When I teach childbirth classes and we do the tour
of L&D and post partum, I explain that the baby is
given a bath in post partum, 2-3 hours after birth.
I also explain that the baby has been living in a
sterile environment for 9 months and there is really
no reason to give a bath immediately. (They haven't
seen dirty till they have a two year old.)

This is in the context of letting class participants
know throughout the 6 week course that the baby is
THEIRS and they have choices about any of the procedures
carried out on the baby before and after birth.

Refusing some procedures will engender more resistance
from hospital staff than others, and many procedures
are done by default unless the parents explicitly refuse
the procedure, but ultimately, the choice and responsibility
belong to the parents.

 Naomi Bar-Yam

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