Alternatives to Routine Newborn Procedures

Want to raise a natural baby? Find out which routine newborn procedures are essential, and which could be delayed or skipped.

Want to raise a natural baby? There are lots of decisions to make. Find out which routine newborn procedures are needed, and which you can skip.

Most of us are so fixated on keeping our labor interventions low that we don’t realize that we’ll be faced with many choices regarding post-birth interventions for our baby.

In this post, we review the standard newborn procedures, show how many are not evidence-based, and provide natural alternatives.

Antibiotic eye ointment

Antibiotic eye ointment, erythromycin, is given to newborns to prevent blindness that is caused by a mother infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia. Unfortunately, this has become a standard procedure, even with moms who tested negative for these two sexually transmitted infections. This is presumably because both infections can exist without symptoms.

Many women who want to raise a natural baby would rather not give unnecessary antibiotics for a few reasons. Use of antibiotics can harm a baby’s gut health, setting them up for increased risk of illness later in life. Also, erythromycin can cause blurred vision which interferes with bonding and establishing breastfeeding.

What are my options?

Most midwives and doctors will test you for many sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea or chlamydia, during pregnancy. If you test positive, it would be best to use the eye ointment, although you will also be treated for these infections during pregnancy and be tested to determine if they have been cured. Although, you can ask the hospital staff to delay eye ointment until you and baby have a chance to gaze at each other and bond. If you are not infected and in a monogamous relationship, then you can safely refuse this intervention.

Vitamin K shot

Our bodies need Vitamin K to activate molecules that help blood clotting. Without enough vitamin K, babies can have vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) which is rare but dangerous.

Early onset VKDB happens in the first 24 hours, classical VKDB happens in days 2-3, up to day 7, and late onset happens after that, typically age 3-8 weeks.

In 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended giving Vitamin K shots after birth to protect against VKDB.

However, many naturally-minded mamas are concerned about the vitamin K shot.

The shot contains 20,000 times the amount an infant has at birth and moms are concerned that giving a mega dose to a day old baby can be dangerous.

The synthetic vitamin K shot is a class C drug which means it is unknown whether it is safe during pregnancy. It is also possible to overdose on vitamin K and the shot contains 5,000 times the recommended daily allowance.

It may be that injecting the vitamin K shot into the muscle of the leg allows it to release slowly so as not to overwhelm the baby’s system.

However, there is also some debate about whether or not a vitamin K injection in the muscles is safe. The vitamin K shot drug insert warns that it can cause “severe, sometimes fatal, allergic reactions when injected into a muscle or vein, and is ideally taken by mouth or injected under the skin”.

Additionally, the vitamin K shot does contain some nasty preservatives like Phenol, Benzyl alcohol, Propylene glycol, Acetic acid, Hydrochloric acid, Lecithin, and Castor oil.

Even the preservative free vitamin K shot includes Polysorbate 80, Propylene glycol, Sodium acetate anhydrous, and Glacial acetic acid to help with the absorption.

What are my natural baby options?

If your child is formula fed, your baby’s risk for VKBD is essentially non-existent and supplementing is not necessary. (Of course, check with doctor or midwife!)

For breastfed babies, you can choose vitamin K oral drops, which are definitely protective but not as effective as the shot (The shot will account for 0 deaths per 100,000 whereas the oral vitamin K will result in up to 7 deaths per 100,000. Some of this increased risk was because parents didn’t administer all oral doses.)

The Danish oral vitamin K regimen is an adequate way to reduce VKDB risk substantially in breastfed babies. To follow this regimen you need to give baby 2mg at the day of birth and 1mg at least 3 months of life. Some midwives advise moms to continue for the first 6 months of life at which point baby’s natural vitamin K levels are highest. There’s no harm in continuing vitamin K supplementing this long. It is also helpful for the breastfeeding mother to take 5mg of Vitamin K daily, as this can boost her Vitamin K levels in her breast milk.

Finding vitamin K drops in the US can be tricky, however. Here are two brands to look for: Scientific Botanicals and Biotics Research. You may also be able to purchase them through your midwife.

Some midwives believe vitamin K supplementation is only necessary in a traumatic labor like a forcep or vacuum extraction birth and/or male circumcision, both which can cause baby to bleed.

One thing to note, some believe vernix may contain vitamin K. Instead of wiping it off, rub in this creamy substance to help support your baby’s well-being.

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Early cord clamping (ECC)

It was thought that ECC reduced the risk for postpartum hemorrhage. Science has since disproved that theory, yet ECC it’s still standard care. There is substantial evidence to support delayed cord clamping instead.

Delayed cord clamping in very preterm infants reduces the risk for intraventricular hemorrhage and late-onset sepsis. It increases blood volume, reduces need for blood transfusion, improves oxygenation of tissues and increases the amount of iron in baby’s blood, especially in iron deficient moms. In fact, almost all premature infants receive either delayed cord clamping or cord milking–so why not full term infants too?

Delayed cord clamping and jaundice

Delayed cord clamping has one potential drawback – slightly higher rates of jaundice. Some researchers conclude that delayed cord clamping is beneficial when access to phototherapy for jaundice is available. Others are skeptical of this finding.

The most recent studies found no correlation between DCC and jaundice in babies. The reality is that most babies, especially those who are breastfed, will have some degree of jaundice in the first few days and unless levels are unusually high, jaundice is physiologic, which means it is totally normal.

What are my options?

Many moms choose to delay cord clamping until 3-5 minutes after which is the minimum amount of time it takes for the blood to circulate to baby.

Others choose to delay cord clamping until the cord has stopped pulsating or until the placenta has been born, both of which would take longer than 3-5 minutes.

Including this in your birth plan as well as asking your doula to help you and your partner remind your care providers when the birth is imminent, is a good way to be sure your preferences are respected.

Bathing baby

If you’re giving birth at the hospital, you’ll probably want to avoid bathing your newborn there. The hospital usually uses products that contain chemicals, parabens, or fragrances. (Stay clear of toxic baby powder!)

While the staff may urge you to do so, know that you have options and can always say “no thanks.”

Know that you can bring your own bath products and you can ask that you be involved with the bath or do the bath yourself (or have dad do it if you don’t feel up to it).

Another concern many natural parents have is that bathing washes away the vernix (a white cheese-like protective material that covers the skin of the baby) before it has had a chance to absorb. Vernix has many benefits to baby. It acts as an antimicrobial, defending baby against infections. It’s also a great moisturizer. SO good, in fact, that cosmetic companies researched it!

Finally, our skin contains good bacteria so we don’t want to wash this off with soap and water frequently, especially in newborns who are populating their gut bacteria rapidly.

What are my natural baby options?

Most midwives know the benefit of delaying baby’s first bath and won’t even mention it. Some moms like to wait 24 to 48 hours and others like to wait a good week before bathing child. It’s really a matter of personal choice.

Circumcision

Circumcision is another hot topic for debate. Many people choose to circumcise for religious reasons, other do it because they and everyone they know are circumcised. Still others choose to circumcise because they’ve heard it’s healthier or more hygienic.

However, routine circumcision is not necessarily more hygienic or healthier. In studies, the only risk factor that increases in non-circumcised males are UTIs, which are much less likely to occur in men versus women. The risk is so low that circumcision is classified, by the American Medical Association as a non-therapeutic procedure. The American Academy of Pediatrics has never, in it’s 75 years of operation, recommended infant circumcision.

According to Intact America:

“The foreskin is a normal, sensitive, functional part of the body. In infant boys, the foreskin is attached to the head of the penis (glans), protects it from urine, feces, and irritation, and keeps contaminants from entering the urinary tract. The foreskin also has an important role in sexual pleasure, due to its specialized, erogenous nerve endings and its natural gliding and lubricating functions.”

Circumcision is also becoming less common. About half of infant boys today are not subjected to routine circumcision (up from about 19% in 1981). So when those boys are teenagers about half of their peers will look just like them.

Here are more facts about baby circumcision.

What are my natural baby options?

You can allow your male child to make the choice for himself when he is old enough. Since circumcision is non-therapeutic, there is no medical reason it needs to be done in infancy.

Newborn procedures: the bottom line

Whether you’re a first time mama or a seasoned mother of four, know that knowledge is power. Do the research, discuss with your healthcare team, and make the choices that are best for you, baby and family.

How about you?

What routine newborn procedures did you choose or refuse? Share with us in the comments below!

 

References

  • https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-the-vitamin-k-shot-in-newborns/
  • https://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/03/delayed-cord-clamping-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/
  • https://www.scienceandsensibility.org/category/delayed-cord-clamping/
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595247/
  • https://intactamerica.org/intact-america-launches-campaign-to-change-the-way-america-thinks-about-circumcision/
Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a childbirth educator and breastfeeding advocate. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 130,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

152 Comments

  1. What do you recommend for the breastfeeding mama as far as inflammation? Everything I read says Tylenol or Ibuprofen. I know these often flare or cause gut problems. Is there an effective natural remedy or is this just an necessary intervention? If so, what precautions (probiotics, whole foods, etc) do you suggest to counteract the effects? Would you recommend simply not taking anything at all and is this situational (c-section, natural)? Sorry, lots of questions!!! Thank you for your time!

  2. Hi I was wondering how to administer vitamin K drops in mg? I only see droppers for ML.

    Thanks

  3. Thank you for all the thorough information that you post. I was wondering since I am GB positive, can I still skip on the eye ointment and is it safe to rub in the vernix?
    Thank you

  4. I had home births with both my children and plan to with my third. I chose home birth to avoid all the unnecessary interventions to me and my babies. I have also discussed with my partner several times the things that are NOT allowed to happen to our baby if there is an emergency and I have to deliver at the hospital. neither of my boys are circumcised, my family was really upset with my decision, but I remained firm despite their frequent harassment. Luckily, my partner and my close friends supported my decision, find a support group to help you! I also opted out of the vitamin K shot and the eye ointment. My midwife practices real delayed cord clamping, much longer than the hospital delayed cord clamping of 2-3 minutes. At the end of the day, you have to do what you feel is right for you and your baby, it’s different for everyone, and tell people that. I often say, “this works for us.”

    • Great job Sabrina! You family is operating on emotions and not evidence based actions. It is very easy for people to get wrapped up in their feelings and biases and you did the right thing. Going with the consensus of evidence is so much more important than going with tradition but often people fight that because it will force them to come to terms that maybe they were wrong and many aren’t strong enough to do that lol

  5. Hello,
    I have been a subscriber since 2017. I was refreshing myself on the oral vitamin K regimen as I am expecting baby #3 in less than 2 weeks & I need some clarification please. In your article you stated that vitamin K should be 4mg at birth & 2mg weekly thereafter for at least 3 months. However, in the Danish study you referenced the regimen is 2mg at birth & 1mg weekly thereafter. I read through all the comments on this article & several others had brought this issue up as well, but I never saw an answer. Please help?!

  6. I came to this article for information about the oral Vitamin K protocol. I really appreciate the information here, however I would like to request that you please update the dosage from 4 mg at birth to 2 mg. If I had juts relied on this article instead of looking at the study I would have been double dosing my newborn!

    • I’m interested in doing the oral vitamin k regimen and was curious what brand you used for your baby? Thanks!

  7. One thought on circumcision—in the mid 1900s a a study was conducted when it came to light that cervical cancer was almost non existent in Jewish women. The conclusion of the study—bacteria hides in the folds of uncircumcised skin and can cause cervical cancer over time especially if there are micro tears in women due to child birth etc.
    Neither my hubby or boys are circumcised, but this is why women get pap-smears every 5 years.

    • Great tip Kate!

      I think ongoing monitoring is important and mitigates one of the real consequences of taking the healthier option.

  8. What a great article! Thank you so much for your time creating this. One thing, the danish study is 2 mg at birth and 1 mg weekly for three months. Many mamas are coming to this article for reference, so may be good to fix that!! Hugs!!

  9. Hannah – can you speak to the routine suctioning of baby’s mouth after delivery? My birthing coach has a similar practice as you do and she said that it’s not recommended if baby is vigorous at birth. I didn’t see it mentioned in the article or comments. Thanks!

  10. I’m mom of 2 boys. First one born in the hospital, second one born at home. I could not be more grateful I decided to do home birth. After hospital birth Experience I was so devastated that I suffered from postpartum depression and everything was wrong. Including all the unnecessary drugs they give those little babies. I’d like to recommend a book from dr Paul Thomas-family friendly vac plan. The home birth was the best decision I’ve Made. You’re the one who decides. Trust yourself.

  11. My husband was uncircumcised and decided for himself to get it done at 18. Since I’m not a man I don’t believe I’m qualified to make those decisions and will leave the decision making to him. Especially since we have men trying to govern women’s bodies on a federal level which I think is unfair. I also believe everyone in this comment thread should respect each other’s choices and not attack anyone for their comments.

    • Please look at yourwholebaby.org <3 it is not your husband's decision on what cosmetic surgery happens to a child's genitals. It is the owner of those genitals.

    • You don’t want to make that decision for your *born* child, but as long as they’re *unborn* you think that the mama should have the right to terminate them? What if we waited until they were old enough to make that decision themselves, and ask if they want to be alive?

  12. I would just like to say that I think those vitamin K studies from Vanderbilt University in Nashville are garbage. I’ve been a patient there in the past, and it’s your basic butcher shop hospital. It’s a private research hospital. I do not believe the study that the 7 out of 100,000 children who refused vitamin K injections at birth all had the brain-bleeding problems mentioned, from refusing the shots. And that for this reason, all babies should be injected full of these dangerous chemicals. I would like to spare more of the story, but my Dr from the hospital had on the records, “I apologize for any errors in this letter. I am using voice recognition software.” And then one sentence after the next, she had a huge error that couldve been deadly had I not noticed it. If I had brought that to some other Drs office or kept going there, without reading the record, could’ve been killed by some procedure. One of the Drs kept randomly saying, “We would never lie about anything.” (About something else, I never mentioned this error to them.) And im thinking, umm, i never said you did? I gave no indication of that, I was just sitting there nodding my head and pretending to agree. But he kept saying it in a really weird way. Some of that stuff these hospitals do is a death trap have to watch out for. That isn’t half the story but enough of the story to give some general idea. Anyway their Drs can’t even reread patient records to prevent errors made sloppily using voice recognition software. No other Drs tried to fix it, of the others involved, and you know they’d never admit an error. Drs typically just agree w each other no matter how wrong. You really think they can do a study involving 100,000 people? It’ll only be the result they want it to be.

    • I mean she sat right there and said there would be an error on it, bc she was using voice recognition software. But you know nobody would actually admit errors. Kind of ironic.

    • My grandfather was the victim of doctors just blindly trusting each other. He ended up misdiagnosed and way over medicated to the point of abuse despite our repeated protests. And everyone ignored the fact that he wasn’t even sick in the first place: everything he suffered was iatrogenic. Doctors can screw up so incredibly bad and just go about their days like nothing. It isn’t their lives or their loved ones

    • I totally agree! I personally know a nurse who said it is now COMMON PRACTICE to bring a crash cart with them when administering the vitamin k shots and hepatitis b shots!! So I know this statistic is bogus. It is highly dangerous to overdose your baby on vitamin k – especially in shot form. It sickens me that this has become standard procedure based on a very small percentage of babies who are actually born with a vitamin k deficiency. And my question is this – why don’t they simply TEST vitamin k level?? Such common sense to me. I mean, you wouldn’t give insulin to a baby just because SOME babies are born with diabetes. That’s crazy!
      I’m completely refusing vitamin k shots or drops because I have the MTHFR gene mutation, which makes it likely my baby will have it as well. It is highly dangerous to give high doses of vitamin k to someone with this gene mutation! Many people have it and don’t even know it. So yeah…again, so crazy how the medical field just accepts things rather than using their brains. And research. You know – science. Where did that go??

  13. The only thing with GBS is the mom will need to be administered antibiotics during birth.

  14. We live in NY where it is also mandatory to receive vitamin k and have the pku test done. My husband and I were successful in refusing both for our last baby (although it was a battle in the hospital. We also had cps breathing down our necks and so much pressure from the nurses and doctors) Regardless, we will be doing so again for this baby due in two weeks.
    We just read the back of the pku pamphlet the hospital gave us and that was reason enough for me and my husband to make a stand against the pku. Did you know the government admittedly saves the baby’s blood for 17 years after testing? No thank you! I’ll take my baby to her pediatrician and we’ll decide together what tests, if any she needs. Without the “help” of the state.
    As for the vitamin k, I’d rather not introduce anything my baby doesn’t need into her system. I’ll trust Gods design over the status quo at a hospital any day. Thank you mama natural for supporting those who want to make the best choices for themselves and their families.

    • the newborn screen test (the pku) saved my son’s life. we had zero risk factors and really no clue what it even was until we got a callback from the hospital for a retest. this screen test checks for so many genetic disorders! pku shows no symptoms until it’s TOO LATE. i know people get bent out of shape about their newborn feeling a little pain from the test but it’s worth it. I’m so happy that we can enjoy our son. without that screen test we’d have a completely different, devestating story.

    • How were you able to deny the vitamin K shot? I didn’t know any better and had it given to my first born and thankfully she’s okay.. but I’m having a boy this time and I live in NY also and I’m scared of them taking my kid away if I don’t give the vitamin K. I’m also refusing hep b as well

      • Can do oral vit K – get your own, bring it with you and request they do oral. There was some court decision or change in the law recently that makes it easier to refuse the vit K shot now. I believe you still have to do the eye treatment too, but that may have changed as well.

    • Could you please elaborate on how you were able to refuse those? Also did you refuse the eye drops? I am a first time mother and I’ve done my research for Months beforehand and have came to the decision of not wanting to do those procedures…I also live in NY and know that they are very strict and try to scare you into it….

  15. Hi! I had a question about the Danish study you posted for Vitamin K. The study says 2 mg at birth and 1mg weekly but you wrote 4 mg at birth and 2 mg weekly. Was that info from another study? Also, the biotics brand is only 500mcg per drop so to get 2 mg it would be four drops instead of two and 8 drops for the 4 mg.
    I just wanted to get clarification which regimen?
    Thanks so much for the content!

    • I’m pregnant with my first baby & am overwhelmed with all of these procedures! I found this article & comments so helpful, thanks so much!

    • Hey Chelsea, I had the same question! I read the Danish article and saw 2mg initial /1mg weekly for 3 months. Did you ever get a clarification??

  16. 2013 I had my son by csection (breech) and opted out of hep b and eye ointment. We DID get Vit K shots even though we didn’t circumcise & happy we did because he had extremely low blood sugar and needed to be pricked every hour for a few days – it was terrible. 2015 daughter was a VBAC and we refused the eye ointment and Hep B again. Both with Kaiser in N.Cal, different hospitals. HOWEVER, we just moved to Pennsylvania and they LIED on our kids medical records saying they DID have the procedures done. So now I have no clue if they were preformed without our consent 🙁 I’m due with #3 this winter and have some hospital/state law research to do. I hate that we can’t trust our healthcare system

    • I’m giving birth at Kaiser in N. Cal this fall with my first and I’m so paranoid of being harassed for refusing things. Did they fight you on your decision to deny the shots and ointment?

  17. After speaking with my midwife about my concerns regarding the antibiotic eye treatment for newborns and why my baby would need it if I don’t have gonorrhea or chlamydia, she said that it is for any infection the mother might have in the birth canal that the baby could be exposed to while giving birth. I am not sure what I should do now. I have never had a STD and my husband and I are monogamous and have been tested. What other infections does the ointment protect against?

    • It’s main job is to protect against STDs.

    • My aunt had an infection without symptoms (I can’t remember exactly what, but it was respiratory or something like a virus – NOT an STD but something she picked up before masks and hand washing were a religion) and her daughter was born before the ointment was standard. She lost vision in one eye and has had a glass eye since she was a kid and now, in her 30’s, looks like she may lose the other eye

  18. Thanks for this article! It reinforced all my beliefs and geared me up for my upcoming labour. I refused everyone of these things for our babies. We even refused the hearing test and the newborn screening test, which consist of a heel prick and squeezing ba goes foot for blood. The doctors and nurses gave us such a hard time. They even brought in child protective services to speak with us. This was back in 2015 in the state of Washington. I’m glad to see more people are refusing these invasive unnatural procedures. We will be having this baby at home.

    • I can’t believe they brought in CPS to speak with you! What did they say? I’m also in WA state and worried that this stuff could become an issue.

    • We live in the Dallas, Texas area. We refused everything with our first, (a little girl) as well except for the heel prick. We didn’t know we could get out of that one at the time lol also in 2015. They gave us a hard time and had CPS come and talk with us. I guess they think you are not good parents if you refuse what they think is best! 🙁
      We had our second at a birthing center in sept. 2017 and chose not to find out the sex of the baby…it was a boy! 🙂 We were able to refuse everything ahead of time and had less of a problem and no CPS visit. Hopefully when we get pregnant with our next baby, I can have a home birth! 🙂

    • I wish that I could speak with all of the ladies from WA state, I am aware of the system. Congrats to you all for standing strong and taking the time to do the well needed information you needed in order to make independent and well informed decisions about your precious babies. People have become such robotic order followers that they easily allow doctors, nurses, and other people tell them what they should do concerning the very critical stages of their newborns as well as their children throughout their childhoods. What people fail to think about is that these precious babies are God’s gift to them and they should do all that they can to educate themselves with the TRUTH and the FACTS, which takes much time and RESEARCH, not only on these medical cocktails that poison their tiny little bodies and systems for life, but also the WHY’S concerning why we are all muscled, bullied and even thrown in jail for simply making a decision concerning our OWN child’s life before they are able to make those for themselves. There is a REASON for all of this MADNESS, I pray that you all will find it, it is very shocking 🙁 , and beyond sad.

  19. I chose to do oral vitamin k shots for my son. I also did DCC with him. No circumcision, and he was born in a birthing center so I didn’t get hassled by hospital staff.

    • Hey what dosing plan did you do for oral vitamin k? There’s seems to be many different ways to go with it!

  20. Hi! I’ve been referring to your website a lot recently, I really appreciate what you’ve been doing! I just wanted to bring your attention to a little typo near the end: Newborn proceudres. Feel free to delete this comment 😉

    Thanks for providing such a great resource!
    Tanya

  21. To each their own. Having a husband who is not circumcised. Thank the Lord! The best sex I have ever had!
    I basically let my husband decide what he wanted to do with our son. Because he was the one who has the experience. And we chose to not circumcise. I couldn’t imagine my son going through an unnecessary pain.
    I have 4 members in my family who are not circumcised. So really being embarrassed about it is not an issue. And if it’s a concern my husband or I would talk about it to him.

  22. You can also ask your pediatrician to write you a script for a high potency vit K oral supplement. It is given three times once at birth, once seven days later and once a month after the initial dose. You will need to find a compounding pharmacy to make it for you. We did this for our third baby bc the oldest is very allergic to preservatives and we wanted to wait and not do any shot until we knew for sure if she had the same allergies!

  23. Apologies if you have already answered this, but did you end up giving Paloma a shot of Vitae’s K? I just watched your birth video (so exciting, I am 39weeks with my 3rd and the video has me pumped!) and I hear the midwife say she may have been blue bc of bruising bc of her fast decent. Knowing that birth trauma is a good reason to give the shot, I was wondering if that changed how you made that decision. We have not done it with my others, but for some reason I am considering it a new for this one. I’d love your experience with Paloma’s “fast” labor.

  24. With my daughter the only natural choice I made was a delayed bath. I washed her myself with gentle products after we got home. With my son delayed bath, no circumcision (it has been one of the best choices I made as a parent and it made our hospital stay so much less stressful!) and no eye ointment. I’m not sure about whether we will do eye ointment next time because my son had a blocked tear duct that no amount of rubbing and breastmilk would take care of. His poor eyes were constantly red and swollen and I ended up having to do a much larger dose of eye ointment from 5-9 months just to keep the infection at bay. I was so thankful when they cleared up on their own at 10 months and he didn’t need surgery! We got all shots because we live and travel overseas on mission work where diseases are much more prevelant and dangerous.

    • My daughter had the eye ointment and she still had a clogged eye duct. I don’t know that it’s related to the ointment.

  25. Hi! I do believe that every single parent must analyze your specific health & situation in order to opt out or in in anything… Considering my case, I had a flawless pregnancy, with a 100% balance nutrition, etc… I have a flawless health with no meds for around 10 years now. I really believe that the pku test in a newborn screening with less than 1 day is completely invasive and there is even the risk to have it repeated after 2 weeks…:/ Even if the test is positive breastfeeding still the way to go, so if a mom is breastfeeding knowing the results in 24 hours or later would make absolutely no difference!
    What are your thoughts on newborn screening? Thanks!

  26. I feel you’re going to do the oral vitamin k, do you just refuse and do it yourself or do they administer it at the hospital?

    • At the hospital. You may need to request the oral version ahead of time if your hospital doesn’t regularly use the oral vitamin K.

    • I caught that too…you are correct.

    • Absolutely! The Danish protocol was reported incorrectly in this article and needs to be fixed just in case any mama doesn’t follow the link. Also, the Biotics Research dose was improperly recorded. 4 drops at birth (equals 2mg), and 2 drops should be given each week thereafter (1mg) to follow the Danish study.

      This was a great article, and I especially appreciate the nonjudgmental spirit about the many options we mamas have to make for our little ones. Great job!

  27. I find it interesting that you call circumcision “torture” for a grown man, but think it is fine for a newborn baby. Why is it less painful or torturous for a baby that can’t speak up, make a choice for himself, or ask for pain medication? If a grown man can’t handle the pain, an infant shouldn’t have to. That makes no sense.

    • I will preface by saying that I am having a girl, so have not had to think too much about this one, although I would most likely not circumcise personally. BUT it is more painful later on, in that infants do not have erections. Imagine a grown man needing circumcision and waking up every day post-op to that surgical site involuntarily stretched to the length of erection. Also, I was with a partner who had good hygiene but still had tiny bumps around his foreskin due to some condition that was caused by the moisture under the foreskin. You can google it. But imagine being the partner and seeing BUMPS on someone’s penis for the first time. These are things I would certainly consider in decisions to circumcise.

      • You are very sadly misinformed. Infants absolutely can and do have erections. They even have them in utero. Mine did. And he did as a newborn as well. So imagine a tiny baby waking up every day post-circumcision to that surgical site being involuntarily stretched. No way to request meds, no way to ask for comfort, no way to rationalize the pain or understand that it’s temporary, the way a grown man can. Add to that that he has to urinate through/onto an open, raw wound… Please, if you have an open mind, reconsider in light of new information.

      • Newborn babies most definitely do have erections. Mine did as well quite often in fact. I also know from my own experience as a child once, that pain is much greater in a child. When I first started to pluck my eyebrows as a girl, it hurt so bad my eyes would pour non stop, but now as an adult it doesn’t hurt hardly a bit. Same goes with when I bump into something or get a cut. Pain is definitely greater for children. It’s just easy to pretend it doesn’t hurt them when they can’t speak. Many parents have claimed their babies would have seizures or go into complete shock while or after being circumcised. Its really quite a awful thing to do to a baby who really should only be shown love when they are born, not pain. It really should be the man’s choice. Women love to claim men shouldn’t have a say in what they do with their bodies but love to make life altering choices for their sons at birth.

  28. In December 2016, the ACOG even recommended waiting the 3-5 minutes before clamping the umbilical cord!

  29. foreskin is what they call “bit%h reppellant” becuase any woman who would reject a man over being natural doesn’t deserve the man she is rejecting. so thank god for that! keep those shallow selfish ignorant women away from my son! for millenia men have remained natural and humanity survived! besides the fact that it tortures babies and leaves them with no choices because of your permanent decision, why not just let them chose for themselves when they are adults and can have no risk procedures with proper anesthesia if they want, but they won’t want to. and if you are actually worth your salt about working in the sex industry you would know that there is room for fetish of all kinds of things, especially foreskin!

    • My husband is not circumcised and he’s never had these problems. Who cares what genitals look like in porn!?

    • Wow. I’m slightly speechless and appalled that you would rather have your infant put through that torture now than make his own choice later (when they fully numb( because guess what, they don’t fully numb them as newborns!). Your baby has felt no pain and that’s the first thing he will feel? How cruel. I feel very, very bad for your child… as a mother you should worry less about “dicks in porn” and more about the well being of your child.

      • “You should worry less about ducked in porn and more about protecting your son” – priceless
        ???

    • I agree with Mothertothree! My husband is circumsized and I honestly don’t even notice the difference. I don’t understand why you’d put your baby through unnecessary torture. To each their own, I guess!

  30. trying to get some medical supervision over my choice to give oral vitamin k. Midwives don’t seem to give out directives and are more comfortable referring to the pediatrician. Haven’t found a pediatrician that seems knowledgeable about the oral vitamin k. Any suggestions? Thanks!

  31. I don’t really understand this “witch hunt” on foreskin in America. Barely anyone get it done in Europe. And most people, including me, would never even think about it before reading some american web sites. If guy has an infection in it, it means he has poor personal hygiene, because it’s really not hard to clean it under foreskin. And by cutting it you loose a lot of sensitivity. I wouldn’t like to have my G spot removed. It’s literally just a habit in your part of the world.

    • That’s right, I am with you on this one. I am originally from Russia and we only thought of circumcised men as being either religious Jews or Muslims. To routinely cut a newborn would be considered barbaric and ruthless. Poor baby boys, it must be excruciating and they like animals can’t talk 🙁

  32. Wondering about delaying bath if I am Group b strep positive. Also, do the antibiotics for the GBS interrupt the baby’s microbiome as well? I’ve heard conflicting info.

    • Hi Jessica, I was Group B strep positive and started taking good Probiotics as well as Greek yogurt & other foods as a form of adding to the baby’s gut health because I knew I would be having antibiotics during labor (unfortunately). She also had a lot of antibiotics shortly after her birth so we started her on probiotics shortly after too. I personally feel that doing those 2 things helped her immensely. Congrats on baby!

      • Also meant to add that we delayed her bath 5 days with no problems from the hospital, although they kept asking. We were in hospital about 2 1/2 days after her birth & I wish I’d chosen a birth in center. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough lol

    • GBS is bit overrated here in the US (notice how all the other western countries don’t even test for it?). Check out the stats. You have more chance of being hit by an asteroid in your backyard than baby getting sick. You can absolutely skip the antibiotics– the hospital will just want to keep an eye on baby since symptoms present right away. Your chances of baby getting sick are tiny (like .0025?) whereas the damage of antibiotics is massive. Including sterilization of your milk (yikes!). I feel confident that gbs testing will be a thing of the past in the near future… avoid antibiotics mamas if you can unless it’s a true emergency. The damage they cause your vulnerable infant is still being researched … whereas the research on GBS is out in the open and in this case, the risk of antibiotics definitely out weighs the benefit of GBS antibiotics.

      • Thank you! ♡

  33. What about the PKU test and the hearing screening? I don’t want them simply cause I don’t think they are needed and it won’t affect how I view or love my child if she is hearing impaired. Any information on those would be helpful. Thank you

    • With both hearing and pku (which by the way tests about for not just pku but 30-60 disorders) the sooner you catch the issue the less likely it is to cause damage. For example if you don’t catch hearing loss it can affect their speech. If you don’t catch PKU soon enough it can cause mental retardation. For minor discomfort and a minimal fee I personally don’t see a very good reason not to. The more information you have about your health the more empowered you are!

    • My son failed his hearing test due to amniotic fluid stuck in his ear. We had to lay him on his side and pad his back for a couple of hours to get it to release and for him to pass the test on third try. Who knows if this may have caused an infection or permanent damage to his otherwise perfect hearing if left unresolved? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s sure not worth the risk

    • Please don’t skip the pku and hearing. It’s so important to catch these things early and both procedures pose little to no risk to the baby. I would also recommend no one skip the Vit K.

    • Mother of a hearing impaired child. Get the newborn screening. It’s not about you. It’s about giving your child the best access they can have to language. It’s about Identifying disease or maladies that can be treated. It’s about preventing speech delay.

  34. I had a question that has to do with baby before birth. I was tested for gestational diabetes early because I had it with my first time. I failed the 1 hour test by 5 points but when I took the three hour test I passed all four blood draws. Now they want me to do it all over again at 28 weeks. I really do not want to do it again and the doctor said I have a right to deny it. What should I do?

    • I would recommend taking it again. As pregnancy progresses the hormonal changes can cause increased insulin resistance. I took mine twice this pregnancy and am following a diabetic diet. My last pregnancy I had every problem possible. This pregnancy (three months after my first) I have no problems

    • It’s ok to deny it. Yea they will pressure you, but all of it is your choice. I’m guessing your aversion is to the toxic sludge sugar drink they make us drink? Ask for alternatives if that helps!

      • They do have a jelly-bean test alternative that you can do rather than drinking the drink. My first pregnancy they started the drink around 25wks, I could not keep it down, so we’d have to start over. I dislike pop, sugarey sweet tea, even undiluted fruit juice, I told them it was too much sugar for me. I didn’t even get the test perform, we tried twice more and I got sick and vomited, so we left it at that. This time I told them I’m not drinking that junk, that I might be able to hold down jelly-bean or that I can purchase a glucose monitoring kit and test myself for a month to see if I have gestational diabetes.

  35. I want some more information about Vitamin K shot and the oral. I am currently pregnant and want what is best for the baby. I already know I do not want my baby getting the Hep B shot.

    • Natalie- I was torn about the vitamin k shot for a bit, especially after reading all the scary stats they like to throw at us, so I considered the oral route. However, I then put fear aside (as I don’t make a habit of making important decisions based on fear) and put together what I do know- babies have always been born with low vitamin k,

    • Woops, accidentally hit the button before I finished lol. Anyway.. What I do know- babies have always been born with low vitamin k. I think there is a reason for this, and they are finding that it may be to allow baby’s stem cells to get where they need to be to make any repairs, etc after birth (vitamin k thickens blood and makes it harder for stem cells to flow). I hypothesize there are are even more reasons for this design! I also don’t let the formula vs breast milk issue scare me, as breast milk was also designed to be best for baby.

      • Kate, thank you so much! You just cleared it up for me and helped me let go of my fears too! Our bodies are perfectly designed and are supported by Mother Nature!

      • Kate!! Yes!!! We CAN trust our bodies and our babies and our humanity. Giving a baby vitamin K might actually get in the way of a very natural repairing process. Perhaps it’s as illogical to give vitamin K as it is to say “why Isn’t the baby born with shoes on? He may step on something sharp at the hospital!”

        • Reading all your comments Olga and you are simply brilliant! Are you Russian by any chance? Judging by your name. I am 😉

    • Fyi baby gets vitamin k around day 8 NATURALLY. the big push for vitamin k has to do with circumcision– they don’t want baby to bleed out ( which does still happen. Fatalities every year!) so feel free to skip the vitamin D and the circumcision if that’s what your heart tells you!

  36. My ideal birth plan was a non-obtrusive, medicine free, midwife birth at OSU Hospital. My actual birth was a C-section after I had been in labor for 13 hours by the time they took me back. They thought my son would be 11 lbs. We prayed, cried, and talked about it before we made that decision but knew it was best for our son. Come to find out he was coming in sideways and we would’ve had to have an emergency C-section anyway.

    We opted out of the eye salve, Vitamin K, circumcision.

    Circumcision. It’s totally a decision that you have to make for your child and no one should put you down no matter what decision you make. We did a TON of research. My husband was on board. I wasn’t. I prayed that I would know within a week of a certain day and I had three people tell me their decision/reasoning for not doing to their son and how they are faring now (one who is 8 and one who is 23). I also had a close relative out of the blue reveal that they never were and how their life has been fine (he’s 61). So that helped a ton! We decided to leave the decision to our son. If you do circumcise before 8 days then do some kind of vitamin k for your son.

    Anyway, I hope this info helps someone. I’m pregnant again and going for a VBAC and there’s still things I’m adding to my birth plan and to my child’s care plan.

  37. Hi, my question is regarding getting Rhogam after baby’s birth. In our case, I am RH- and if baby is RH+, we were hoping to use the alternative to Rhogam called WinRho. Rhogam has been found to be very dangerous in-utero and even with transmission in breastmilk after birth as it contains both mercury & aluminum. Has anyone had any experience with this? Very few midwives and doctors have much knowledge about alternatives to Rhogam or seem to be bothered much at all by the fact it contains mercury & aluminum. WinRho itself contains some things I am not thrilled about, but seems to be the best option for our situation and to prevent any issues with any future babies! Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

    • I skip pregnancy rogam shot but got it postpartum. The shot has been mercury free since 2000 I believe. I gave birth to my first son in 2004 and the shot was mercury free (I believe),

  38. I haven’t had my baby yet, but I will be refusing them all!

  39. I’ve commented on a few other comments, but wanted to leave this here, too. I noticed that you didn’t comment on the newborn screen, which may seem unimportant to some, but please, please, PLEASE do NOT opt out!!! The chances of it revealing anything abnormal may be low, but our son was actually diagnosed with PKU through the screen. If we’d opted out, we would never have known there was anything wrong until he already had irreversible brain damage. Because the condition was caught with the screen, we could start treating him at one week old. Now, he is almost three months and is perfectly happy and healthy; you’d never know there was anything “wrong” with him! I am so thankful that the newborn screen is routinely done and urge my fellow mamas to never opt out! The heel prick may seem traumatic at the time, but our Teddy would have suffered way more in his life without it.

  40. Years ago my mom read about a study where they linked jaundice in babies to synthetic iron in the prenatals.
    When I was pregnant with our rainbow baby I took Garden of Life’s Raw Prenatals. Nothing synthetic whatsoever in them (that I’m aware of). Baby girl has had zero jaundice. Nurses and lactation specialists were pretty shocked. They tried their best to find some slight hint of yellow!

    • My mom is convinced that’s why I was jaundiced! When I had my daughter last year, she was jaundiced too. They were giving me iron pills after the birth and my dad was like don’t take those. Then they wanted me to supplement with formula, but formula has iron in it. I also recently saw something connecting the vitamin K shot to jaundice. This time around I am taking Garden of Life prenatals and refusing the vitamin K shot.

    • I took regular Prenatals and zero jaundice as well.

    • That’s good to know. I find it pretty unnerving that Drs try to diagnose most babies with jaundice. Or at least 60 percent. Also at a time when the baby’s skin pigment is rapidly changing anyway, ppl are trying to find a hint of yellow. How many mothers have they needlessly scared about it, and many Drs probably tried to act like they’re a bad mother over nothing. I know a child diagnosed w jaundice and hear they’re trying to diagnose any baby possible. I stopped taking iron supplements and stopped eating it in my food bc it’s basically just industrial metal filings mixed with sulfuric acid. Unfortunately I was eating some breads and pizza w it through some of my pregnancy, hopefully it has not harmed the baby any.

  41. Hi!
    And thank you for the information. However, I am really curious as to what other natural mama’s think about newborn procedures such as newborn screening? I plan on having a home birth and my midwife has given me some information on blood spot screening, hearing screening, and pulse oximetry screening. How necessary are these tests? Is there a chance they could yield a false positive? A false negative? How invasive are they to the baby? Preferably, I would opt out of all of these, but was just wondering what some other mama’s out there think, and if they have any advice for this first time mom.
    Thanks! 🙂
    Leah

    • I kind of figure these are nice tests to have especially since they don’t put anything IN your baby. They can be beneficial to catch anything abnormal early on. The blood spot test is really hard for mama because they are poking your baby to make them bleed but nursing while they do it is really helpful. The hearing screen they just have the newborn listen to some beeps and see how they react (its been a few years since I’ve gone through all this and I have no idea how they can tell). I’m not sure about he pulse oximetry test though.

    • Please, please, PLEASE do not opt out of the newborn screen! It may seem unnecessary, and the chances that it will reveal anything abnormal are low, but our son actually tested positive for PKU and without that screen, we never would’ve known until he already had irreversible brain damage. Because it was caught on the newborn screen, we could start treating him at one week old, and you’d never know there was anything “wrong” with him; he is a perfectly healthy, happy 3-month-old!!!

    • The pulse ox test is a non invasive test that screens for mild-moderate congenital heart conditions (by measuring baby’s oxygen levels in different limbs) that can be addressed/treated before your baby would normally show symptoms. Definitely the potential benefit outweighs any risk (although I can’t think of a single risk associated with this screening test)

    • I’m opting out of other things but definitely getting all three of those screenings for my baby (and have with my other kids). Like others have said, they are screening for something not actually putting anything into the baby, and they can catch things that need to be caught early.

    • I opted put of the newborn heel prick because of this:

      The states get to keep those blood spots on file for YEARS. And even if you are in a state that claims to destroy them after a certain time, can you ever trust that they will? Especially now, in a post covid world where the government has shown its true anti liberty mindset?

      Why does the State need to keep my child’s DNA on file when it is supposed to be a simple screening test? I would prefer to go through an independent 3rd party for the screening and not have them keep my child’s DNA.

      Question EVERYTHING the government does and NEVER TRUST THE GOVERNMENT should be the major lessons learned post covid. They lie about everything.

  42. I read up alot on the Vitamin K shot….my conclusion…there’s a reason most newborns have “low vitamin K” at birth. We allowed our now 2 year old to get the shot and we only breastfed. I did however drink red raspberry leaf and nettle tea throughout the third trimester…especially nettle has high vitamin K.

  43. Hi! Love all your information! I was looking into alternatives for the Vitamin K shot. For the Biotics liquid Vitamin K it comes in 500mcg per 1 drop. The correct dose to get 4mg at birth would be to administer 8 drops. Is this correct? I just want to make sure they need to get 4mg at birth and 2mg weekly for a few months. Thank you!! 🙂

    • I had my first child in Germany. There the Vitamin K is given orally at birth, at 3 days and at 3 weeks. 2mg each. After that you are done. And it is usually given by the doctors or nurses during well visits. They administer it undiluted in a syringe.

  44. Thank you for all the great info you share! With the Biotics Vitamin K, how should this be administered to an infant? I know it is liquid but is it safe to give directly or should it be diluted with breast milk? If breastfeeding how can this be done? Thank you!

    • You could mix with a little breastmilk and then use a syringe to administer.

  45. I’m 31 weeks along and don’t know the gender. If it is a boy he will be circumsized by a mohel in a traditional Jewish bris ceremony. My last boy was born at 29 weeks and was given the vit. K shot. I didn’t realize it had so so many extras in it. If this baby is a boy do u recommend the regular vit. K shot or the more natural one? I was going to ask at my next midwife appointment if there even was such a thing.

    • Congrats on your pregnancy! It’s really such a personal choice. You can ask to see the insert to the vitamin K shot that your midwife uses so you know what’s in it. You can also do the oral route, which generally has less preservatives. No option is perfect so you need to weigh all the risks and go with what seems best. I do think some protection, whatever that looks like, is prudent.

  46. Hello, I was wondering if you have any good sources saying vernix has vitamin K. I have heard/read it as a statement but never seen any science on it. Would love to know for sure so I can confidently share that information if it’s true.

  47. Hello, my baby was born 4 weeks early. Things went fast and a lot happened that I didn’t plan on. Antibiotics, vacuum, and they cut the cord right away.

    Everything was good with baby and I did the vitamin k drops. (Biotics brand) is this enough for all the things that occurred?

  48. Even though we are waiting on baby 3 and baby number ones birthday is September of 2013, these details are such good reminders! Thank you!!

  49. How can I refuse the eye ointment and vitamin K shot in a state that says its mandatory? My midwife said I can’t refuse it since its state mandated :-/

    • Same here! I have been researching and trying to figure out how to get around the mandate, but no luck so far.

    • You have to get it then. Vitamin K shot can save lives and the eye ointment is localized.

  50. How long does it take for a baby to produce a safe amount of vit k on their own? Because of our religion we are circumsizing our 2nd son,due in June,but we want to deny the vit k shot. Any advice on how to go about this safely? I have yet to discuss this with my midwife

    • We choose to get the shot because our son was getting circumcised. We wanted to avoid any risks with the blood not clotting well enough. Definitely good to discuss with midwife. We also went to a circ specialist and it was done 10 days after birth. Which I heard decreases risk of not clotting. Hope you find your answer.

    • in the bible the people of Isreal were told to circumcise the boys when they were eight days old.

    • If I were in your shoes, I would do the vitamin k drops (and take a k supplement myself) and circumsize him when he’s eight days old.

      • do you see that’s not a domain anymore?

    • You could just leave your son perfect, as he is born. That will reduce all kinds of risks and preserve his right to religious freedom, should he choose differently than you.

  51. When would be a good time to let visitors see the newborn? We were planning to have a “Meet the baby” party instead of a typical baby shower. My husband and I thought a month after the baby’s arrival would be best to have this party.

  52. I had both my children in the UK and some of you may be interested to know that hardly any of these procedures are routine here:

    Antibiotic eye ointment -only give to babies whose mothers have tested positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia

    Hepatisis B – not part of the routine childhood immunisation programme at all, is only given to babies of infected mothers

    Bathing baby – advised against until the cord has fallen off, the diaper area should be cleaned with cotton wool and water and if you wish, you should also clean the rest of your baby in this way intially

    Circumcision – not routinely done, can be specially requested for religious reasons and rarely, is done for medical reasons

    Early cord clamping – A lot of midwives are aware of the benefits of delaying clamping until the cord has stopped pulsating and all will accommodate this on request, unless there is a medical reason that the baby should be checked quickly

    Vitamin K – is routine but you will be asked before and after the birth if you wish your baby to have it

    • Thank you for your input. I’m 28+6 with my first and am researching allot into what procedures etcare really necessary and what is purely preference. This has eased my mind about what I really need to worry about. ?

    • Can you comment on GBS testing and treatment in UK?

  53. I was convinced to circumcise my son when he was born. I still feel guilty for doing . He cried so hard and intense it was definetly a pain scream. His wa actually messed up and his.penis became “inverted” in whicjnit retracts into the fatty layer of the groin area. This is a direct complication of circumcision. They dont tell you that if it does not griw eniugh to fix it self the child has to have additional surgeries to fix it. Luckily my sons is now fine. I dont ever want anither child of mine to go through this complication and pain. How do i handle having a second son and not circumcising him. I feel it will be a difficult conversation when they are older to explain why they are different ir why i chose to do my oldest but not my other boys. Do you have any advice?I wish i would have went with my gut and not circumcised..

    • A friend of mine just went through this when her oldest asked why the youngest looked different. She replied that she made a choice for him that she learned later was the wrong choice. She briefly explained circumcision. She let him ask questions and she answered the best she could. Her son (6yo) was understanding and even said he forgave her and that everyone makes mistakes. I hope this helps!

    • Hello-

      I’m also a mom who circumcised by first at my husbands request. It’s intensely painful for me to think about. He also had complications until he was completely toilet trained.

      We chose to leave my second son intact. Meaning that I absolutely refused to consent, and told my husband that if it meant enough for him to do it despite my dogmatic refusal, that he would have to do it himself.

      We later agreed that should he request it done and be upset that we didn’t cut him we will pay for it later in life.

      My first son asked me just the other day why his penis was cut and I panicked and told him he needed to chat with his Daddy because it was his choice to do so. I plan on telling him that I didn’t have the tools to make the best choice, but I did the best I could at the time, and aplogize if needed. If appropriate I’ll teach him some restoration tips.

      • That’s a hard situation. Wishing you grace! We aren’t going to do this parenting thing perfectly! Xo

    • I know many mothers who live with this regret as well. The one thing I can say is you must be a great mother to care so much. There is a group on Facebook called Parents Regretting Circumcision if you are on there and there are various resources about parents in your exact position. I know parents who circumcised one or more son and not the others so they would be much better resources than myself. Look it up and you will find something. Best of luck to you mama!

      • I would tell them there are benefits to both options and you just made different decisions with each. One is great how God made him without needing to get cut, the other is less chance of UTI and a more traditional American or Christian thing. Tell them they both are fine. No reason to get into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ decisions.

  54. I was so excited to receive my first pregnancy update from you Mama Natural! What a night and day difference from the other updates! You did a superb job covering so much helpful information that is usually NEVER taught to the mother by the doctor or even the midwives! The only thing I would adjust is posting more information on the positive side of circumcision. I do not know whom I am having this time, since I had no ultra sounds done, therefore I have been doing research on circumcision as it is procedure we will have done if it is a boy. I did come across very informative medical website on the procedure listing many positives to the procedure, some of which include, “Prevents infections under the foreskin… Decreases the risk of getting some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) later in life, including HIV. …Lowers the risk of cancer of the penis.” Thank you for your hard work! God bless you!

    • Thank you so much for the feedback, Yelena. It’s great to hear that you’re enjoying the week-by-week! Here’s a longer article on circumcision, which addresses the points you raise.

      The verdict is out on the STD issue, with some data suggesting that foreskin can actually help men fight off HIV and other STDs. But of course the safest path is abstinence or safe sex.

      In a letter to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society stated that it “does not consider routine circumcision to be a valid or effective measure to prevent [penile or cervical] cancers. Penile cancer rates in countries which do not practice baby circumcision are lower than those found in the U.S.”

    • All supposed benefits of circumcision are controversial and unproven. Most of the claimed benefits don’t justify the loss and risks anyways. Why circumcise a baby in order to prevent STDs? Is your baby going to be sexually active? I sure hope not. Let him choose how he wants to protect himself. The foreskin is there for a reason and has many functions that will be removed for unproven benefits.

    • Yelena, I encourage you to look at the true numbers– how many get penis cancer and how many babies die from circumcision complications or have massive damage from botched circumcision. The risk is big to cut your boy. The myth that it prevents diseases is just that… a myth. Also, have you looked at what the hospital does with them foreskin? You will be shocked to know they make money off of it by selling to cosmetic companies and biotech companies. Yes, they are profiting off of you and your child’s DNA is being sent who knows where. Do your research, mama!

  55. Thanks for the reminder about delaying the bath! We will try to do this when our son is born (due date is Tuesday so very soon!). I imagine the vernix helps baby stay healthy in the hospital setting too. I’ve read that baby having a very early bath just after birth messes with baby’s internal temperature and can make them too cold. Our first child’s skin kept turning blueish in the hospital, I’m guessing that had something to do with it. We are going to try to have all exams done in our room this time too, with baby on my chest if feasible.

  56. Thank you for this! I’m due with my 3rd in August and I really wanted to learn more about all these procedures they do and why they do them! I will be opting out of all of them except for the vit k, still want to do more research on that one! Thank you so much for this post!!

  57. People talking about things being full of chemicals grates on my nerves. You know you’re full of chemicals, right? Water is a chemical, oxygen is a chemical. Saying this makes you sound uneducated and brings unnecessary fear to people. Please be more responsible in your word choice.

    • They mean *harmful* chemicals. It’s just a fact that some chemicals just ain’t good for ya, and hormone disrupting fragrances and the like definitely fall into that category! 🙂

  58. Liliann my second was born at home and we delayed cord clamping about 45 mins. We refused all of these procedures listed. I took alfalfa during my pregnancy and after, which increases the vit. K in both of us in case of hemorage etc. My midwife said if she felt the baby had a rough birth she would reccomend the k, we would have trusted her! My first was at hospital with a hospital midwife. We were able to delay about two-three mins. And refused eye drops, hep b, and vit k. Didn’t know about delaying bath back then. Pku and hearing test were done on both. Neither ever went to a nursery, and had they been boys we would have never done circumcision. Thanks for the post!

  59. You forgot the PKU heel prick and screening for sickle cell anemia without regardless of race

    • Oh yes – that PKU prick was terrible! Actually, not the prick – it was the death squeeze on the foot that traumatized our baby, or maybe more so, us, the parents! Please comment on that. It seems that it is important to be screened for it and it is the one intervention we agreed to, but the person who administered the prick was cold and heartless and did not even give me or my husband time to go comfort our baby. Thankfully, a CNA was in the room at the time and gave us the heads up that we will want to let our baby suck on our finger! It seemed like it was “old hat” to the technician and she had no regard for feelings! We chose oral Vitamin K as that seemed a responsible thing to do without getting the overdose by injection. Our hospital was very accommodating, and I am so thankful, but my midwife warned that there are some hospitals in my state that would not allow us to pass. I plan a birth center birth if we are blessed with a second child.

      • Hi,
        My baby was born at a birthing center and they did all these things. Although they seemed really nice about us skipping most of them. What we really loved about the birthing center is that the obs and midwives were very natural minded. They only had one room for c sections for absolute emergencies. The nursery only has 3 bassinets also for emergencies. Your only option is to room in. And they don’t offer formula, they very strongly encourage breastfeeding. But I was really happy with the experience.

      • The midwives at the birthing centers mention all these same procedures because the State requires them to by law. The one thing to know is that they are only required by law to inform the mother of all these procedures, but the parents do not have to do any of them, they just have to listen and then if they don’t want any of the procedures, they have full freedom to decline them. Sometimes the midwives may sound like you have to do them, but you do not. They would not mention them if they were not required to by law by the State that you live in. As I was informed, you do not have to do anything you do not want for your baby, so never be feared into believing you have to agree to any of these. I had declined the K supplementation for my second and third babies including everything else on the list and everything was perfect with them, praise God! I started to take Vitamin K supplements myself by the Garden of Life brand shortly before delivery as my midwife said that would help me and the baby in case I had any concerns and I also took Barley Max powder that has alfalfa in it as well, which helped with iron and vitamin K supplementation naturally. I continuing to take both after delivery to help me and the baby get the vitamins post delivery. I wish I would have declined the heel prick also. If you do have one done again, my midwife advised to have it done four days after the baby’s birth as she has seen an overwhelming amount of false positives on babies who had it done before four days passed after the birth. However, the midwife center had me hold the baby in my arms during the prick, so it was a sudden thing for the baby, nevertheless, it hurt terribly and then she had me nurse the baby immediately to help comfort and sooth her. So I am glad it was at least done in the lease invasive and stressful way possible. I hope this helps. Blessings.

      • We did a birth center for our first and our planning on using the same birth center for our second (Lord willing everything goes well!). Our birth center is 5 minutes away from the closest hospital so there’s no c section room or anything, you don’t even stay a night there! They send you home within 6 hours max. They offered all of these procedures except the HepB shot and my midwife very sweetly reminded “everything is optional nothing is forced if you don’t want it.”

      • Heel sticks were part of the treatment that kept my anemic preemie alive. Does it suck? Yes. Will he remember it? No. But he’ll be plenty grateful when he’s older that we allowed heel sticks so he could live. Don’t be so self righteous.

        • How about YOU don’t be so self righteous? Every mother deserves to have the right to choose what they believe is best for their child.

    • We declined PKU for my middle son, and then ended up needing some blood tests done later that would have been covered at that point. It was horrific.

      We were advised to do a needle stick with my daughter but declined thinking the heal prick would be much less traumatic.

      Turns out the techs were right, though they had a seriously crappy attitude about it. We never got enough blood from her heel and opted for the needle the second time around, and it was sooooo much better.

      We will do PKU via needle the next time around.

      • Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear it was so horrific 🙁 I’m going to update this post with PKU included. Xo

        • I know the heel prick may seem or be traumatic, but please do not ever opt out!!! Our son was diagnosed with PKU through the screen and without it, we wouldn’t have known until he had irreversible brain damage!!! Because we found out, we could start treating him at a week old and he is a perfectly happy, healthy 3-month-old!


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