>>The good news is things are changing
at some of the area hospitals and babies are being transferred with mum
from L&D to her postpartum room and skipping the nursery visit
entirely.  Which is good news for breastfeeding.>>

>>We have 2 problems with above approach (which has been suggested). 1. The
nurses object because they think they will have a lot more work to do if
they have to clean up the baby etc etc in the room. 2. Nurses keep saying
they don't want to touch unbathed babies and what about 'universal health
precautions' bodily fluids etc. Anyone else overcome these barriers?

Tell the nurses to [1] not touch the babies, give the baby to mother to
hold, skin to skin with a blanket over both, and don't touch the babies
again and [2] if they simply *must* touch the babies, wear latex gloves,
and/or work through the blanket.  I seriously doubt a bath is going to make
a baby HIV safe, if that is the concern.

With my youngest, we declined the hospital bath (you've all heard that
story, so I won't repost it).