Just two anecdotes to share. When my second son was born he had hyaline
membrane disease and spent a week in NICU. Once his IV was out and he was
allowed to bath, it became a battle for me to ask the nursing staff NOT to
bath him as I wanted my husband to have the honours. Bathing the kids is one
of his favourite things, and I figured he really needed to do this special
first bath after the traumas of the week. It took three days before he was
there at the right time - but eventually I said to the nurses, "well, is he
dirty?", to which they had no good answer!
    On the other side of the arguement, friends of mine had a baby in the US
two years ago, and rang me for help when the baby was four weeks old.
Amongst other things, they were still spongebathing the baby in the middle
of winter (and guess what,she was getting cold) because they were waiting
for the cord to fall off. So every night they ended up with a cold,
miserable baby! But what amazed me the most was that no-one had shown them
or explained to them the basics of bathing a baby. They said they had a book
they could read about it!
    So whilst I hear all the arguements on delaying a baby's first bath, I
do believe it is a reasonable option for parents to do at least one baby
bath while they are in hospital (if that is their place to deliver) to get
some confidence before going home. It may be hard for us to remember that it
it something that new parents get very nervous about.
Kirsten Blacker

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