Skip to main content

Delayed Newborn Bathing

Research has shown us that delaying a newborn’s first bath for at least 24 hours (and no less than 6 hours) after birth has a direct impact on breastfeeding success rates. Delaying the bath encourages plenty of time for skin to skin and establishes bonding and breastfeeding, while reducing the risk of unnecessary stress on the baby. Bathing too early can cause instabilities in temperature and blood sugar.


Your baby is born with a protective layer of vernix, which contains antimicrobial properties that protect against infection, and immune proteins similar to those found in breast milk. Rubbing the vernix into baby’s skin is the only bath she needs! Some parents will choose to delay the first bath until at least 24 hours postpartum (which is in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations), when mom is feeling well enough to participate and learn from the nurses. Other parents choose to wait up to a month or more, only carefully wiping down baby as needed. 


Delaying the first bath allows you to make it a gentle bonding experience full of loving touch and care. I recommend dim or natural lighting, quiet voices, no soap (even the gentlest soaps can be too harsh for sensitive newborn skin...same goes for lotion) and tons of love! Bathing with baby is excellent if that is an option for you. Breastfeeding in the bath was always my favorite, and makes for a perfect opportunity to bathe baby while they are contentedly nursing. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tea on Tongue Ties

  You have probably heard of tethered oral tissues (TOTS) or some other iteration of the name. And, like many mamas, you may have questions about how these oral restrictions can effect or perhaps are already effecting your little one. So let’s chat about TOTS today… First of all, ties can effect not just the tongue, but the lips and cheeks as well. It is very common for tongue-tie babies to also have restrictions in the lips and/or cheeks, but it can also occur in just one of those spots. TOTS are commonly hereditary. The frenulum is a mucous membrane that goes from the floor of your mouth to the middle on the bottom of your tongue. Ankyloglossia (tongue tie) means that the frenulum is tight or short, so that movement of the tongue is restricted. Are ties a “fad”? Lots of parents ask this because of the frequency at which TOTS are diagnosed these days. But the answer is no, it’s not a fad. We just know so much more about this issue now! Additionally, mothers are initiating br...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breastfeeding As Birth Control

Breastfeeding is a natural form of birth control, as it suppresses the hormones needed to return your menstrual cycle and hence your fertility. This is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, or LAM. This method is the most conducive form of birth control for many breastfeeding families. If followed correctly it is 98-99.5% effective. To safely practice LAM you must meet the following criteria: Your baby is under 6 months of age. You are exclusively breastfeeding on cue day AND night, and baby is getting no supplementation or solid foods. Your menstrual cycles have not returned. You can further increase the protectiveness of this method by keeping your baby close (baby-wearing, co-sleeping and bedsharing for naps and nights), nursing for comfort, and using no bottles or pacifiers. You are likely to experience a further delay in the return of your cycle if you offer breastmilk before solid foods to older babies, introduce solids slowly, and continue to prioritize breastfeedi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Planning for Postpartum

We assemble our birth team with careful research; we know who we want in the birth room with us and who can wait to be invited in later. We curate the mood with music and lighting, we read books and take classes and do our best to educate ourselves about how best to prepare for pregnancy and labor.  And then baby arrives and we are sent home. In some cases recovering from major surgery, or an unplanned transfer from the birthing place you chose. Often times the whirl of emotions, huge fluctuations in hormones, and sleep deprivation create a perfect storm, and we are left wondering how we can keep it all together while being responsible for a human life entirely dependent on yours.  There is no routine postpartum checkup until 6 weeks, at which point you are typically told you can resume physical activity and be on your merry way. Who is checking on you during those 6 weeks and beyond? Who is there to answer your feeding questions not if but when they occur? Does your partn...
Post a Comment
Read more