I opened my eyes a little wider to get a better look at this new creature who would change my life so dramatically.
"A girl, my daughter," I mumbled as baby Abby was swiftly whisked away to be cleaned and bundled. I tried to be patient as the nurse and doctor performed a seemingly endless series of routine tests and procedures.
'I wonder when I can hold her,' I thought. Another frustrating minute passed. Now the feeling seemed to come from the pit of my stomach, my gut perhaps.
I WANT TO HOLD MY BABY my instincts pleaded.
Finally, I mustered enough courage to challenge the medical staff's ultimate wisdom.
"Can I hold her now?"
"Uh, just for a minute," the nurse answered, looking inconvenienced, "then I need to weigh and measure her."
When Abby was finally placed in my arms, I felt so content and relieved, yet overwhelmed with questions and uncertainty. I smiled at her, then at my husband. We examined her thick black hair and her long, slender fingers. We kissed her cheek...
"Okay," a voice rudely interrupted our bonding, "I need to take her to the nursery now and I'll be back in just a few minutes," the nurse assured me.
BUT I WANT TO HOLD MY BABY, this new inner voice of mine begged. But who was I to challenge authority? I was only her mother.
After being weighed and measured, Abby was not brought back to me as promised. Instead of snuggling against her mommy for warmth, she was placed in a warming incubator for TWO HOURS! Apparently, her body temperature was a few tenths of a degree lower than what is considered perfect.
My first experience in motherhood was very much like those to follow. My maternal instincts/my heart/my gut feeling beckoned my to be with my child while "experts" had something more advanced in mind than just a plain old mother to meet her needs.
Moms, don't let this happen to you. Except in very rare instances where emergency medical attention is required, you have the right to hold your baby immediately after birth and should do so. You will remember this experience forever and when baby is healthy, nothing is more important than you bonding with your newborn. Not cleaning, not cutting the cord, not eye drops, not weighing and measuring--nothing.
The benefits of promptly cuddling your infant extend beyond your own contentment too. It's also more comforting to baby as he recognizes your voice, your smell, and your heartbeat. In addition, early nursing helps to establish a successful breastfeeding experience and nursing shortly after delivery helps to expel the placenta and reduce bleeding for Mom.
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