he was born-well later in the day because he was born about 4am.really strong urge to lick him.
and didn't like anyone else touching him.

and the day after ds2 was born he had to have a blood test and a junior doctor was taking the blood and couldn't get the line in, ds was screaming and i was dripping in sweat- literally it was pouring off me and i felt really bad.had to stop her in the end and tell her to get someone more experienced.

Xavielli · 08/09/2006 09:18

everytime either of my babies has had jabs I can feel it as if it were me.

Elibean · 08/09/2006 18:57

Really? Literally? Good - I thought I was weird!

Elibean · 08/09/2006 18:57

And its the only time it happened to me, that very newborn early jab....not vaccinations or anything else.

Original poster

sallyrosie · 08/09/2006 20:33

Hooray!! I'm not crazy and there are other people just as weird as me!! We'll see whether it happens again with no. 2 (if he ever decides to come out...please send 'go into labour' vibes this way...

OP posts:

Elibean · 08/09/2006 20:53

Go into labour, SR....go into labour...GO into labour!!

Good luck!

Twiglett · 08/09/2006 20:58

Did you lick them then?

and if not, why not?

your baby, your instinct .. I think you should just go with it

Elibean · 08/09/2006 21:02

Mmmhmmm. If I was a baby and someone bit me on the bottom, I don't know I'd forgive them - instinct or no instinct.

alexsmum · 08/09/2006 22:45

if i'd been on my own in the room with i think i would have done.i'm very big on kissing and hugging and stroking even now.

Original poster

sallyrosie · 09/09/2006 08:27

no - just kissed her head lots - strong as instinct was she was covered in dried blood and god knows what else (I also managed to throw up over her when they gave me the syntometrine injection)...yeuch

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