avoid fabric softener treated towels on newborns

[Alice In TX/MO]

Just a heads up on something we learned last year. We had a dam reject a buckling that we'd used fabric softener treated towels on. He smelled wonderful to us, but his dam didn't know who he was. We smeared afterbirth on him again, and she took him back.

No more fabric softener treated towels for our kids!

[Bearfootfarm]

I've found that unless it's REALLY cold, it's better to let the Moms do all the cleaning.
I began to notice the only ones rejected were the ones I cleaned myself

[dosthouhavemilk]

I read this last year. I haven't run into it myself, but I mostly wipe the kids after their dams have started to clean them first. I do wipe the noses as they arrive to clear off the gunk, but I don't go beyond that for kids being left on their dams (a little more than half the kids) until after mom has done most of the cleaning.
I can see how it would happen though. It is hard enough to convince some mothers that that thing is actually theirs and yes, they do need to clean that icky squalling thing off.
We have had 5 first timers kid in the past five days and I have been pleased with their innate mothering abilities.