# Newborns and hats



## cjanelles (Oct 22, 2005)

Can someone please explain to me what the resistance towards putting knit caps on the babes right after birth is all about?

I've seen it mentioned in the forums before...about how silly or crazy it is for ob's or peds to want to put caps on the babies...as if it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

I've seen it mentioned a lot in midwife blogs--moms who are having home births refusing caps, etc...

And while I can reconcile a lot of the non-mainstream ideas I see here on MDC, I don't understand this one about the cap...Don't get me wrong--I'm not criticizing, I just can't figure out the reasoning...

So, can someone clue me in?

Thanks!


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I have a few reasons:

1 - first and foremost, I believe that there should be no touching of the baby after the birth unless absolutely necessary!

2 - most hats are polyester - these do not keep baby heads warm. they are thin and snug and could affect how the plates of the skull go back on their own

3 - I believe there is something BENEFICIAL about the amount of cooling down a baby does at birth. Not that the baby should never be covered, but that going through all the motions of what WE deem to be comfortable could be messing with nature's plans.

4 - When babies heads are covered, mothers do not touch them or kiss them. Since I've stopped using hats at births, I see more and more mothers kiss their newborns heads/faces in the minutes after birth than ever before

5 - I think it's a routine intervention that allows a provider to step into a mother's birth bubble - a time immediately postpartum that she should be completely focused on her baby - with no hands touching her or the baby, no unnecessary words spoken to her, etc. I think keeping this birth bubble intact helps greatly reduce the amount of hemorrhage and other postpartum complications

I think it was a saying by one of my favorite midwife authors, Sara Wickham, that asks why is it that we have to prove something to be unnecessary or disruptive for us to stop doing it? Shouldn't the science or evidence be about WHY we SHOULD do it? So far, I have yet to see how placing a hat on the baby actually helps maintain their heat....and I'm not convinced that 98.6 is where a newborn SHOULD be right away.

Skin to skin with mom. Without a doubt. Even better than wrapping a baby up in a blanket and a hat.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife* 
I think it was a saying by one of my favorite midwife authors, Sara Wickham, that asks why is it that we have to prove something to be unnecessary or disruptive for us to stop doing it? Shouldn't the science or evidence be about WHY we SHOULD do it?


I really like that. That pretty well sums up my thoughts on pregnancy and birth...

-Angela


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## fourgrtkidos (Jan 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife* 

4 - When babies heads are covered, mothers do not touch them or kiss them. Since I've stopped using hats at births, I see more and more mothers kiss their newborns heads/faces in the minutes after birth than ever before

5 - I think it's a routine intervention that allows a provider to step into a mother's birth bubble - a time immediately postpartum that she should be completely focused on her baby - with no hands touching her or the baby, no unnecessary words spoken to her, etc. I think keeping this birth bubble intact helps greatly reduce the amount of hemorrhage and other postpartum complications



This is also what I have noticed. After the bonding and a couple of hours of breastfeeding, skin to skin with mom bonding.... or when mom wants to get up and shower, etc and we do the newborn exam I put a loose cotton hat on the baby.

Not sure what Pam's opinion is on if the baby should wear a hat for a couple of days or not. I tend to give the direction of baby wears a cotton hat for a couple of weeks in cold weather or air conditioning.


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## velveeta (May 30, 2002)

WOw, I had no idea. This makes great sense. No hat for us! Thanks!


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## jraohc (Nov 5, 2004)

This isn't something that had ever crossed my mind. Interesting question and interesting answer. Thanks!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Also, interesting, dd hated hats from day one so we never used them









-Angela


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## shellbell (Jun 18, 2006)

WOW!!! The stuff you never think of! I was just waiting to hear the reply on this one... couldn't figure out any reason why a hat would be bad for a baby. But, you know, now that you bring up all those awesome points, I can remember that it seemed like the perrrfect place for my neworn's head was nestled right up in the curve of my neck. I babysit for a living... and I still do that witht he babies I watch. I remember my mom telling me it is probably comfy for them because it is similiar to the womb... where there was always something warm for their head to press against. And, if you put a hat on... then the skin to skin flies out the window.


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## chiro_kristin (Dec 31, 2004)

Not wearing a hat, as Pam mentioned, allows the mom to kiss and touch that baby's head, and her instinctive directional stroking really will help align those cranial bones.


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## cjanelles (Oct 22, 2005)

Thank you for everyone's responses and well-thoughtout answers.

I understand the position now, and I guess I was having trouble "getting it" because of what I know about most body heat being lost through the head, etc...

My baby is due at the very end of May and we live in central Georgia, so I expect the temperatures to be in the high 90's, at least...I don't think we'll have to worry about a hat on our girl. LOL


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

When you think about how we evolved to survive in the wild, well, there were no hats in the wild, were there. Does that mean that for hundreds of thousands of years newborns have been at risk for losing too much body heat? Or is it possible that the process was made to be in total sync with the environment?

After the studies that have been done on cooling for disease or trauma, I'm more than ever questioning the assumption that babies are not supposed to cool down to a certain extent after emergence. There seems to me to be far more risk in overheating.

Also, in my experience, I felt a far more intense feeling of bonding when I was able to smell the baby's head immediately after birth. I was never really interested in the scent of my other children, but with these babies I couldn't get enough of smelling them, it was ambrosial. Definitely something chemical going on there, and possibly a window of opportunity for me to be wired to respond to that that was missed when my babies were covered immediately.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

isn't it also interesting that we towel off all the vernix on babies? talk about something that helps them retain heat!









still love you, Linda.


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## Romana (Mar 3, 2006)

When dd was born, and the umbilical cord was still attached, right before they put her on my tummy they went to put the hat on. I immediately said, "Does she have to have the hat?" I think it was the first coherent thing I said since arriving at the hospital ready to push, and that says a lot to me. I wasn't able to argue about the pain during stitching much or get a clear thought through my head, but I knew I wanted to just hold my naked babe and smell and kiss her sweet head. I had a very strong instinct to kiss her head, even though it had blood and vernix on it, and rub my face on her face and head gently. And I wanted to smell her head, oh, so much! Just thinking about smelling her newborn head makes me smile. I still love smelling her head, lol.

Of course, the doctor and nurse both immediately said "YES!" and put the hat on her. Well, I don't want the hat next time. I was reading recently that in Europe (France maybe?) they don't put hats on newborns b/c they think it affects their ability to regulate their own heat (i.e. if you artificially regulate baby's heat right after birth, baby's body will not learn quickly to self-regulate). That makes a lot of sense to me.

I did refuse the newborn bath and dd was unbathed for about 3 days, during which time I kept taking off her hat to kiss and smell her head. It was practically intoxicating to me and I was just totally instinctively compelled to do it. I think it was a huge bonding thing for me/us. For all those reasons, next time I'm going to try and avoid the hat.

Julia
dd 10 mos


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## mamabadger (Apr 21, 2006)

I think Pamamidwife's reasons are all excellent, but the one that really hits home with me is this:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife* 
I think it's a routine intervention that allows a provider to step into a mother's birth bubble - a time immediately postpartum that she should be completely focused on her baby - with no hands touching her or the baby, no unnecessary words spoken to her, etc.

Birth attendants tend to insert themselves into the mother/father/baby relationship far too much. Doctors and nurses are the worst, but even some midwives tend to do this.
I remember reading an article by one of the midwives who worked at Pithiviers in the 1970s. She said that even after the staff had given up most routine interventions and learned to leave a labouring woman alone, it took a long time to give up trying to join in the new parents' first contact with the baby. She said it was easy to want to be part of the parents' emotional high, and to make oneself important by being the one to announce the baby's sex, have the first contact with the baby, show the mother how to hold it, etc. etc. She felt that this was a breakthrough for the midwives, and they learned to step back and remove themselves from this experience, because it didn't belong to them. I thought that showed a lot of wisdom.
Even something as relatively small as insisting on dressing the baby a certain way, putting on the knitted cap, places the birth attendant between the mother and baby.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamabadger* 
I remember reading an article by one of the midwives who worked at Pithiviers in the 1970s. She said that even after the staff had given up most routine interventions and learned to leave a labouring woman alone, it took a long time to give up trying to join in the new parents' first contact with the baby. She said it was easy to want to be part of the parents' emotional high, and to make oneself important by being the one to announce the baby's sex, have the first contact with the baby, show the mother how to hold it, etc. etc. She felt that this was a breakthrough for the midwives, and they learned to step back and remove themselves from this experience, because it didn't belong to them. I thought that showed a lot of wisdom.

what is sad is that Michel Odent and his midwives have been writing about this for over THIRTY YEARS. even amongst homebirth midwives, it seems that we cannot get over ourselves and how we "need" to do certain things.

why do these things get said over and over, yet midwives don't apply it? why do they agree at conferences, yet they can't put it in practice? I'm not perfect everytime, I will admit right up front. But my awareness is THERE and I'm trying hard.

when will we, as midwives, stop looking to our clients for validation of our worth? when we will stop using their birth experiences as boosts for our esteem?

oy, I'm so ranty. sorry.


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## Daniel's Kitty (Nov 18, 2006)

They tried that stupid hat thing with ds. I felt bad for the poor nurses, his head was too big for the hat so it would just pop off as soon as it touched. He still won't wear hats unless it is about 5 degrees. They wanted him in that dumb little hat because his temp was about 96-97 degrees, which it still is 1 1/2 year later.


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## TinkerBelle (Jun 29, 2005)

Have you all ever thought that sometimes, they are trying to cover themselves legally?

People are so sue-happy.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Hats interfere with that new baby scent. That alone is enough reason for me


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## tinyshoes (Mar 6, 2002)

wow.

facintating.

I never thought about the hat.

I find it hilarious that the standard-issue hats at the hospital are ineffective:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife*
most hats are polyester - these do not keep baby heads warm. they are thin and snug and could affect how the plates of the skull go back on their own

I clearly remember repeatedly sneaking my hosp-born baby's hat off, to sniff her head, worried that I'd get "in trouble" (ah, naive young tinyshoes....)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamabadger*
Even something as relatively small as insisting on dressing the baby a certain way, putting on the knitted cap, places the birth attendant between the mother and baby.

Absolutely--wow....the hat (formerly appriciated as a helpful and cute newborn accessory) is now another element of Mainstream Birth for me to frown about.


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## jessjgh1 (Nov 4, 2004)

Hmm,
That is so interesting to consider... and totally makes a lot of sense. I doubt I would bother so much at home with hats, but the hospital was a little chilly at times. (In so many ways)

I mention this with hesitancy, because it was something I read and did not question at all... after all many of us all have it some what ingrained that newborns need hats etc, and so much heat is lost through the head...
I do recall a hat initiative to the 3rd world and there was some research that had shown that such a simple measure would save x# of newborn lives. Perhaps it was because they were low-birth weight?? Ok, heres the info:

http://ww2.kcd.org/staff/stringfellow/stitchforacause/
"...four million newborns worldwide die each year in their first month of life...
Many... infants could be saved with simple,inexpensive items,like sterile blades to
cut umbilical cords,antibiotics for pneumonia and knit caps to keep them warm,
[Save the Children] said in State of the World's Mothers 2006.... Ninety-nine
percent of newborn deaths are in developing countries,where such items are
often not widely available.
*The New York Times, May 9, 2006*

And noted that the statistic represents the combined package of sterile equipment, breastfeeding, hats, etc (well breastfeeding is mentioned more often in the full package of information). I do understand the reason they would focus on hats, since its kinda hard for the average person to put togehther sterile equipment or antibiotics to donate.

I had actually wanted to try to put together this project with the nursing home I work with, but it just wasn't going to happen before the end of the year.

And it saddens me that this initiative collected less than 200 hats )-: Of course I feel guilty cause I didn't contribute either, but I just had started to learn how to knit and couldn't possibly teach ti yet. I thought it was a really nice initiative and hoped that they would be flooded with hats.

Jessica


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## lifescholar (Nov 26, 2006)

That's interesting...I never thought of that!

My hospital doesn't put hats on them....My son was swaddled when they brought him to me, but that was only because there was a lot of meconium in the fluid, so the NICU team checked him over and then he got cleaned up and weighed first.

The original plan (before the appearance of meconium) was to place him immediately on my chest, and I believe they said that they would wait a while before taking him to weigh him, etc.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

there are some newer things being done for hypoxic infants in order to slow or prevent brain damage trials using cooling rather than heating --

so in addition to other more sensual reasons there may be some life saving/brain preserving reasons--
on the other hand at some point you may want to bundle /wrap or put a hat on a baby for warmth-the same way that parents eventually diaper or wrap a baby up- it just doesn't need to be immediately in most cases--


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

I always thought since the head is the largest body part of a newborn that a little hat would help keep the body heat in and normalize the little one's temperature.

Just a guess.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

yes for years we have been quickly hatting infants in order to not loose precious body heat because it is true that body heat can be lost that way-and that infants especially thin and early have more of a need to be kept warm not much brown fat to burn for warmth-
except now fitting right in with all those hypotherma stories where children are revived after drowning in very cold water is the use of cold to protect from oxidative stress and brain swelling after a baby has been recuscitated--
vernix and fluids are in a baby's hair and that warmth attracts a mom to nuzzle it who knows what kind of aroma therapy is within that-- watch a mom, watch a mom and baby interact- not that direct stare but within the scope of your sight as you are doing paperwork- even when hatted they want to see how much hair and color and the soft spot.... then they tug the hat back on but with the hat off it is fingers and chin- a cheek some kisses, this is an area of attraction for mom -- I can even remember now that downy soft hair of my babies against my chin-- head touching is a very intimate thing.
now remember that Odent was always keeping his rooms warm for laboring moms- better pain management- he didn't want moms shivering - so infants that are not distressed are not having a great deal of heat loss- not as much as they loose when in an air conditioned hospital room where they are lined up and given baths and put in an isolet/not held by warm human body- and not being nursed- and a nursing baby is often like a little heat generator-
now I do think that given the widespread use of head covering world wide- even pre-missionaries that there is some degree of sensibleness and human desire to cover the head but within seconds of birth is just too fast in my estimation


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## FreeThinkinMama (Aug 3, 2004)

I'm not convinced that hats are harmful. They might be unneccesary, i think they probably started the practice because of the old idea that being cold makes people (and babies) sick or more suspectible to sickness which isn't true. But I wouldn't fight nurses about putting a hat on my baby, I would rather choose my battles and enjoy my new baby. I just don't see the point in raising a big fuss about a hat when there are things like routine circumcision and newborn hepatitis B vaccinations going on.


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## maygee (Dec 22, 2006)

Skin to skin is best- seems like all that wrapping insulates a baby from mommy warmth.
I can't keep a hat on my baby's head for too long even here in Alaska- she tears 'em off nonstop! I get the dirtiest looks/ comments from people if she's taken her hat off and thrown it...


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

interestingly here in the hospitals- it is a non-issue no hats are popped on to baby's heads after birth- can't remember if they provide one later-- after a bath..


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mwherbs* 
there are some newer things being done for hypoxic infants in order to slow or prevent brain damage trials using cooling rather than heating --

Yes, that is what I was referring to earlier, but you explained it better, thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mwherbs*
not as much as they loose when in an air conditioned hospital room where they are lined up and given baths and put in an isolet/not held by warm human body- and not being nursed-

And that's what I was thinking in response to what Jessica was talking about. An awful lot of births in developing countries take place in hospitals or clinics that are not heated and the baby's had a bath and separated from the mother... in such a situation I would certainly be worried about the baby's heat loss. But not if the baby had never had a bath and was being held next to a warm body. I just seriously doubt that babies who _are_ in contact with a human body are dying just because they don't have a hat on. The real issues are doubtless human contact, nutrition, sanitation, and access to antibiotics when needed.

I did use a hat on my babies who weren't covered directly after birth -- but only at night (our mattress is on the floor where it's colder, and the baby slept next to me but not skin-to-skin) and when we went out into cold weather. If it's cold enough for me to be bundled up, obviously it's cold enough for the baby to be bundled up. There's some common sense necessary there. But likewise if I'm warm and comfortable without bundling, the baby should be too if s/he is in contact with me.

Quote:

I'm not convinced that hats are harmful.
It made a huge difference to me in how I bonded to my babies, and now that I know that, it would be enough to raise a _big_ stink about if I had to birth in a hospital. I know that's anecdotal, no big studies have been done to prove that there is a chemical reaction occurring. I'm just curious about what, in your experience, makes it so easy to discount it?


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chiro_kristin* 
Not wearing a hat, as Pam mentioned, allows the mom to kiss and touch that baby's head, and her instinctive directional stroking really will help align those cranial bones.

How does this happen? I have to admit I'm skeptical







but interested. I remember stroking along the fontanels, feeling almost compelled to do it.


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## sarah0404 (May 28, 2006)

Interesting. I never even heard about hospital staff making newborns wear hats before. I live in the UK, and have had 3 babies born in hospital. None of them have had hats put on. I assume its something thats just not done over here. We don't have problems with babies losing heat and not being able to keep themselves warm.

I should add, that my mother in law is a whole different story. She told me and DP that our DD would die because we kept taking her out without a hat on. The thing is, she was born in July, one of the hottest months of the year! She wasn't talking about a sun hat either, she meant a big woolly hat. Strange woman.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

About 4 hours after my son was born a nurse put a hat on him. He hated having it on, he'd fuss and knock it off and if I went to replace it he'd fuss more, so we didn't bother with it. It just wasn't practical for us, I was holding him and the room was warm enough anyway. And babies' heads smell so good, and are so kissable, why cover them up?


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## tinyshoes (Mar 6, 2002)

Today at my DONA-approved doula childbirth education class, we watched a video from University of Vienna (Austria) from 1995, showing 4 mothers as they labored & birthed in a birthing center.

And none of those babies wore a hat.

I don't think I would have noticed that detail if it were not for this current discussion.


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## cjanelles (Oct 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FreeThinkinMama* 
I'm not convinced that hats are harmful. They might be unneccesary, i think they probably started the practice because of the old idea that being cold makes people (and babies) sick or more suspectible to sickness which isn't true. But I wouldn't fight nurses about putting a hat on my baby, I would rather choose my battles and enjoy my new baby. I just don't see the point in raising a big fuss about a hat when there are things like routine circumcision and newborn hepatitis B vaccinations going on.


Here's what I know...

I was 18 and 20 yrs old when my oldest kids were born (now 10 and 14). I did not have the sense to ask so I would understand or speak up if I disagreed abotu ANYTHING. I simply went along with whatever the doctors and nurses told me to do or told me they were doing, etc.

Both births were SO mainstream...afterwards...I mean, although they were both hospital births, I did not have any pain meds or medical interventions during the labor and delivery (DID have the obnoxious countdown to push, but that was it--no meds, no IVs, no epis, etc).

However, after the babies were born--the machine went to work--washing, weighing, hatting, etc...And it never occurred to me to take that hat off. Not one time. It didn't occur to me that the presence of the hat was foreign to this very natural process.

Now, at age 32, I'm much more educated about pregnancy and childbirth and the issues that go along with it. I'm also not afraid to speak up for what *I* think is right for MY situation.

I missed out on this "intoxication" mothers speak of...I didn't nuzzle my older kids downy heads until I got them home. I didn't benefit from that intimate contact from the first moment...

Regardless of the possible medical implications of hat vs. no hat, I am developing a strong position that I DO NOT want extraneous people inserting themselves into our first moments after our baby is born (as a previous poster described). I do not want unnecessary barriers between my baby and me. I do not want anything to interfere with that immediate bonding process that happens in the moments just after birth...

And I never would have thought any of this important if I hadn't found this community and if I hadn't had a place to ask this question. LOL...so, I'm really thankful for that!

Of course, when I went to my husband (out of the blue while he was working on one of the new rooms we're adding to the house) and said, "I don't want them to put a hat on the baby when she's born", he looked at me like I was crazy...having no idea what I was talking about or where I was coming from...and I had a hard time trying to explain it...but now that I've written this post, I think I'll be able to make better sense.


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## bornbythesea (Oct 24, 2006)

This is why I love this forum. I had never even thought of this before, as as an L&D nurse, we always slap a hat on after the birth. But after reading this last night, I skipped the had with the baby born this morning. And it was lovely, mamas hand went right there. And the baby's temp was fine, the exact temp of her mom. Thanks for this post!


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## cristina63303 (Apr 3, 2006)

OMG, I love my midwife! I did get to enjoy those uninterrupted moments with my three kids thanks to HER. I never thought about these things before, and I never considered a home birth, but she made sure that my hospital births were wonderful, she made sure the doctor arrived after the babies were already there (ooops), she made sure that the babies were put directly on my breast with no hats/clothes to interfere with bonding, she made sure they stayed there for a very long time and relaxed until they felt like nursing to establish nursing right away, she made sure the babies did not get bathed (only one had too much blood on him and she helped DH bathe him), and then she made sure I went home two hours after birth (along the lines of "you're not sick, why do you want to be in a hospital?". I LOVE HER! I never realized how important all that was. Years on, I still savour those moments. Heck, I never realized this was not NORMAL!


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## FreeThinkinMama (Aug 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourlittlebirds* 
Yes, that is what I was referring to earlier, but you explained it better, thanks!

And that's what I was thinking in response to what Jessica was talking about. An awful lot of births in developing countries take place in hospitals or clinics that are not heated and the baby's had a bath and separated from the mother... in such a situation I would certainly be worried about the baby's heat loss. But not if the baby had never had a bath and was being held next to a warm body. I just seriously doubt that babies who _are_ in contact with a human body are dying just because they don't have a hat on. The real issues are doubtless human contact, nutrition, sanitation, and access to antibiotics when needed.

I did use a hat on my babies who weren't covered directly after birth -- but only at night (our mattress is on the floor where it's colder, and the baby slept next to me but not skin-to-skin) and when we went out into cold weather. If it's cold enough for me to be bundled up, obviously it's cold enough for the baby to be bundled up. There's some common sense necessary there. But likewise if I'm warm and comfortable without bundling, the baby should be too if s/he is in contact with me.

It made a huge difference to me in how I bonded to my babies, and now that I know that, it would be enough to raise a _big_ stink about if I had to birth in a hospital. I know that's anecdotal, no big studies have been done to prove that there is a chemical reaction occurring. I'm just curious about what, in your experience, makes it so easy to discount it?

That's odd because both of my babies have worn hats and I managed to bond just fine with them.

even more amazing is that my first dd was bottle fed and my new baby boy is breast fed and I managed to bond with both of them the same! Go figure;P


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## FreeThinkinMama (Aug 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjanelles* 
Here's what I know...

I was 18 and 20 yrs old when my oldest kids were born (now 10 and 14). I did not have the sense to ask so I would understand or speak up if I disagreed abotu ANYTHING. I simply went along with whatever the doctors and nurses told me to do or told me they were doing, etc.

Both births were SO mainstream...afterwards...I mean, although they were both hospital births, I did not have any pain meds or medical interventions during the labor and delivery (DID have the obnoxious countdown to push, but that was it--no meds, no IVs, no epis, etc).

However, after the babies were born--the machine went to work--washing, weighing, hatting, etc...And it never occurred to me to take that hat off. Not one time. It didn't occur to me that the presence of the hat was foreign to this very natural process.

Now, at age 32, I'm much more educated about pregnancy and childbirth and the issues that go along with it. I'm also not afraid to speak up for what *I* think is right for MY situation.

I missed out on this "intoxication" mothers speak of...I didn't nuzzle my older kids downy heads until I got them home. I didn't benefit from that intimate contact from the first moment...

Regardless of the possible medical implications of hat vs. no hat, I am developing a strong position that I DO NOT want extraneous people inserting themselves into our first moments after our baby is born (as a previous poster described). I do not want unnecessary barriers between my baby and me. I do not want anything to interfere with that immediate bonding process that happens in the moments just after birth...

And I never would have thought any of this important if I hadn't found this community and if I hadn't had a place to ask this question. LOL...so, I'm really thankful for that!

Of course, when I went to my husband (out of the blue while he was working on one of the new rooms we're adding to the house) and said, "I don't want them to put a hat on the baby when she's born", he looked at me like I was crazy...having no idea what I was talking about or where I was coming from...and I had a hard time trying to explain it...but now that I've written this post, I think I'll be able to make better sense.









I agree with the general point of your post, that women should stand up for themselves and their babies to avoid unneccesary interventions. I just don't see how putting a hat on them is the same as routine IV's and epis. My babies didn't wear the hats 24/7 anyway. it was usually at night when it gets colder and/or they're sleeping. so i wasn't prevented from stroking their hair and kissing their heads. if you think of the hat as a foreign object, why not the diaper and any other clothing we put on them? those things are functional. i see the hat as functional.


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## KsMum (Nov 1, 2006)

Interesting, i had DD in a hospital, and about an hour after she was born, they took her and DH to the nursery to weigh and measure her. In the nursery, they showed DH a box of knitted hats made by the women's club there, and he picked a gorgeous pink one. She only wore it for a couple of pictures, but i adore that hat. It's so small, and made with such love. i have it on display in my daughters room.


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## shibababy (Feb 27, 2003)

I can understand the reasons given for not wearing a hat immediately upon birth BUT,

I am ALWAYS cold. I see the shows on tv about birth and all I can think of is please hurry and put a blanket on the baby he/she is cold!

My rule is, If i'm cold, everybody's cold. I'm thinking of a hospital birth and know how cold hospitals are. I have even thought about bringing my own extra blanket or requesting about 3 blankets for my stay.

I have never given birth to my own child, but I have raised several foster newborns and i have had no trouble bonding with them, with or without the hat. I know that if I am going through 9 months, labor and birth, nothing as minor as a newborn hat is going to prevent me from bonding with my baby. I would be extremely worried about my baby being cold and that would inhibit my initial bonding if anything.

I guess I lean more towards the mainstream regarding birth although I would like no meds.


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## Sonnenwende (Sep 9, 2006)

For some reason, a hat was never put on after the birth. However, one or two days later, the nurses had my ass for walking around with her in the hospital without one on.







:

I just brushed it off as whatever, because they never offered me a hat either and I didn't have one with me. If it was that big of a deal they would have one to give.

I could honestly have cared less if a hat was put on after the birth. I had far more important things on my mind than a stupid hat. I certainally don't buy that it misshapes the skull more than pushing it out of my loins did.


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## SuzymomofLaura (Mar 4, 2006)

Although I love the look of them (loose fitting and cotton that is):the first thing I do is take it off to smell and kiss the little scalp








I agree with leaving mother and child undisturbed for a LONG time right after birth though! But after that (depending on temperature) they can be useful. My very old aunt (98) told me in her days nobody would put a hat on a babe when inside, she was surprised that has become the regular thing to do nowadays. But my daughter wore hats until she finally began to grow some hair







which was only after 4 months or so (to be sure she has grown an incredible amount of hair since!) As she was born in fall season, I'd rather put more clothes on her than turn up the heat which made her skin (and mine) dry and itchy. (she still likes hats BTW)


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

as you can see hats are not even consistently used in all places- and I am not saying that hats should never be put on a baby- what I do say is now there is exploration in medicine on the uses of not warming the head-
I am also stating my personal experience with my children and what I have seen with and without hats at births I have attended
- of course we bond with children with or without hats- heck I have people in my life that I didn't meet until they were adults that I have bonded with- I guess that is not my point.
There is a difference in maternal interaction with a baby with and without a hat on- at the very least it should be studied to outline the differences and even the difference in body temp- is there a difference in circulation patterns?
Studying bonding has fallen by the wayside for the past 15 years or so- yes for the most part there is no one single thing that makes or breaks maternal infant bonds between a determined mom and her baby- but in the past it has been shown that increased contact- physical contact changes mom/baby behavior in bigger ways- does it surprise you at all that co-sleeping moms touch their babies more or that they feed them more? what are the differences between hats and hatless in the first hrs? are there any long term effects or differences- both in bonding and physically? I am not really looking for one more thing for you to add to your list of micro-management of a birth, one more stress, it is something to consider


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## QueenOfThePride (May 26, 2005)

I've been following this thread, and I think it's great! I never considered the hat issue, but I've been thinking more about when I had my son, and the first few days after. Immediately after DS emerged, I was pretty out of it just from the pain and hard work. He was on my belly, but it was wierd that I didn't really care. It wouldn't have mattered to me if they had taken him to another room. After a few minutes, the nurse took him to the warmer. Probably about 20 minutes after the birth I finally became more aware. Then I wanted to see my baby really badly and I couldn't because the warmer was on the other side of the room and the nurse was standing in front of it. I was annoyed because I didn't know what she was doing to him, or why it was taking so long. (And the OB was putting in my stitches, which I could feel.) I asked DH what DS looked like, and he said, "I don't know, a baby." I asked DH what they are doing to him, and said, "I don't know." I asked the nurse what his Apgar scores were. She and the OB looked at each other, and neither one answered me. Then the OB put in another stitch and I yelled, "Ow! Are you almost done?" And she said, "No." I tried to close my legs involuntarily in response to the pain, and she pushed my legs back open. She was annoyed with me squirming around and complaining. I can't remember if she said something like, "Hold still." No one told me what his Apgar scores were, and I wondered if they don't do them anymore. Finally, after what seemed like forever (an hour?) and the OB was done with me, the nurse brought DS back to me and he was all bundled up in a blanket. I was glad to finally see him, but I felt like I wasn't really seeing him. All I could see was his face. I really wanted to see him naked, but I thought he must need to be wrapped up in a blanket for some reason (to stay warm? to feel secure, like in the womb?). I thought I would get in trouble if I stripped him naked after the nurse swaddled him up so perfectly. So I felt a little short-changed that I didn't get to see him naked immediately after birth, (well after I came to my senses). So yeah, I felt like I wasn't allowed to touch my own baby, who was a perfectly healthy and robust 9 pounder.

So hey, don't you all think that swaddling is a bigger impediment to immediate bonding than a hat? The hospital did give us a hat. There's a group of ladies that knit baby hats and donate them to the hospital. It was cute, but too big for DS, so he didn't wear it.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I think there is huge benefit to upright delivery and placing the baby on below the mom - and allowing her to touch and pick up her baby when she is ready.

This practice of throwing the baby on mom's belly immediately (because they're lying on their back) and then rubbing them with blankets totally interferes with that birth bubble. Then again, nearly everything done in the hospital interferes with normal labor, birth and postpartum.


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourlittlebirds*
It made a huge difference to me in how I bonded to my babies[...]


Quote:


Originally Posted by *FreeThinkinMama* 
That's odd because both of my babies have worn hats and I managed to bond just fine with them.

It's great that you were able to bond with your babies exactly the same and were happy with that level of bonding whatever it was. Regardless, it's not odd in the least that some women are especially sensitive to the bonding process. There are many factors that go into the bonding process, and this is just one. That it happened not to be a significant factor for you doesn't mean that it isn't for anyone.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

and I think "bonding" is less what we're talking about than the hormonal release that is so delicate during the labor/birth/immediate postpartum experience. This delicate balance of hormones helps prevent complications to both mom and baby immediately after birth.


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## MonicaS (Oct 27, 2002)

Wow, this thread has made me think back to my 2 hosp births. It is such a shame that I thought I wasn't "allowed" to remove the hat. I remember having a VERY strong desire to take the hat off and really _look_ at my baby, but I felt like I had to sneak that look - that I wasn't allowed to take her hat off.(I was young, and I'm a rule follower/pleaser.) I have a very vivid memory of pulling her hat back about an inch and looking at her hair all stuck in place b/c she hadn't had a bath, yet. I am a major snuggler, and I KNOW I would have been all over that little head had I not had that hat there. Who wants to love on a hat?







I'm speaking mostly of my VBAC(2nd baby) since I didn't get to hold my 1st DD for well over an hour after my c/s. I was sooo tired after the long day of labor and unplanned c/s that I didn't really even *see* her until the next morning, eventhough she roomed in. I was told to strip her to wake her up so she would nurse then reprimanded when the nurse came in and DD wasn't all covered up.(She was born in late July in Florida!) That colored my 2nd birth big time. I was afraid to uncover any of my babies at the hospital after that, except to change a diaper.

With my 3rd DD, a homebirth, I remember thinking in my head, "I can uncover her, I can look at her, I can pick her up, I can do whatever I want w/ her, and no one will stop me!" She was never once swaddled in her life. I didn't have a hat for her, either. It was soooo nice.


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## cheery (Jul 29, 2004)

Quote:

Absolutely--wow....the hat (formerly appriciated as a helpful and cute newborn accessory) is now another element of Mainstream Birth for me to frown about.
oops i just bought an adorable one made of organic cotton .... it was too cute and irresistible. maybe i will save it for winter.


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## ~Heyokha~ (Nov 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife* 
I think there is huge benefit to upright delivery and placing the baby on below the mom - and allowing her to touch and pick up her baby when she is ready.

This practice of throwing the baby on mom's belly immediately (because they're lying on their back) and then rubbing them with blankets totally interferes with that birth bubble. Then again, nearly everything done in the hospital interferes with normal labor, birth and postpartum.









yes. I think a course in *self* relaxation should be a requirement for all birth attendants. Take a deep breath, keep your feet planted on the floor, and let nature play out. Nature 'knows' more than we do


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

I loooove little baby hats.







: Lilly has a ton from the NICU and I just adore all of the tiny hats. I'm not even pregnant yet and I want to make some cute little hats. I promise though, I will take off the hat and smell my next baby's head so we can be properly bonded, then I will put the hat right back on just because I think it's cute.


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## phreedom (Apr 19, 2007)

Hats are put on babies here immediately after delivery as well. But I´ve never heard on anyone getting chastised for NOT putting one on or a parents being griped at.

The only deliveries I attend are the potentially bad ones where the baby comes out possibly needing to go to NICU. So hats immediately after delivery aren´t something I deal with. I know that well baby nursery gets cold at night, so we are pretty consistant about keeping hats on them in there. (there actually are lots a parents that still choose to send their baby to the NBN...we encourage rooming in.)

When parents come in the unit to see their baby...I´ll bundle them up and put a hat on them (or not) if I remember. Often it´s the parents that want the hat on and remind me that I didn´t put it on. The more smaller and premature the baby is, the more dilligent I am about the hat thing...the larger term babies...not so much. And when any baby is BFing I just tell mom as long as the baby is against her skin, it will stay warm. They don´t need to keep it swaddled with a hat on.


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## AlexisT (May 6, 2007)

Well, i had a CS, but they let me hold her for a minute (just naked, no hat) after she was born, when I was still on the table. They did have to take her away for a few minutes because the surgeon was still working, and I guess they weighed her then.

In recovery I held her wrapped up in a blanket. She hadn't been washed (I have photos of her still all covered in vernix). They cleaned her up afterwards and put on the clothes we'd brought. I hadn't thought of a hat so she didn't have one. Never did when she was in the hospital, even when she was in NICU. They did have teeny little hats for the preemies, but I suppose it's different for them. (Aliza wasn't preemie, just badly jaundiced.)

I've never had her wear a hat indoors, never even thought about it. When she was a newborn she was being held all the time anyway.







She had little hats for when we went out because it was cold.


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## phreedom (Apr 19, 2007)

I just think it´s silly to hear stories of hospital staff chastising parents for not having a hat on the newborn. It´s not. that. big. a. deal. Some people need to lighten up.

This may get me flamed, but the only time I will say something about keeping the baby warm/bundled whatever is when I see people passing a newborn from person to person in nothing but a diaper and maybe a shirt. Of just laying it in the crib with nothing on but a diaper. No one is really cuddling it for any amount of time, just looking at it and passing it around. This doesn´t happen often. But I do think if the infant is going to be ¨passed¨ around it should be bundled, or at least loosely wrapped in a blanket. I don´t get all balistic about it but I try to gently remind them if the baby isn´t being cuddled it should at least be covered. (hat optional)


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I would like to add for further clarification that those newborn polyester / striped 'hats' (they're stockinette types with the tie on the top) are NOT enough to keep any baby warm.

We need to consider, too, if we're really going to get into babies needing to keep their head warm that anything put on right at birth needs to be removed soon after that and replaced. (because the first one will be damp)

Preferably with a double ply COTTON only cap or a wool cap.


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## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

It's very interesting that they should insist on a hat immediately after birth to regulate body heat, and then insist that they never wear one when wrapped so that they can regulate their body heat.


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## dynamicdoula (Jun 11, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife* 
when will we, as midwives, stop looking to our clients for validation of our worth? when we will stop using their birth experiences as boosts for our esteem?

oy, I'm so ranty. sorry.

No, you're a midwife, through every layer.


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## To-Fu (May 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bornbythesea* 
This is why I love this forum. I had never even thought of this before, as as an L&D nurse, we always slap a hat on after the birth. But after reading this last night, I skipped the had with the baby born this morning. And it was lovely, mamas hand went right there. And the baby's temp was fine, the exact temp of her mom. Thanks for this post!

And responses like this are why *I* love this forum.


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## homemademomma (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *QueenOfThePride* 

So hey, don't you all think that swaddling is a bigger impediment to immediate bonding than a hat.

nak

definitely! but we dont swaddle at my birth center- naked skin to skin. so its the hats that i think about


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wannabe* 
It's very interesting that they should insist on a hat immediately after birth to regulate body heat, and then insist that they never wear one when wrapped so that they can regulate their body heat.









Great point! Gotta love the "experts."









So often, there's not a whole lot of 'evidence-based medicine' being practiced, IME.


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## TinyFrog (Jan 24, 2006)

Wow, I had never thought about the hat before. All of the justifications (for not wearing one)make sense.

You all make me look forward to smelling a newborn head now.


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