>
>I know this idea of delaying the bath was discussed about two years ago - as
>I was approaching the birth of my 3rd baby.  It was brought to our attention
>that hospitals in the UK rarely give routine baths.

That is correct.

I would love to be able to say we no longer do this because UK hosps
recognise the importance of skin to skin and scent and getting bf
underway  (we haven't done routine bathing for  decades - dd1 was
born 22 years ago, in hospital with me for 8 days,  and she wasn't
bathed for 12 days, by which time I was at home, and the community
midwife supervised it  - we have a nice picture showing the midwife
and the baby together with the bath  - because it was seen a lesson
in practical babycare for both mother and father. We each had a turn
of holding her in the water - the baby not the midwife ; )  - and we
have pictures of this, too).

But the real reason for the routine bath being a no-no  is because it
was so time-consuming - which of course it is!  It was thought
(correctly) a poor use of highly-trained staff time to be messin'
about with  water and baths and wriggly,  often screaming,  babies.

When mothers were in hosp longer, it was usual to have a bath demo -
a midwife would pick on 'lucky' baby to do the demo on, and the whole
ward would be invited to see the show.

Now that mothers are in hospital for 2-3 days, there is no bath demo.

Babies get sent home *filthy* and a jolly good thing, too  : )

No one worries about HIV - staff can wear gloves if they need to
handle a 'dirty' baby anyway.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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