I, like Naomi. teach prepared childbirth classes in addition to working
as an RN on our LDRP unit. We show birth videos in class and the couples
invariably wince when the "dirty" baby is placed on mom's chest. They
are equally horrified when the mom reaches down and touches her emerging
newborn's head.
After the film they ask, "don't they clean the baby up first?"
In the birthing room our midwives often offer the mom the opportunity to
feel the baby's head emerging.   Once in a while they do but mostly they
just look grossed out and refuse. After the birth I frequently have to
explain why we don't bathe the baby immediately. Although they have
lived in a sterile environment as Naomi points out, they do sometimes
get pretty icky in the parents view on their way out. Maternal blood and
sometimes meconium mats the hair and is in the ears and skin folds etc.
Although we wipe the babies off the best we can we certainly can't get
them clean. Dad's and grandma's are often the most concerned about me
cleaning the baby up before they are handed the infant. I have to
explain that I won't bathe the baby until a.) it has nursed and b.) it
has reached a core temp of 99.6f.
I even have difficulty keeping the baby on mom's chest after the birth.
Although they are normally immediately placed there the mom's don't take
long to start looking around for someone to take their infant from them.
Part of that reaction, I think, stems from her feeling insecure holding
the baby while the placenta is emerging and during any repair that might
be needed. But, even if I offer to help them hold the baby they usually
just ask me to take it to the warmer.
I am always surprised by these attitudes but they persist, with our
population anyway.

Karen in CT

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