I understand skin to skin contact after birth but.....cant get head around this one.
Ok so Ive been to all my appointments with midwife at hospital & I went to the few antenatal classes they offered. It seems that its general practice as bub is delivered to throw him onto the mothers belly as is & then clean him up & cut the cord.
Now I understand the importance of skin to skin contact & getting them that first BF as soon as possible but........I cant seem to get past the thought of having bub thrown onto my stomach/chest before being cleaned or wrapped
Im not normally too squeemish but the thought just makes me cringe for some reason. I feel sooo bad for thinking like this but not sure what else I can do........
When I had my bubs, the midwife put a towel on me before she put the baby on me. I kinda didn't notice all of the muck. Now looking back at photos it looks gross, but then, I just wanted to meet and hold my baby.
Initially you feel the wetness and the sliminess, but after a short while, you don't notice it anymore. It also got cleaned up by the blanket that got thrown over the two of us as well.
If you want bub wiped down and wrapped first just ask your midwife to do this. There is no problem with that. I've done it before for women who prefer it this way. I've also handed the mum her wet slimmy bub and she has looked very uncomfortable about it so if your not comfortable and don't want it that way just say something before hand. The blankets should be warm under the heater and it only takes a few moments to clean bub up and wrap them. You might feel competely differently when the time comes however.
Part of it is to transfer some of the amniotic fluid onto you. Bub has been smelling, tasting amniotic fluid for months. Getting amniotic fluid onto your breasts helps bub find them. Later, after a feed, it's recommended that when you have your first shower, you dont wash the amniotic fluid off your breasts. Keeping it there helps bub find them again. After they've fed a few times, they know your smell and it's ok to fully wash, though it's not recommended that you use fragrance.
I totally understand. The thought of all the gunk on me makes me want to gag.
When DD was born I got a cuddle, but they cleaned her up before I even saw her due to her having her bowels outside of her body.
She had to cleaned and glad-wrapped, and then I saw her after a few minutes and she was all wrapped up in a massive blanket with a beanie on.
And then they washed her nearly completely during her surgery.
I don't know how I'll feel with the next one, having a (hopefully!) normally bub and normal delivery.
TBH i wasn't sure how i would feel either but after both girls i def preferred the cuddles and experience with DD2 being a bit gooey
With DD1 being at home waiting for the ambulance she was wrapt tightly to keep her warm and we never got the chest to chest with DD2 she was born and basically handed straight to me and then we were both covered with a warm blanket.
In some of my pictures she doesn't look all the gooey but she was
Each to their own hun, it can't hurt to ask for a quick wipe down first
Honestly I never even though about it. I had very pro-active midwives who delayed cord clamped, made me have skin to skin for at least an hour "now she has to stay on your chest for at least an hour and then you can breastfeed",were their exact words to me. Not that I minded at all, but it might be good to make your wishes known prior. ;-)
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!
When DS2 was born i thought the exact same thing. Because when he was born they just basically guided him out without to much touching and i was asked to pick my baby up and my first thought was that i was going to drop him because he was so slimely, i think once they are wiped a bit with the towel or blanket that covers you both you don't really give it a second thought.
Having had dd1 as an emergency c sect at 34 weeks and all bundled up before I could hold her having dd2 and ds on my chest before the cord was cut was so beautiful. Both were there for an hour and we enjoyed the snuggles.
DD1 didn't have a bath until day 3. She had some blood caked in her hair but her skin was so soft and beautiful from the vernex. Even after the bath she had such supple skin. The gooeyness was the least of my worries after the birth, i just wanted my baby plus i had a pph so was out of it.
DD2 was different. We had immediate skin to skin but she pooed so the midwife gave her a wash down about 2 hour later while i had a shower cause i didn't want DD1 to see us all bloody and pooey
Just do what feels right for you at the time. Let the endorphins take over. It doesn't take much to wash off or use the warm blanket and give bub a little rub off if it's bothering you.
When you are actually in the moment these kind of details tend to seem less important. After the relief of getting that baby out they could have handed her to me covered in boogers and I wouldn't have cared! But if you think it will cross you squeamish threshold I don't see why a midwife couldn't give him a bit of a wipe down first. I mean skin to skin is obviously very important but I don't think the time it takes for a wipe down is going to make much difference to that!
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!
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.
I understand skin to skin contact after birth but.....cant get head around this one.
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