Delay Routine Baby Procedures!

Keep your baby with you after you birth!

Of course if the baby is having problems adjusting to life outside the womb, then it may be best for baby to be worked on in the baby warmer.  (Though the benefits of keeping the cord pulsing can help the baby adjust)  But I am talking about in instances when mom and baby are doing just fine!

One of the most frustrating things for me when I attend births as a doula in a hospital,  is how the baby nurses are just itching to get their hands on the baby.  I understand that nurses have jobs they need to get done, checklists to mark off, but this time is so precious and these routines can wait!

• weigh baby
• clean baby
• eye goop
• vitamin k
• etc, etc, etc

These routines can be put off for an hour or two! Baby can stay right on mom until mom is ready for baby to be checked out.  If baby is adjusting well, baby can stay on mom.

• The APGAR score can be taken there
• baby can be gently dried off there and both mom and baby covered by a blanket
• mom is nice and warm after pushing, skin to skin will help baby stay warm
• baby’s temperature can be monitored there

The bathing and weighing, the eye goop and vitamin k (if wanted) can be done an hour or two after baby is born.  There is no rush to get these things done.  They are not life saving procedures, they are just routines.

What I find helps protect this special time is to remind the baby nurse that mom wants to keep baby with her while mom is still pushing.

If nurse is  anxious to take baby after he is born, I ask, “How is baby doing?”  If the answer is “fine/good”, I say “We will call you when mom is ready to have baby weighed.”  This usually works and the baby nurse goes off to another room to get other tasks done and we call when mom is ready to let go of baby.

Remember that you can DELAY these routines so that you have time to bond with your baby!