my understanding is that if you interupt skin-to-skin contact, the baby has
to start the journey from the beginning again. Personally I find the idea
that a newborn baby needs to be 'cleaned' abhorent. I can't see why there
should be any need (other than a medical emergency) to interupt or
discontinue skin contact before mother and baby choose, and anyway, if  it
is truly uninterupted, staff need not worry about possible infection risk as
they should not be interfering anyway. Should it prove impossible to abandon
this unecessary procedure, it would be better done very soon and then begin
skin contact within half an hour of birth. Or maybe is it possible for mum
and baby to bathe together? kill two birds with one stone. I have a feeling
from what I've gathered about American birth that  this solution would be
too radical as it 's far too normal. Correct me if I'm wrong.
There is a wonderful video called 'Breastfeeding the Baby's Choice' that
illustrates this journey beautifully. I never show it without reducing the
audience to tears!
Some useful references are:-
Christensson K et al, 1995 Separation Distress call in the Human Neonate in
the Absence of Maternal Body Contact. Acta Paediatr, 84 pp468-473
Righard L, Alade M, Lancet vol 336 Nov 3, 1990 pp1105-1107 (Also see
accompanying video)
The following is an exerpt from Step Four of Implementing the Ten Steps to
Successful Breastfeeding.
UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative 1998
Mothers may elect not to hold their baby with skin contact or may decide to
end the period of skin contact after less than half an hour. It is the Trust
's responsibility to ensure that mothers are encouraged to have a prolonged
period of skin contact with their babies in an unhurried environment and
that any decision not to do this is made after being fully informed of the
benefits of skin contact. The full assessment will not penalise a Trust if
mothers make fully informed decisions which contradict the Ten Steps.
However the assessors principal concern is to ascertain whether fully
informed choice has operated.
That's my two pennies worth!
Hilary RM IBCLC in Somerset UK

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