Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Health and Nutrition => Topic started by: songbird on April 26, 2017, 06:08:33 PM
-
I had it brought to my attention, by a mother, that it was a long period of time before the baby was cleaned and then put in her arms. long time: a couple hours?
I found this to be rotten!! A lady was with this mother and the baby was not given to parents, not cleaned, but just set aside.
Has anyone else ever heard or experience this?!
-
I had it brought to my attention, by a mother, that it was a long period of time before the baby was cleaned and then put in her arms. long time: a couple hours?
I found this to be rotten!! A lady was with this mother and the baby was not given to parents, not cleaned, but just set aside.
Has anyone else ever heard or experience this?!
Really, two more hours is not a big deal. The baby was covered with that stuff for 9 months!
-
It does not seem normal. Was there something wrong with the baby?
I wouldn't see a problem with the baby not being cleaned immediately. But the problem would be for me the separation of mother and child in those first precious moments. An unforgettable experience!
When I first read your post I thought that it might be that the baby was not cleaned because (it is said) that the coating that covers the baby (vernix) is protective of the baby, but that the baby was not placed in mother's arms would be worrying to me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernix_caseosa
Vernix is theorized to serve several purposes, including moisturizing the infant's skin, and facilitating passage through the birth canal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina). It serves to conserve heat and protect the delicate newborn skin from environmental stress. Vernix is also thought to have an antibacterial effect;[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernix_caseosa#cite_note-nskin-4) though there is little evidence to support a chemical role of vernix in protecting the infant from infection, it may form a physical barrier to the passage of bacteria.[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernix_caseosa#cite_note-Schachner2003-1)
-
Wow! God just thinks of everything!! I never knew. Thank you for your replies!
-
For my first child, delivered by cesarean section, the baby was cleaned up a bit, examined briefly by a doctor, and then given to my husband (I was still on the surgical table, of course). My husband held the baby up by my face so I could see her.
For my second child, delivered naturally, the baby was cleaned up a bit and examined. He was having some trouble breathing, so they allowed me to hold him for a few minutes, but then needed to take him away to get his breathing straightened out (my husband went with the baby). Fortunately, it was nothing major, and he was fine in a few hours.
For both children, they were not fully bathed/cleaned for about a day (24 hours) after birth.
-
I don't wash my babies after they're born, but rub the vernix in instead. They don't get a bath their whole hospital visit. Like Nadir, I would wonder why the baby was kept from mom for 2 hours. Even after both of my csections, my babies made it to my arms very quickly.
Perhaps we're missing the particulars, like a medical problem with baby. I have heard of some pretty backward practices in hospitals in the baby department though. Nothing would surprise me.