Carol Brussel described bathing in hospital...

<snip> and some people don't think i have any restraint. well, i never got
arrested
for assault while watching any of this stuff. <snip>

If you had it would have been the wrong person arrested for assault!

I've tried hard not to get caught in this discussion - it not being
breastfeeding related (one of the list mothers is going to chat to us about
it soon...) but here I am:

We have just moved into a new unit (6 months).  We don't bath babies in
birth suite at all.  The parents often ask when baby will be bathed - it's
pretty laissez-faire when it happens - usually not until the next day
though.  We've stopped using the perspex cot as the bath (as described by
Louise) WH&S didn't like the way we emptied them.
We now have a lovely big room with 2 very deep baby baths set into the
bench where the baths are done.  (And the water isn't running at any stage
during the bath!) The whole family comes in to watch the first bath - must
be the most photographed room in the hospital.  After that the parents bath
the baby whenever they want to, or not at all - mum ususally waiting for
dad to visit and they do it together, no staff.
The only other things in this room are three fantastically comfortable,
really well supporting rocking chairs for breastfeeding in.  Most mothers
feed in their rooms, but at any time there is usually a mother or two there
feeding.

I hear what KD says about bathing and agree wholeheartedly.  However, in
its defence, I remember feeling nauseated by the smell of blood on my first
born despite there not being any that I could wipe off - he wasn't bathed
until day 2.  Also, if done with love and tenderness, the babies really do
love floating in the water and you can see them relax.  And as Louise
mentioned it is a great tool for an unsettled babe - they relax in the bath
and will often have their best sleep of the day after it.

Quickly sending this off before KB says her bit ;-)
Denise
Brisbane, Australia


****************************************************
Denise Fisher, BN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies Course
http://www.breasted.com.au
mailto:[log in to unmask]
****************************************************

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