I understand skin to skin contact after birth but.....cant get head around this one.

[Floweryfields]

Perhaps you will feel differently in the moment? Not having a baby myself, I have to rely on the reports of friends - my most recent new mum friend said she had so much stuff everywhere, friend the actual birth, that I don't think a bit more on your tum will worry you at the time.

[Calluna]

I didn't even notice TBH. Too busy looking at my miracle.

[Kazbah]

We had our water birth, and I carried him from the bath to the bed, still attached, and I didn't notice it. What I did notice was that looking at the video of the 2 births after was that the birth where he was washed & wrapped before Pip came to me, it was a very "clinical" birth. Where Will was placed on me before washing and we did the breast crawl was so much more relaxed and I think I actually bonded with him so much better. Just go with the flow, if you want him bathed, then you could ask your DH to do it and bond that way, or you could put a warm washer over him while on your tummy.

and all the best.

[CQuin]

I know a woman who was dead against having her baby any where near her till she had been cleaned and wrapped. That child turns 3 very soon, you cant tell the difference between her and any other child who has had skin to skin. She's happy and healthy!

[Babyluv]

It didn't gross me out at all. I have amazing memories of reaching down and grabbing my baby as she was born and holding her straight to my chest. I just wanted to hold her and make sure she was ok. I think when you're in the moment you are so wrapped up in meeting your bub that you don't even think about it. But i'm sure you can ask that bub be wrapped first.

[~Hestia~]

I never really thought about it when I was pregnant. I delivered Moo standing up, the midwives helped me 'catch' him & then I lifted him up to my chest myself. I remember him being VERY slippery but I can't tell you much else

Perhaps see how you feel on the big day. It all happens so fast!

[Blixie]

Oh, they're all lovely and squishy and gooey. It's wonderful!

yeah that ^ I was disappointed with DD2 cos i didn't get her when she was all warm and gooey (had to be resuscitated so was cleaned up) but they both pooped that lovely thick meconium all over me and themselves but i didn't care, i had my gorgeous bubby

But in saying all that i don't think there's anything wrong with wanting them cleaned up either. Its up to the individual

[Lenny]

I think you might be overestimating the goo/gunk whatever you want to call it. It's not that extreme. They aren't like a slimey slippery eel. It's a little bit of goo but once you have a blanket around you and bub you'll barely notice it.

But if you are worried then let the midwife know before hand. Then bubs can be passed to you - and if you don't like it they can wrap bub for you.
I bet with all the rush of happy emotions, you'll love the chance to snuggle as soon as you can!

[Shades]

I think I remember reading somewhere that it was baby's hands that are most important in terms of putting the amniotic fluid smell onto mums chest and boobs etc. So I'm sure if they give him/her a quick wipe before skin-to-skin time but make sure to NOT wipe the hands then you'll be getting a great compromise.

[Glamourcide]

I honestly didn't even notice the 'goo' until much later. I was too wrapped up in finally meeting my baby, gazing at every inch of her body (and I didn't even see the vernix except for what was in her hair, as she had more than DD1 and I remember commenting on it) and taking her in It wasn't gross at all. When DD1 was born I only got a couple of seconds of skin-to-skin before I bled out so she was handed to DH, who didn't notice the greasy smudges all over his black hoodie, he was the same as I was, just too in awe of seeing our baby in person to worry about the mess
DD2 fed straight away, and promptly did her first poo all over my belly - just in case that scares you too, it didn't smell and was just a greasy greeny-black smear, I was able to shower soon after so I wasn't worried.

If you're really concerned about it being yuck, mention it to the midwife before baby arrives so that they can whisk your LO off for a towel-down before you get cuddles... but you may feel differently when your baby is born, I know I wasn't even finished pushing them out and I just wanted to grab them and hang onto them for dear life Such a precious moment!

ETA: I have to say that in my experience, the whole 'throwing baby on mum's belly/chest' is not just to establish skin-to-skin contact, but also so that the midwife/Ob can get bub out of the way of the business end so they can check that everything is all right with you. While bub's cord is still attached, if you're not holding him, someone else has to stand there holding him and to put it bluntly, that means they're standing in the way of someone else being able to help finish off the delivery - administering the injection to help the placenta along, checking to ensure the cord isn't tangled somewhere, making sure you're not beginning to haemorrhage, etc. By 'throwing' baby on mum's belly straight away, they can leave the cord attached (which is awesome, if you haven't already read up about delayed cord clamping, you're missing out!) but baby is in a safe place and the midwives can get on with making sure everything else is okay without being impeded. Just something else to think about if you're really worried about vernix and amniotic fluid on your skin... although tbh, you'll be sitting in a big puddle of it anyway so it doesn't make that much of a difference

[kristi14]

Most of the time baby gets put on a towel on top of you (well 6 of my 7 did). Its really only if you are naked that you will get gunky if you go for immediate skin to skin. If you dont want to have baby handed to you with all the birth gunk all over them, express this to your mw when you go in to have your baby. You will be surprised at how much changes when you are in the moment though. When we arent in the situation, just thinking about it we think ewwwwwwwww, at the time theres so much going on you will probably find alot of stuff that the thought of it bothers you now, wont bother you then. In fact you probably wont even notice it, when you are in labour, giving birth and just after delivery.

[Eenee]

Oh, they're all lovely and squishy and gooey. It's wonderful!

Yeah I agree best feeling ever! I loved it!

[blue_hebe]

I hadn't really thought too much about it before my DS was born, but as it happened, due to the type of labour I had, he was taken away for a moment and checked over first (where he was wiped down a bit). DH then got first cuddles while I was being stitched up.

As others have suggested, talking to your midwife about it is a good way to go.

[Shanti]

I don't remember exactly as I was so high on all those lovely birth hormones after having a drug free birth with DD, but they put DD on to my chest and placed a towel across her back and quickly rubbed her down to warm her up and we were chest to chest but the gooey stuff etc didn't bother me! It's all part of birth and you can have a shower afterwards anyway I just remember saying "you're so perfect" that was all I really remember from those early minutes the rest I can't quite remember!!

[Taurean]

It didn't even cross my mind - leading up to labour or when DD was born. I couldn't wait to get my hands and eyes on her and find out what she was! I don't remember her being slippery (or gunky) at all but she was definitely fresh out of the birth canal

I delivered the placenta quickly while we had a decent snuggle (so the skin on skin definitely helped with that) then DD was taken briefly to be weighed and measured. At that point she was wrapped (but not cleaned) then given back to me for our first feed. She stayed there for the next 2 hours except for when the midwife bathed me (I'd had an epi) so DH and my sister snuggled her.

DD didnt have her first bath until the next morning (she was born at 3.10pm) and it didnt bother me in the least. It's a lot more natural than you would think but do what you're comfortable with

[Miss K]

I totally understand where you are coming from!!! My Mum, Nan and Cousins all looked at me like I was insane the week before DD was born and I was sooooooo against the "gross gooey baby straight from my VJ or Sunroof" They said they hadn't heard anything soo crazy in their lives they actually burst out in laughter thinking I was joking then realized I was being serious LOL!

I was telling DH make sure she is soo clean yet to be completely honest you don't even think of that it kinda goes out the window!

[MrsC_Aussie]

I have to say it never crossed my mind as being gross. both times I didn't want them to take my lil one away even for a second to see if it wasa boy or girl! with DD1 I knew I was a mother the instant I looked down ab hour after birth and didnt even care my hand was covered with pooh!!! the other thing is I LOVE the newborn smell, but my sister said 'she smells funny' when she held DD2. fair enough I suppose considering what she was covered in, but I think its just another one of those natural mother-newborn bonding tools God gives us!
That said, if you find it a bit gross when it happens, just ask for a towel for bub

[zap]

I think the fact that I was already kneeling and then sitting in all the mess my DS3 came out covered in it was only fair to love him up the minute he came out!!