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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Baby cleaned after birth before being given to you or not?

34 replies

Bluebella · 27/03/2008 19:01

Hi,

I'm just trying to write up some sort of birth plan.

I'm a bit stuck on whether baby should be cleaned before being given to me.

Do you think it is better to have that contact straight away, or would you get the m/w's to clean him off first?

What have been people's experiences in this? Or what do other first time mum's think.

Thanks!

blue x

OP posts:

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ChairmumMiaow · 27/03/2008 19:03

I had DS delivered straight onto my tummy. I thought I might be bothered about the goo, but after everything I really didn't care, I just wanted to meet my baby as soon as possible - so I say don't bother!

Flight · 27/03/2008 19:08

There's something in the breastfeeding/breast crawl threads about not cleaning the mother or the child initially - something to do with the baby finding its way to the breast etc.

Neither of mine was cleaned first, it was nice and you love them wholly so a bit of muck doesn't matter

meemar · 27/03/2008 19:09

You will probably really want to hold the baby straight away so put it in your birth plan.

You can always change your mind and ask for him/her to be wiped up first if you want to. But you probably won't care

pruners · 27/03/2008 19:09

Message withdrawn

callmeovercautious · 27/03/2008 19:09

She was born on a birthing stool the MW helped get her on my tummy but did not really hold her just pushed her upto me - so no cleaning. They weren't even worried about the Muconium. They just gave her a quick wipe around her face while she was on my tummy and then she had her first BF.

Not everyones cup of tea I know but it was wonderful to be the first Person to really touch and hold her.

stepfordwife · 27/03/2008 19:12

delivered on to tummy, wouldn't have wanjted to wait a second before i met any of my babies - gunk and all!

you won' even notice that, you'll be mesmerised by that jolt of recognition - like you'd always beenm waiting for them - when you look into your baby's eyes.
hope everything goes well

sicktothebackfrigginteeth · 27/03/2008 19:13

you know i never thought about the gooness in either of my pregnancies i was too excited about meeting the little people and holding them for the first time

Tutter · 27/03/2008 19:13

i genuinely cannot remember

(this w2asn't 23 years ago btw, both times were less than 3 years ago)

warthog · 27/03/2008 19:14

no!

contact straightaway. they can give him to you with a towel.

imho you really need skin to skin immediately. you won't give a jot about muckiness.

sushistar · 27/03/2008 19:15

Delivered onto my tummy too. I felt really anxious about holding onto him and not letting anyone else get hold of him at first. I didn't want 'them' (irrational post-labour gas-and-air brain!) messing with him until I felt up to giving informed consent about whatever it was they were doing - even cleaning him!

S1ur · 27/03/2008 19:16

Skin to skin straight away, so if you're wearing something, its an idea to slip him/her inside your top so they can get full benefit of your warmth adn softness and smell.

Don't bother with cleaning, the whole birth thing is filled with all sorts of fun bodily fluids. You'll be all sweaty and leaking fluid anyway. Its a lovely natural enormous messy business!

Take a quick pic with a digital for yourselves and then another later when you all refreshed to show others

FourPlusOne · 27/03/2008 19:23

I think I read somewhere that the vernix (the white stuff, I think that's what it's called) is very moisturising for their skin, so best to rub it in a bit before washing them. Obviously blood is a different matter!

I remember that I had read this before I had my DD (DC2), so when she was born she was put straight on me (actually, DH says that I just snatched her off the midwife the second she fully emerged!) and I didn't really wipe anything off. She did have a towel over her to keep her warm which probably 'blotted' off the excess, but I don't remember actively cleaning her in any way.

Can't remember what happened after DC1 was born, but I think I had him straight away - no cleaning involved.

StarlightMcKenzie · 27/03/2008 19:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Piffle · 27/03/2008 19:39

for my first I said I wanted him cleaned and wrapped first. Then when he came out I just held him, vernix covered, wet and perfectly scrumptious. So all 3 of mine came into my arms as soon as they came out. They all fed brilliantly from minutes after birth. Connected I would wager.

terramum · 27/03/2008 19:39

Skin to skin straight away is best imo. Apart from ther fact that washing often removes any vernix (sp?) that is very good for their skin, there is a lot of very delicate biological stuff about bonding with your baby & the smell of them etc which would be lost if they were cleaned straight away (there's a reason people are very careful not to touch animal babies when they are born in case the mother rejects them ). Not to mention the issue of letting them initiate breastfeeding within the best window before they have their rest after the trial of birth...I think it's only about 20 minutes if that so valuable minutes could be lost if the midwife is busy cleaning them. If they are really yucky then there is plenty of time for that later on.

DS was put straight onto my belly when he was born & it was lovely to have him right there straight away just staring at me. I got to find out he was a 'he' & get to know him then & there.

Lulumama · 27/03/2008 19:43

i did not have skin to skin after my em c.s and it took me 2 days to feel he was mine. he was hadned to DH , washed , dressed, hat on, wrapped in blankets, and i could only stroke his cheek.

DD was born vaginally and delivered immediately on to my tummy... was wondrous! i could not wait to hold her, and the be the first to hold her and examine her and sniff her !

i think the word 'cleaned' intimates that the baby is 'dirty' or needs washing, when in fact it is vernix, fluid, and possibly blood, not dirt. ! all his/her and yours own fluids etc

the vernix is good for their skin if you let it soak in and staying close with skin to skin is great for initiating breast feeding

orangehead · 27/03/2008 19:52

Having baby delievered straight on to your tum is best. It might seem a bit yucky but at the time you really dont care. If you decide it is really not for you I would be cautious about putting it in your birth plan incase you change you mind on the last minute and the midwife just whisks s/he away for a clean. Its nice to know it was you that your baby had its very first contact with. Perhaps just tell your midwife you are not sure and you would like to play it by ear. Although birth plans are very good for some things you are not expected to decide everything beforehand because you never know how you will feel when you in labour

itsazoohere · 27/03/2008 20:02

I don't think I've ever really noticed any muck on mine, been too overwhelmed/shattered to notice or care. However this time, dd2 (7 yrs) is asking for the baby to be washed on the way out of the birthing pool as she will be holding it whilst dd1 (12) cuts the cord. Think she's expecting bubble bath in there!

hippipotami · 27/03/2008 20:02

Straight onto me both times, vernix and other substances and all. Wonderful. The feel, the smell, my babies, the second they arrived...

(aaah, have gone all misty eyed and wistful now...)

nowwearefour · 27/03/2008 20:07

definitely straight onto me. i could not have cared less about any goo- in fact they mostly dont clean them up at all now unless you ask them too. dd2 had vernix on her several days later. all comes off eventually and keeps her skin softer!

Original poster

Bluebella · 27/03/2008 20:28

Gee Thank you everyone!! You've really helped me to make my mind up! xxx

I only really thought to have him cleaned first because that's what my friend who had two babies did.

But I totally feel that it would be right for me to have skin contact straight away!

Thank you! x

OP posts:

deaconblue · 27/03/2008 20:34

oh I'm too late, you've decided. Will add my twopenneth worth anyway. I thought I would want ds to be all clean and baby powdered but when he was born I couldn't get my hands on him fast enough, desperately wanted to hold him straight away and couldn't have coped with waiting long enough for him to be cleaned. I was, however, covered in green poo and blood as a result!

PuppyDogEyes · 27/03/2008 20:42

'clean' baby was in my birth plan.

because my ds was born by forceps (stuck and distressed) when he was born they took him to one side to check him over.

so he did get wiped down, nappy and wrapped in a towel. still had (my) blood in his hair and towel contained most of the gunk.

i then asked for him to be passed to dh first. i was exhausted and stunned (and had a spinal).

he still smelt lovely.
we were then wheeled into private dimmly lit room. (as the next emergency case was waiting)

had skin to skin. privacy. just 3 of us.
all fell asleep.

no problem bonding.

doesn't feel weird that he was cleaned. in fact he was just perfect. and the fact that we all fell asleep, it was probably wise that he had a nappy on!

you don't have to come up with a definate birth plan. mine only had about 4 things on it. and hardly anything went to plan!

if you don't have a definate preference for or against, why not choose at the time?

GColdtimer · 27/03/2008 20:47

good, you have decided. DH and I were just talking about this. When dd was delivered on to my tummy I didn't even notice for a couple of seconds, I was still looking at him for encouragement (2nd stage was only 17 minutes ). He had to say "look". And I did. It was amazing.

slinkiemalinki · 27/03/2008 21:51

I wrote clean the baby on my birth plan initially, but the MW explained to me when discussing it that usual practice was to wrap the baby in a towel and hand her over straight away. You can see on the pics that there is a bit of gunge on her but really you just want to get your hands on that little bundle of love as soon as you can after all that work!

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