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The other thing to consider is that vernix is a natural barrier protection against bacteria. It's best to rub it in or let the skin absorb it than rub it off, especially in a hospital.
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There are many reasons they do this.
From a psych view there is a thing called Imprinting...... it was actually discovered most prominent in geese. Baby geese believe their mother is whomever they see and have contact with first - regardless of what it is!! There is a belief that this bonding also happens in humans to a lesser extend so its called the critial period...... It helps with that bond and the baby learns your smell. Also..... both you and the bubs have been through a VERY traumatic event. And its a whole lot worse for bubs - they have been pushed through a little canal taken from a warm dark cozy place into a bright cold place. I would want some reassurance too : )
From a physiological point, other than the feed, your body temperature actually increases immediately after birth in order to keep your baby warm until they can regulate their own temp. It quite beautiful how the female body works :).
I am sure that you wont even notice and will just be over the moon with your bub but like others have said you can always ask for him/her to be wiped first. That wont be a problem and no one will look down on you.
I didnt get much of a bf or hold in because for an hour AFTER the birth I was still vomiting and my BP was very low..... so I wasnt focusing on the muck I was focusing on holding her while vomiting without squashing or hurting her. In the end I had to pass her onto DH and the midwives.
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I have to ask, is it the idea of blood that bothers you, or the idea that the baby is covered in vaginal juices? The latter kind of worries me (not about you personally) but the influencing implied social attitude that vaginas (or just genitals in general) are somehow "unclean", "dirty" etc. IYKWIM.
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My DH got to cuddle both our girls before I did. I just didn't want then on me without being cleaned first so they wrapped them in a blanket and gave them to DH. I never had any issues with them. I think you need to do what you find comfortable with at the time. :)
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my midwife talked to me about this. she explained the vermix (The white stuff) on the baby, is nature's moisturiser and is beneficial to the baby. Instead of having it washed off, my plan (after her telling me about what is possible), was to leave the vermix on my nb, for three days, rub it into her skin. Most nbs come out all wrinkly, rubbing the vermix in helps that.
i was very disappointed, when my home water birth, became an emerg c-section in hospital, my bub was yanked out not breathing, so she was in resus cart immed being worked on and by the time i got to see her, the nurses had removed all the vermix.
i read wonderful articles online, about the fantastic things IN the vermix, and how healthy that is for the baby.
i also wanted to delay cord cutting, until the cord stopped pulsating. ANother thing we didn't get to do, due to emergency c-section.
The hospitals are very happy to "clean up" your baby. They are less used to being asked "not" to clean up your baby. So if you want the vermix off, i am confident you will get that. I didn't even ask, and it still happened. My baby would have been given formula too, if DH hadn't "stood guard" in ICU and made sure no-one gave her formula. We were in a bf-ing friendly hospital, but i just think that's pretty posters, in reality, they really pushed formula heavily and did things that are against ABA policies (for making bf-ing work, for mums that want to try it).
