Why bath babies at all on the maternity unit?

Most hospitals in the UK stopped doing it routinely years ago - I 
can't remember the last time a mother told me her baby had been 
bathed when she was still in the hospital.

Why is it thought necessary?

It must take a lot of staff time (I expect this is the reason why we 
stopped doing it here - but no one even thinks about doing it now, we 
have just forgotten anyone ever thought it was a good idea! Like 
nurseries - we don't have them, and no one misses them. Saves all the 
decision-making about 'should we put babies in the nursery to let mum 
sleep?' If there's no nursery, no one can feel bad about the baby 
being put in the nursery/not being put in the nursery).

All the lists of advantages to 'delayed' bathing are really 
advantages to not bathing at all in the early days.

Why risk dusturbing the closeness and togetherness of the baby with his family?

If the parents want to bath their baby they can do it at home - no 
need for gloves or fuss.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK


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