It’s no surprise that babies aren’t born looking clean. Depending on how many weeks gestation your baby is when she is born, she may have a white film on her. This coating is called vernix caseosa and it is multipurpose. By delaying your baby’s first bath, you allow her to reap several benefits.
Why You Should Look into Delaying Your Baby’s First Bath
Nature doesn’t do anything unnecessarily, so you know there has to be a reason babies have vernix caseosa on them. While developing in utero, the vernix helps to protect their skin from the amniotic fluid. You know how your fingers get wrinkly if you’re in water too long? Imaging how they would look after 9 months in the water! Vernix prevents that from happening – it’s pretty amazing! The amount of vernix that your baby will be born with varies with each baby and typically decreases as their gestational age increases.
Vernix is thought to help the baby adapt to life outside the womb also. If it is not washed off right after birth, it can help the baby regulate her temperature, serve as a moisturizer, act as a barrier to water loss through the skin, and may have some immune properties. By delaying your baby’s first bath, you are allowing her to reap these benefits!
The World Health Organization also recommends delaying your baby’s first bath for at least 24 hours after birth (though if cultural practices require bathing sooner, a minimum of 6 hours should pass before bathing). Waiting to giver your baby a bath limits stress after delivery. Decreased stress for the baby helps to establish breastfeeding. Your baby is also less likely to have trouble regulating her temperature if you wait to bathe her.
Hospital Policy
I spoke with nurses at five local hospitals to gather information on their newborn bathing policies. The hospitals I contacted were: Phelps, White Plains, Northern Westchester, NY Presbyterian Hudson Valley, and Greenwich. All the hospitals stated that they wait at least 24 hours to bathe the baby, but it is up to you if the baby is bathed in the hospital.
Until your baby is bathed they practice universal precautions (meaning the staff wears gloves when handling your baby). This protects both hospital staff and your baby from any microbes the other may have on their skin. Some hospitals will put a discrete sticker on your baby’s bassinet so staff knows the baby is not yet bathed. If it is your wish to delay your baby’s bath until you are home, make sure you let the nurse know at each shift change. It might not hurt to make a little sign to put on your baby’s bassinet reminding staff not to bathe her.
If you have any questions about the policy where you will be delivering, give the hospital a call. The nursing staff at the area hospitals is more than happy to help!