sterile water for baby baths

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Our hospital has recently installed faucet in nursery which gives sterile water. the initial baby bath is done in the nursery with this water. For bath demos for our new moms, we have to get a basin (nonsterile) full of sterile water, cover this with cellophane (to keep heat) and take it to the mom's room. Has anyone else started this crazy practice? I think the latter especially sends the wrong message to our new moms.

Specializes in OB, lactation.

LOL... we do everything with tap water right in their room with mom and dad and whoever :)

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LOL... we do everything with tap water right in their room with mom and dad and whoever :)

Isn't there a study that tap water is actually cleaner than bottled water?

Not that bottled water is sterile . . . but still, tap water is pretty darn clean.

steph

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Specializes in OB, lactation.
Isn't there a study that tap water is actually cleaner than bottled water?

Not that bottled water is sterile . . . but still, tap water is pretty darn clean.

steph

Yeah, I think so - i.e. there are actually more regulations regarding tap water (public water supplies) than most bottled water.

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Yeah, I think so - i.e. there are actually more regulations regarding tap water (public water supplies) than most bottled water.

Yep, that is it.

I've never given a baby a bath in the room - our nursery is all set up for it. I'm sure other nurses may have though.

steph

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Specializes in CCU MICU Rapid Response.

Hmmm, maybe she meant filtered or distilled perhaps??

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

forget the sterile water...give the nurses a raise...:yeah:

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

We won't let any one in to watch the bath.........lol........they have to watch behind glass.....we are kinda old school......I was really shocked when I started their a couple of years ago at the old practices.......as far as having sterile water for a bath, do these folks know whats on the kid, at that point? Tap water is NOT going to hurt the baby.

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We won't let any one in to watch the bath.........lol........they have to watch behind glass.....we are kinda old school......I was really shocked when I started their a couple of years ago at the old practices.......as far as having sterile water for a bath, do these folks know whats on the kid, at that point? Tap water is NOT going to hurt the baby.

Blood, meconium, urine, amniotic fluid, vernix caseosa . . . . . .;)

steph

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We won't let any one in to watch the bath.........lol........they have to watch behind glass.....we are kinda old school......I was really shocked when I started their a couple of years ago at the old practices.......as far as having sterile water for a bath, do these folks know whats on the kid, at that point? Tap water is NOT going to hurt the baby.

What if mom says no, she will bathe the baby? I had a nurse with my 3rd baby tell me that I couldn't bathe my baby (I gave the other two their 1st baths) because that is when she did her assessment. Not this time -- you can assess after I bathe my child. Seems silly but as a woman who just gave birth I thought it was important to give 1st baths. Gosh my first when to the nursery for breathing problems and I still was the first one to bathe her. The nurse just rubbed her off with a towel.

As for the sterile water, any one who has been in a delivery room or has children will say -- ha ha!!!!! My 3 survived just fine with mom giving a bath with plain, old tap water.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

They tell them that its an infection control issue, that its a securtiy issue, etc. We haven't had a mom (yet) to get really upset. Sometimes I wish one would so we could make some changes. I really believe thats why we don't get alot of "educated" parents.....they know how we do things so they go to another hospital with more up to date practices. We get alot of teenage moms, drug users, etc. and of course staff members that get a discount with our insurance for delivering there;)

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I had the nurse tell me that my baby was a biohazard, as she was trying to get me to agree with letting her bathe the baby. Yeah, well since he was inside of me, guess that makes him my biohazard! Luckily, I was delivering just as shift change occurred and the first nurse stayed on for the delivery. Which of course was awesome of her. The "bathing baby" nurse and I wouldn't have gotten on. The first thing she wanted to do was count, which is my pet peeve. Luckily, my husband told her to stop. Hello, my body knows what to do and if it doesn't the CNM certainly does.

You are right about "educated" parents. One of the reasons that I chose that hospital was for its low-intervention and more down-earth attitude. I had my second there and it was awesome. Except for the one incident with the nurse, my third was also awesome. Would love to work there, except since we moved it is an hour drive with no traffic. Don't think the nurse was a regular nurse there.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

How awful, Criss. Our policy states "infant skin-to-skin immediately after birth unless mother declines or baby needs medical care that precludes this". This means, we do not bathe and traumatize the baby right after birth. He/she is placed on mom's bare chest, for bonding and breastfeeding *initially*. I tell the patients while they are in labor, how we do things, and if they want it to go differently, that is ok. I encourage immediate skin-to-skin contact in all moms, no matter how educated they may or may not be. Most are very open to this and excited to be the first ones to hold and bond with their new babies.

Really, the baths can wait, "biohazard" notwithstanding. Meds, too, for at least an hour or so. What is most important is facilitating a more smooth and kind transition for the neonate and also give mom a chance to bond and be the very first person to hold her baby. Most often, the reason we do take the baby from mom is due to the fact she and her family members want to know what the baby weighs, not necessarily be bathed. And we do have nurses who really, in the name of efficiency, want to bathe the babies quickly. Personally, I ask the parents what their preference is, and honor it.

However, when we DO bathe the babies, they are bathed in mom's room, in view of all family members, who take pictures etc. This is how I think it should be for every lady partsl delivery. Only moms who refuse to hold their unbathed babies, have them bathed in that immediate critical period of time right after birth.

I encourage anyone working in places like this do research and encourage evidence-based practices that are best, rather than those that are done for staff convenience or other reasons not in the best interests of the patients. Changes can be made, if slowly.

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