Declining Vit. K, Eye ointment & dye on umbilical cord?

[Mom2Fin]

Hi guys! I am 31 weeks pregnant with my third child. I am having a c section in January, not vaccinating, declining everything, delaying bath so her skin can absorb the vernix etc, ect...

When I spoke with my OB he said that while he was ok with everything, he just wanted to make sure that I knew that CPS would have to be alerted to my declining the erythromycin eye ointment. 

I live in NC and didn't know if anyone else had experienced this and do they really call or is it just a scare tactic???

Also, has anyone declined the dye on baby's umbilical cord? Is it something that is really needed? 

[twinsmama9]

http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/diseases/gonorrhea.html

Seems it is NC state law to get the eye ointment. Whether or not CPS is called is probably up to the hospital where you deliver. I would think CPS would have more important things to worry about though-- a c-section baby whose mother refused prophylactic eye ointment isn't exactly an emergency.

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/267885/vitamin-k-and-eye-ointment-laws-in-nc

I am not in NC, but delayed the ointment. Little one didn't really need it though since he was a c-section baby. Be sure to put it in your birth plan or newborn care plan. I had a c-section and I had a very detailed document on how I wanted my baby to be cared for after delivery.

[twinsmama9]

Oh and the dye they put on the umbilical cord is called Triple Dye. It's an anti-septic to prevent infection and not all hospitals/doctors use it. My first babies, twins, they didn't have that and also I never used alcohol as per my pediatrician. My third baby had a new hospital and new pediatrician and they used the dye and she said to use alcohol. They were born 13 months apart.

I don't think anybody will have an issue with you declining it if that's what you choose.

[CountryMommy]

Both of my hospital born babies (2008 and 2010) did not have anything put on their umbilical cords. I was instructed to simply clean out belly button with plain tap water and a Q tip several times daily until the cord fell off.

[rnra]

I think it would be a good idea for you to go on a tour of the hospital's labor, delivery, and postpartum areas.  To do this, call the main hospital operator and ask to speak with either the nurse manager or the charge nurse of those areas.  They'll let you know how they do tours (some are appointment-only and some are not).  While there, ask them for copies of any protocols that they can give you.  If there are specific areas you have concerns about (such as the vitamin K, eye ointment, etc.) then ask them specifically about those.  The OB can say whatever he wants--but the hospital policies will always supersede the OB's policies.  After you've talked to the hospital staff and been on a tour, you can customize your plans to be more specific to the setting.  That way, your requests are more likely to be respected by the staff members.  I can tell you from experience that the quickest way to have a birth plan ignored is to say you don't want to be shaved, have an enema, etc.  Those things haven't been done for nearly 50 years here--but they show up on birth plans all the time.  For what its worth, the large hospital system that I am familiar with does not put anything on the umbilical cords (besides a clamp).