Skin to Skin or Bath?
Many hospitals will whisk the baby away after delivery for a bath … like they did both of mine. The baby’s skin is coated in the vernix, which is there to soften, moisturize, and protect the infant from infection and has even been shown to have immune boosting properties.
So you probably do not want to disturb the vernix right away. Additionally, a bath could lower the baby’s body temperature, requiring time on the warming table, which would cause time away from mom and from the precious and beneficial skin-to-skin contact time.
In fact, early infant bathing has been shown to lead to stress. Because infants cannot store large amounts of glycogen in their liver, stress often leads to low blood sugar and hypothermia.
Consider
Considering these possible drawbacks, you may want to be prepared to tell hospital staff that you’d like to pass on a bath — or delay it for 24 hours after which the vernix absorbs into your baby’s skin.
The precious skin-to-skin time between you and your baby should be taken seriously. Did you know that this is referred to as Kangaroo Care? Cleveland Clinic explains that skin-to-skin means your full-term, healthy baby is placed belly-down, directly on your chest, right after birth.
Your care provider dries your baby off, puts on a hat, covers him or her with a warm blanket, and gets your baby settled on your chest. The first hours of snuggling skin-to-skin let you and your baby get to know each other. They also have important health benefits. All of the newborn routine evaluations can be done with the newborn on the mother’s chest, as long as the newborn is stable.
Doing this, studies have shown, can keep the baby warm, regulates their breathing, and keeps their blood sugar levels higher. Skin-to-skin time improves your chances of breastfeeding success. Your baby is likely to nurse sooner and nurse longer! It also naturally enhances bonding and helps the baby cry less. It even improves the baby’s gut health and immunity!4
Birth Plan Decision
Bath Time
Enjoy skin-to-skin time before the bath or bath time first?
