? re: baby boys' first bath after birth... - Page 2

[KMK_Mama]

It does seem weird that we are so close to California, whose rates are so low, and yet Arizona's rates are SO HIGH. :

[sugarbeth]

When the nurse came in to give my newborn son a bath, I just told her that I was going to do it. She seemed surprised that I would be up to doing it so soon after giving birth - I think she thought it was like doing me a favor. Plus, I think they just like giving newborns baths - I mean, how could you not? That's probably one of the perks of the job! But there was no problems with me doing it myself, she just left and I hopped into the bathtub with my baby.

[paquerette]

I'm also of the opinion that a bath that early is detrimental ESPECIALLY before mama gets to hold and bond. Just have DH hold him and rub his skin.

And I also wanted to add that it's not enough to say/write no circ. You also need to make it clear through whatever means that NO MANIPULATION of the foreskin takes place.

Good luck! Enjoy.

[tiffer23]

Gross. lol. I wanted my son bathed. He was covered in gross stuff and we didn't get to go home for 5 days. He was bathed and all went well.

Intact, and good to go. Circ is high here and the nurses never messed with his penis. Why would they? They just clean a baby off, they don't do a deep scrub in all the nooks and cranies, etc.

ETA: DS's bath was about 3 hours after he was born, I think. Not immediately.

[Fyrestorm]

Get a NO CIRC onesie.

[+stella+]

I had my son at banner hospital, good sam, and they dont do them in the hospital at all. And he roomed in and no one said anything about circ. weird.

No advice on the bath, I dont recall a bath at the hosptial, just a sponge bath for him. Have your husband just stick to him like glue even if youre in recovery, and decline bath till your up for it maybe.

all us phx intactivist mommies should get together sometime

[mainegirl]

I think I'd also refuse the bath unless you or your husband are doing it. Just say that you want to take pictures or something, so you don't even have to get into the penis discussion.

Bring a Sharpie to the hospital with you, and on all the little disposies they give you write "DO NOT RETRACT FORESKIN" in big letters over the crotch.

That'll get the message across

[gridley13]

If you have them do the bath (both my children had baths in the hospital and I had c/s with both) then just be very verbally clear He will NOT be circ'd and DO NOT RETRACT. I think you have to really say both.

I think if I were to do it all over again though, I would refuse the bath or make them do it right in the room or something... or wait until I could get out of bed and accompany the baby or something. I just didn;'t even think of that when mine were born, so good job on planning ahead!

[melanie83103]

We tried to decline the bath with my son (hospital birth), and were told that it was "hospital policy"..... grrrrrrr....... so we gave in.

I would just make sure that DH instructs each person that comes in contact with your son on how to handle an intact penis (just don't mess with it!). You have to be very specific..... it feels awkward, but you just have to tell them, DON'T mess with it, DON'T retract it.

Good luck!!!

melanie

[DreamsInDigital]

Just because it's hospital policy doesn't mean you can't decline it anyway.

[~Nikki~]

I'm pretty sure you can decline the bath. Make up an excuse if you have to....have your husband say "It's really important to my wife to be involved in the first bath, so we'd like to wait until after we get home to do it. Thanks anyway."

After my c-section, the nurse wheeled a bathing cart into my room, and DH gave her the first bath. Because she was my first child, the nurse showed him how to do it. When I had my son, he was our second child, so they just wheeled the stuff in and told me I could bathe him at my leisure. They weren't even involved.

[QueenOfThePride]

Originally Posted by Susuhound

How kind of the hospital staff that they 'let you' watch while they bath the baby. Having been a midwife I would never presume to steal that moment from parents.

Now I'm sad. I think the nurses bathed DS right after he was born when they took him to the nursery for routine observation. I only got to nurse him for a few minutes, and then they took him. He was never supposed to be taken away from me, but they disregarded my birth plan, and I was too out of it to object. The next day, they brought the bathing supplies to my room and let me give him 'his first bath'. He was extremely clean already, but I didn't say anything.

[InDaPhunk]

We waited a day or two on the bath and we'll probably wait longer even for our next. Very soft wiping with a towel is all the baby needs, and that's only to remove what's not vernix. Any vernix, leave it there.

Here's some info:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/519767?rss

http://www.pedresearch.org/cgi/content/full/53/2/211


I'll summarize. Vernix good; bath bad.


Congrats on your baby!

[Mama Poot]

I would not allow them to give the first bath. That is something that should be reserved for the parents. Paddy got a bath in the hospital because I was too drugged up to defend myself or him. DH said some careless nurse stripped him naked and left him in a bassinet for ten minutes screaming while she got things ready. I would have throttled her. : I didn't let anyone touch Henri for about two weeks after he was born. He was born at home though, so I didnt have to fight people off. Additionally, you should be aware that newborns are tremendously sensitive to smell, and if they are robbed of certain natural smells, like that of amniotic fluid right after birth, it can confuse them and even cause problems with breastfeeding. Same goes for you. I would not use any soap or smelly hair products for the first few days. Just rinse off in hot water after you give birth.

[Aliviasmom]

I had a c-section with both babies. With DS, he was being adopted, so I let the adoptive parents be there for the bath, and I rested in my room. This was only a few hours after delivery. With DD, she didn't get a bath until I was able to walk around (she was born at night).