Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

That thread got me thinking. As I had mentioned, when our immediate family came into the room 30 mins after I delivered I didn't let them hold (or touch) the baby. We knew she was going to be going to the NICU, I was afraid of germs and additionally I wasn't about to give up the few precious moments I got with my baby before she was taken to the NICU.

I'm curious if most people would let family/friends who happen to come in the delivery room right after birth (whether they witnessed the birth or just came in from the waiting room) hold the baby? I wondered at the time if I was being really mean or in the norm. I did let them hold DD the next day, although she was in the NICU and it was only grandparents who held her.

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

they come in that quickly after birth?!

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

Dd was born 2:30 am so there was no one at the hospital but DH... Everyone who came held the baby later that day... I had no issues with it.

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

Posted by cateyemm

they come in that quickly after birth?!

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I had a c section so I did not have any body in for quite some time.

Also, the baby gets taken to the nursery soon after birth for tests etc so you can let people in to see you whenever you want. I would def wait until you are out of delivery and in your room.

I let anyone who wanted hold DS.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

It depends how quickly. I'd like at least a little bonding time alone witht he baby and DH. Same day, couple hours later, I don't care.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

My SIL came first thing the next morning but DD was born just before 1 am so she wasn't allowed in until 8:30 am the next morning. I was in PP by then. It took the doc a good hour or two to stitch me up from my tears so no one was coming in right away anyway.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I don't think they'd expect to IF they're there right when LO is born. At least not the first hour or two. it's important to me to nurse as quickly as possible so I want to have that time with the baby hopefully do skin to skin.

When my sister had my niece 5 years ago my family (me & my parents) were in the waiting room for about 2 hours before my niece was born. After the delivery we had to wait for them to clean her up; then we were able to see my sister. We didn't hold the baby. Just took pictures and looked at her. Wasn't until later on in the day several hours after the birth that we actually held her.

Message edited 9/28/2012 7:50:15 AM.

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

With my nephews I held each of them right after they were born. My godson was born at 9:29pm and I was holding him by 9:50. My sister held him, my mom held him and then I held him. For my second nephew, he was born at 10:30ishpm and I was holding him by 11pm. This time, my sister held him, my BIL held him and I was next. Besides doctors, I was the third person to hold each of my nephews. I loved being able to hold them so soon after birth and I am definitely passing off for my family to hold after he comes out! I'm very relaxed though and you have to do what you're comfortable with.

As far as visitors within the next few days, I will let everyone who wants to hold hold him! I'm sure my godson will want to hold him right away and he'll be 2 1/2 when DS is born. As long as my sister sits with him, I'm fine with that!

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I will definitely let my family and friends hold her if they are sitting around for hours and waiting to meet her.

But I'm pretty laid back. I can understand why some mommas wouldn't feel comfortable. Do whatever feels best for you.

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I will let them hold them but not before me and they can't kiss their faces or hands. Lol. I couldn't see not letting my family hold them at all. I know they only let parents and grandparents go into the nicu rooms but I think holding depends on the baby. I wasn't allowed back there when my nephew was in the nicu. :(

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

ds was born at 12:30 in the am after I had been induced starting 27 hours earlier.....I did not expect anyone in the waiting room, yet my MIL, FIL, BIL, BIL GF & Mother were all waiting. At the time I didn't seem bothered they were waiting.The nurses gave ds to dh for like 2 minutes, and to me for like 2 minutes, to see if the breathing would get better then they whisked him away to the nicu.

All of a sudden I was so exhausted- cause it was middle of the night, and I didn't sleep well the night before in the hospital, plus the magnesium sulfate for the preeclampsia made me feel really really bad. It was kinda a blur for me of them coming in, my mother trying to force a footlong subway on me, and italian pastries, then hearing her complain my dr must have done something wrong.

Later on that day, at night family came back to visit. I got wheel chaired to the nicu to see ds in the incubator hooked up to all the tubes, then had to go into the waiting area while dh escorted one person at a time my parents, and his grandparents. they tried to get BIL in, but the nicu nurses wouldn't break the rules. I can't recall if it was the second or third day that we were able to hold the baby ourselves.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

Our families, which was my parents, his parents and his 2 sisters held DS in the delivery room when they came in. I had no problem with it and wanted them to. They only held him for like 5 mins... Then the next day for a little while.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

Our parents were in the waiting room for hourrrrrrrs waiting to see DS. My mom was with us for over 24 hours of my labor so I definitely let them hold him as soon as they could (like an hour after birth). But at that point i was so tired and out of it i barely had the energy to hol him myself!

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I had 2 c-sections and both times my parents were allowed in the recovery room for a short period of time. They held both of my sons. MIL was also there when DS2 was born and got to hold him.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

i didn't see anyone until almost an hour after delivery because i was being cleaned up and the baby nursed and then went for tests. once we were all cleaned up and in our room i let whoever was there hold him.

Re: Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

I would not allow that.

I had a scheduled c-section, so only DH was there. I held him briefly, they took him and cleaned him up, and then I was back to getting stitched up and put into my own recovery room.

I made it very clear to the nurses that I did not want any visitors until after my son was brought to me and I had time to bond with him on my own and breast-feed.

I'm still pissed that on the second day, 9 different people held my son in a span of 30 minutes. He was passed around like a hot potato. It was grandparents-only visiting hours, but apparently everyone thinks they are the exception to that rule.

Message edited 9/28/2012 10:43:32 AM.

Spinoff to fear of people holding baby . . .

DD was born at 2:28pm and we had a waiting room full! She had some issues right after birth and the NICU team came down. After that she went right onto my chest for skin to skin and stayed there for about an hour or so. I then ate and took a shower. No one besides me and then DH held her until we went to our other room. Had it been a normal delivery they still would not have held her. I wanted that time of skin to skin and nursing.