thread: Just a random question - RE Skin to skin contact

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Nov 2009
    In Paradise
    2,022

    Just a random question - RE Skin to skin contact

    Im wondering how many fathers had first skin to skin contact with their babies?

    or plan to?

    My Dh did with DS and held him for a while ( I was cleaned up and stitched ) Before i got a hug. I didnt request it. I didnt really know much about the importance of skin to skin contact before bub, so i didnt 'care' that DH got the first hold. I dont even know how long it was for . It could have been ages... I was on some sort of birth high and the time flew. before i knew it visitors came... but they didnt arrive til 2pm when ds was born just before 11am...

    just curious....i know hubby felt like it was their special time together....

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    Sep 2008
    Bunbury, Western Australia
    3,963

    I had planned DH to have the first hold, as I had "held" DS for 9 months. But when DS came out he was handballed up to me and that was that... he was mine and DH didn't get a shot til I had a shower XD

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2009
    2,109

    My DH didn't but it wasn't important to him and I got lots of skin to skin and then he got to bath her and hold her while I slept for ages so it sort of worked out well I was also stuck in bed (C/S) so he did lots of nappy changing and had lots of time to bond with her while I was bed ridden.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    7,197

    My DH did once I was back in my room post c/s. DS had a big feed and cuddle with me then DH took his shirt off while DS snoozed on his chest and they had a blanky around them. It was gorgeous and such a special time for both.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Victoria
    7,260

    I had the first contact with DD2, but as we were in the theatre it was SO cold, they had to take her and wrap her a bit after a few minutes. Then I unwrapped her and put her on my chest and covered her with blankets - but due to the epi I couldn't get up or anything, so this all went on while I was being stitched. DH then had a cuddle with her when my arms couldn't hold her anymore.

    With DD1, she was taken immediately to be checked (emerg cs) so she was handed to me wiped over andfully swaddled about 5 minutes after she was born, but I was still first to "hold" her. I held her for a while, until they finished and wheeled me off to recovery. I elected not to have her in recovery with me, and and DH took her. MIL actually cuddled her for ages, still niggles at me, I don't really care as such, think it irks me she got proper cuddles before I did itms.

    But DH has has skin to skin within hours of their births, both of them, and lots of skin on skin contact in the first weeks of their lives.
    DD2 takes bottles and I am able to express this time, so DH has fed her often, and I have even left her with him for the day while I did kinder duty. Her face beams whenever she sees him and I think it is really important DH has gotten to have that bond with her, DD1 was very much my baby.

  6. #6
    Platinum Member. Love a friend xxx

    Mar 2008
    Perth, WA
    1,225

    Ditto to LimeSlice ith the bottle - DH often fed DD and really enjoyed the experience.

    Becuase I had a PPH, DH got DD as soon as she was out and wrapped and cuddled her (and had skin-to-skin) in the corner of the room while I was bleeding and being stitched. That was the plan though - for DH to get skin-to-skin first, not the PPH bit!

    It's the same plan this time around - for DH to get baby ASAP, even before I do, to do skin-to-skin and etc.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
    3,300

    DH got skin to skin first as after my emergency c-section and long labor prior to that, I was so whacked I wouldn't have been able to hold her, so he had her while I was in recovery about 40 mins. He had little suction marks all over his chest as she was sucking ferociously on his chest.

    This one I would prefer to have skin to skin first, but if it doesn't work out that way skin to skin with DH is good.

  8. #8

    Mar 2008
    Where dreams are now reality
    2,318

    DD was born into DHs arms and Yep, he held her skin to skin. But I did the first skin to skin cuddles, rather than leave her in a basket beside us, he held her skin to skin while I was stitched, so somewhere in the vicinity of 1 1/2 hours of daddy/ daughter time

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Middle Victoria
    8,924

    It's the same plan this time around - for DH to get baby ASAP, even before I do, to do skin-to-skin and etc.
    I'm genuinely interested in why your preference is for DH to have skin to skin before you (i know you are not the only one but i don't reall get it). No way i would give that up unless there was a reason that baby and i had to be seperated and then our plan is for DH to look after baby including skin cudddles. I think i see skin to skin as linked to breastfeeding, the start of getting that working, and to me this is Mum's domain.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jan 2011
    Perth, WA
    1,245

    For my first 3 XDH was only in shorts because I had been in the shower for most of my labour so after I had my first cuddles and BF he had skin to skin...our 4th bub was ill when born so I delivered him to my chest for a quick cuddle before he was taken away dh didn't get a hold until day 4.
    My 5th bub and 1st with 2nd XH I also delivered straight on to my chest and BF...he didn't do skin to skin with her.
    Our next bub neither of us got a hold until day 3...I got skin-to-skin day 4 and for him it was day 6.
    For our last bub I didn't get my first hold until he was 3 weeks old...and both of us got a gorgeous skin-to-skin 3 days later...it was a long wait but so worth it.

  11. #11
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    Jun 2010
    Springfield, QLD
    1,085

    My plan is for DH to support baby on my chest in theater and then again in recovery. The plan is for him to have skin to skin in our room.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Nov 2009
    In Paradise
    2,022

    just bumping, very interesting replies thanks ladies

  13. #13
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    Sep 2006
    Dandy Ranges ;)
    7,526

    I had first skin-to-skin with Pip and Will, while I was getting stitched with Pip DH had cuddles, not skin-2-skin. With Will we did breast crawl, and then while I was getting stitched, DH took Will, but I made him go skin-to-skin I remember getting the stitches and just watching him cuddling the baby in the soft light of the room *sighs* just gorgeous.