first bath/shower

just wondering when did you have your first shower after the birth and bubs first bath?

with DD i had a shower a few hours after but didnt use soap for waist up for a few weeks, just water and DD was bathed around 24 hrs after birth in plain water.

this time i have no intention of bathing bubs in hospital at all and was wondering what other did/ are doing?
i feel the natural body smells are important to one another for bonding and feeding, wondering others thoughts.

I had a shower about an hour after DD was born (homebirth). I used shower gel i think, can't really remember clearly except for turning the heat to tepid and hosing my baby-exit down! LOL. I didn't shy away from using soap or think about bonding/natural body odour - we bonded great and feeding was fine though. I do remember having to lean right forward in the shower to breathe out properly because my slack tummy muscles couldn't help my diaphragm much! I also remember my bleeding being profuse enough that i had to stick a maternity pad between my legs so i could dry them because lochia was coming pretty fast. It was a great shower though, very refreshing. XP held DD while i was in there.

I think we bathed DD on about day 3 or 4. She was pretty clean at birth to be honest, and apart from a bit of dried blood we wiped off her head with a damp cloth about 3 hours after her birth and a lot of vernix we just rubbed in, she was fairly fresh. We gave her a bath in a tummy tub when we got around to it and took photos. :)

Bx

I had a shower a couple of hours after the birth (BLISS! Even though I had to sit down LOL). DS had a bath on day 4, he was pretty clean.

Ooh yeah, I was straight back in the shower about an hour or so after bubs was born - Strawberry Shower gel for me!!

She was born in the water so was fresh as, I think I bathed her about 3 days later.

I had a shower each time after they had had their first feed and I washed with my normal shower gel. I think with number 4 we didn't was him until he was nearly a week old, because they told me that it was good just to leave the vernix on as long as possible. The others have all waited until they have been home, which is usually day 2 or 3.

hugs xoxo

this is a great thread.... I hadn't thought about when I'd wash our baby. I thought we would just do it the next day? but now i'm thinking I'll wait til we get home..... day 3 or 4...interested to read what others say.

DD1 i had a shower about 3 hours after birth, she had a bath around 12 hours adter birth

DD2 i had a shower about 1 hour after birth and she had a bath about 18 hours after birth as she was in a humdi crib for a while and under observation.

This time i plan to shower asap and bath bub asap...i HATE the smell of new born blood and i want a clean looking bub!

With no 1, I couldn't stand due to too much blood loss I had a bed bath the day after birth and a propper shower the day after that, it was gross! I fainted in the shower about 3hrs after birth, with no 2. LOL. Both times I used unscented soap. Bathed both babes the day after birth just in water.

Ceri was a waterbirth so was squeaky clean but the midwife on duty the next day insisted she have a bath (or at least it felt like she did), which I didn't want, but Mitch was for it too so Ceri had a bath. I had a shower a few hours after her birth (I was pretty clean from the waterbirth too) and used my normal soap which is natural stuff from the market.

I think Caty had a bath the next day too....silly hosp used J&J crap and we didn't know any better so Caty was bathed in it. Oh well, she survived!

I would have thought if you're wearing your normal deodorant and using your normal soap/wash then bubs will smell that once s/hes born and recognise it as belonging to you?

I really miss my perfumes though! My freind held Ceri for ages yesterday and Ceri's head smelt sooo good where it had been rubbing agaisnt her decolage (sp)!

I had a shower about 2 hours after the birth but just used water, not so much because I wanted to smell "like me" but more because I was too exhausted to look for the soap lol!
Jake was bathed the next day and was hospital policy that he was bathed before we left as they wanted to show us the correct way to bath him.

I had a C/s, so my first shower was the day after, and it was bliss...I don't use soap anyway, unless I'm really really stinky, cos my skin doesn't like it, and water usually does the trick. We don't use anything in the bath for DS either, just moo goo when he gets out. From memory he had his first bath on day 3.

AJp - i had a shower in the labour room a few hours later before we transfered to the ward.
As for DS i think it was about 2 days later. We still only bathe him every 2-3 nights in plain water :)

with both my births I had a shower as soon as they finished stitching my tear. I hate the sweaty feeling after childbirth, I feel clean & normal again (as normal as you can possibly feel after just giving birth!)
I just like to get into my ward bed nice & clean & comfy :)
I think both my kids were washed the following day after birth. DS definately was. I just prefer to get rid of the blood through the hair etc

For dd1 I had a shower about 5 hours after she was born and she was bathed on day 3.
dd2, shower 1hr after birht and she was bathed on day 3
dd3, showered 2 hr after birth, and she did not have her first bath till she was 10 days old at home, in water and alphkeri oil.

Each time i used my normal stuff and my kids were bathed in alphakeri oil.

thanks for all the replies lovlies!!

I had a shower as soon as they would let me stand up! Had to let the drip run through cause I had a small PPH, and have something to eat. I can't even imagine NOT showering after labour - the thought of the shower I was going to have afterwards really helped me get through the 2nd stage! I felt so dirty - blood, amniotic fluid, sweat, meconium it was just revolting! DD was in special care for 2 days so I guess the smell factor was not an issue for us anyway since I couldn't have her with me. I gave her her first bath on the morning of day 2 :D - I thought it was just the best thing ever. She had a bunch of meconium in her hair that I had been staring at for two days and it made me soooooo happy to wash it out and make her little head all clean.

With both the boys I showered asap after their first feed and me eating something!

They had their 1st baths within 2 days

and i will try and do the same this time around!

Yep the shower was the first thing on my mind as soon as i had given birth and held my baby. DS was the next day.

Just question to do with the lochia. I am sure it is normal, but i completely soaked a pad and my pj's within the hr of giving birth...so my question is if you maybe sat up on the bed and fed your baby before getting up to have a shower would the lochia be a bit less to the point where you would completely soak your pj's as well??
I kinda felt a bit embarrassed sending DF home with bloody PJ's to wash.....probably shouldn't have considering what he just saw :o

I think if bubby is fairly clean then waiting till you get home would be fine too! I think with DD I gave her a bath on day 2 but only really because she had a big crusty, bloody patch stuck in her hair right on top of her head! Not very appealing to our visitors in hossy :lol: :redface:
I had a shower in the birth suite after I was all sewn up, and after DD had her first feed (maybe around 2 hours after she was born). I did use a yummy shower gel because I felt and looked pretty gunky! But I do think waiting until bubs has latched on to the boob for the first time before using nice smelly bath products, is definitely the way to go. We were told the nipple gives off the same scent as amniotic fluid so that bub knows where to latch on to in that early time. Must be a real comfort for a newborn to smell that scent which would be so familar to them, especially after they have just entered the world which is so different to the womb.

Awww, makes me think of all that beautiful, soft newborn skin that is just so kissable!!

Will the midwives offer me the opportunity to give our baby its first bath within 24hrs after the birth? Or will they just do it without me? I would hate for that to happen!

Should I put this in my birth plan?? Ie. baby only to be bathed by Mum & Dad.

Ren - probably best to put it in your birth plan. They may just go ahead and bath bub while you're having a shower or something.

ren id put in your birth plan too just incase!! i have said NO bath in our plan~!

With both DS and DD i had a shower after the birth in the birthing suite. (with DD i had to wait for the epudural to wear off so was about 4 hours after her birth.. but DS was straight after i was stitched).
With giving them a bath.. They were both the day after they were born in hospital as they were covered in blood still.

DanniiM.. with DS i was the same.. completely soaked my pad and clothes the first night after he was born. I was up at least 5 times that night changing. However with DD i had what was just like a heavy period. Nothing like is was with DS at all. Im wondering if it was like that because of her being a second baby? But also in saying that too.. i did BF DD straight after she was born, while i was waiting for the epudural to wear off and DS i didnt BF until the next day. So it may be possible?

Renstar.. not sure what your hospital is like but mine (and most i think), once bubs is born you look after them. They stay with you (unless in NICU or midwives are minding them while you get some sleep). So bathing, feeding and changing them is your responsibility. Plus i think most midwives know those 1st baths etc are a sentimental thing. By all means ask for help if you are unsure what to do. I had to with DS with all 3. But yeh i dont think they will bath bubs without you as they want you to learn and know how to bath bubs correctly before you leave the hospital.

with first bubs his bath was done for me i regret letting them do it now,. i showered about 3 hrs later with other 3 i had home/waterbirths so they were cleanish anyway and i showered after i got out of pool which was usally about an hour or two afterward. i didnt use any soaps as i want bubs to smell me not soap.

Thanks Kellxx i was the same, with DS i just hopped up to have a shower within i would say 30mins and it wasn't until i tried to BF it all just started pouring out. So i think this time i will just try and stay put for a while, sit up in bed and BF first and then after a few hours go have a shower.

Thanks girls for your posts to answer my question. I remember the midwives in our hospital tour saying that the baby is with us from the minute he/she is born and never leaves our side so i guess i don't really have to worry about them washing bubs for me, as I want to do it myself (with DH)!! as with everything else too..... I don't want the midwives to take over!! lol
Ok its in my birth plan!! ** Only us to wash baby when we are ready **
DanniM - that's a good idea. I will remember to do that too ie sit or lie there for good 2hrs or so before getting up to shower if i can.....

What a good thread. I will make sure to add this to my plan too!

I was a bit clueless with my first and the midwife gave her a bath about an hour after she was born. She didnt ask if it was ok or if we wanted to be involved or anything. She just did it! Dh went over to see what was going on and he told me later that she was being a "bit rough" with her....

Second time, different hospy, they just waited til I was ready and let me do it myself. I think it was the next day..???

But i wont take the chance on missing out this time round!!!!! so thanks for the heads up. xo

Pixie you gave me a flashback of DD's birth! As she was lifted onto my chest she sprayed wee and meconium all over my thighs and belly! There was no WAY i could have gotten that off without soap - it was like tar! LOL.

I definitely fed DD before showering and i always would. The first feed makes such a difference in terms of teaching bubs how to do it etc. so i had unbroken skin to skin until she'd fed and once she'd had a good suck i went off for my shower. I put 2 pads in my pants at a time for the first 3 days (on midwife's suggestion) and i ALWAYS flooded and had to change after every feed. The feeding makes the uterus contract, so you're always loosing lochia, but when you feed it all gets squeezed out. The more you're feeding the less you actually bleed because the contractions during a feed squeeze the uterus down hard and slow it down.

Bx

He was born at 12.01am so it was later that day for both of us.

had a shower about 2 hours after DD was born, no soap, just warm water (had stitches). felt really nice! we bathed our DD twice in hospital and were in there around 4 days.

I had a shower about 2 or 3 hours after Claire was born. Had to wait for the ob to stitch up my lovely tears and I wanted to feed Claire first. I was so numb down there from the local for the stiches that I didnt realise **TMI** that I was standing in a huge pool of blood in the shower. GROSS!
Claire had her first bath when she was about 36 hours old.

Renstar - I gave my daughter her first bath. She stayed with me the whole time I was at the hospital and I wasnt about to let anyone take her out of my sight, not even a midwife.

Danniim - yeah I had that too, soaking through my pad in less than an hour. I had to get DH to take home my trackies to wash them and had to get him to bring more clothes for me. I ended up just wearing undeies and a pad and not pants because i was bleeding so much and soaking through straight away. I think I had to get 3 or 4 new sets of sheets each day for my bed.

DS was born at 4:42am and I had a shower the next morning around 9am after they took the catheter out. So the first 24 hours we had lots of skin to skin with no soapy scents. I didn't bathe DS until day 5 because I just didn't think about doing it!