What happens immediately after the birth?

[Paranoid1stTimer]

My partner was talking about what I am going to wear when we get to the hospital to "hide my bits" and we ended up wondering what happens immediately after the baby is born. I understand the baby may be placed on your chest or whatever happens initially but then the baby is taken away and cleaned up and also assessed in some way. How long do they take the baby away for? What do they do with your precious new baby? I also hear you get to go have a shower after the birth so what happens to the baby then???

Sorry if these are stupid questions but I am getting really stressed and worried about every little detail of everything "hospital" since I hate hospitals and really dont wanna be there. My bezzie mate did make a good point in saying that everyone will be in the same boat as you just all want to get the baby out safe and sound and get them home asap!

Thanks for any words of wisdom.... I feel a bit silly posting this but a problem shared n all that!!

[Twinklemegan]

Hi there Paranoid. I was just the same. They don't take the baby away - everything is done in the room with you. They just clean them a little, weigh them, dress them, make other observations, put the tags on their feet, and that's it really. When you have a shower your partner will have the baby and the MW should still be around too. Then they'll take you to the postnatal ward where (if you're lucky) you might get something to eat.

Good luck!

[Spidermama]

I can;t help because I always gave birth at home. I think whether or not they take the baby away and for how long depends on how the birth went and how the baby is doing.

You can have some say over what happens and write a birth plan which you may have to get your dh to help them stick to.

They'll need to cut the cord at some point and some minutes or perhaps half an hour after birth you need to give birth to the placenta. This is normally easy and straight forward. You may or may not want them to intervene in this. I didn't.

[moondog]

It was all a bit hazy but they take the baby,weigh and dress it,then give it back to you.
Clean you up after placenta deliverd,whisk away all the blood soaked sheets and take you to the shower. Afterwards they wheel you to the ward holding the baby and help you into bed.

I seem to recall they did a fair bit of paperwork too.
Oh yes,after the placenta and what have you,they leave you alone fro a bit with your dh and the baby which is nice.

[Octothechildherder]

They won't take your baby away unless they need to do so immediate checks re breathing - if all seems okay they tend to put them on your chest or help you latch on if you are bf.

It is lovely just staying in bed as long as poss, having cuddles and time with dh - you can have food and drinks etc and when you are ready dh can look after baby while you shower - which they should be able to help with.

Relaxing after the birth and having time together is so important - I have had 3 and it was only with my third that it actualy happened and it was lovely

[sdr]

Firstly don't worry. I recommend hospital gowns so you can leave them with the washing. They are baggy enough in the front so baby can lie on your chest. The baby check is usually done in the room with you and only takes a few minutes. The midwife will just weigh, measure and give a once-over. When you have a shower, get your partner to look after the baby - my DH had a tendency to grab hold of them and not give back to me.

Also, you will need your preggy clothes to go home in, sadly. But do take a spare change in case waters break on way in.

It will be fantastic - once you're holding that little bundle.

[MaureenMLove]

The baby will never, ever leave the room without you! The first thing I did after I had dd was have a cup of tea and then promptly throw it up again!

Will you be able to visit the delivery suite before you have the baby?

[gibberish]

Goodness, don't feel silly, it's natural to want to know. I seem to remember that after having a good hold of my babies, they would be taken to be given a clean up and a check over whilst I had a well deserved shower. You will be so glad of it that you won't mind the baby being away for a little while.

Once you are all showered and comfortable you will be able feed your baby. Can't actually remember if I was allowed to feed them BEFORE the shower actually. But anyway, try not to worry about any of this.

I know hospitals aren't the best places sometimes, but you will be on such a high that it is all over and that you finally have your baby, all the little details fade into insignificance. Just enjoy it

[emkana]

As long as the baby is fine he/she is with you all the time.

I didn't have showers after giving birth, too weak on my legs after two of them, epidural the third time, so I ended up being given bed baths, once by dh, bless him, twice by some old dears who help out in the hospital.

[MrsBadger]

good thread on this (with lots of people's experiences) here

[yelnats]

If you have a 'normal' birth normally you can get the baby put onto you straight away - i think they call it kangaroo care where you have skin to skin straight away - not sure if they take baby away for a few seconds first for the apgar test(think that s what its called). Some hospitals have showers in the delivery room (ours does) and you can go for a shower as soon as you feel able. your birth partner will stay with the baby and the mw is usually still lrking about anyway.

With dd1 I do remember her being on the resuscitaire for about 5 mins or so but it seemed like a lifetime and then she was passed straight onto me - I waited for a bit - half hour/hour mayb before going for a bath and dd was left with my mum and dp. With dd2 i think she was put straight onto me and again I waited for half hour or so and had a shower (new hosp so ensuite delivery room) then had some tea and toast - best tea and toast ever I can tell you - always is when you've worked so hard just before it!! lol

Good luck for when the time comes - not that you'l need it.

[gigglewitch]

my babies were only ever 'borrowed' for a few mins at a time, to have their apgar score done (health,alertness etc) and weight, and all that was done right beside me, then baby back to me. Shortly after that dad & midwife dressed baby (sleepsuit, vest, hat)
If you have 'normal' delivery, ie no epidural, you can toddle off for a shower a while later, whilst daddy has the baby. after you've done that they will sort out all your notes - and for me that seemed to take forever(!) and then off to the postnatal ward or home, whichever you have decided.

[lisad123]

My LO was taken straight out of the room not breathing. But brought back asap. they didn't dress her, just wrapped her up a bit, then we had a feed, while i was being stitched YUCK!.

Then weighed in the room, tags put on.

Then tea and toast . I then went and had a shower while dh dressed dd back up to the ward in time for more breakfast.

[PrettyCandles]

You can speccify - to some degree, all birth plans have to be flexible - what happens. I wanted the baby to be delivered straight onto my chest. Dh knew how strongly I felt about this, and immediately the baby was fully out dh was pulling off my remaining clothing so that the midwife could lift the baby straight onto my chest. OMG, the most amazing sensation . But not everybody wants that. If you want to specify that the baby should be wrapped in a towel first, or wiped clean, you can.

Unless the baby is ill they shouldn't take him or her away from you at all - again, not unless you request. They will want to weigh and do some medical checks, but mostly these don't need to be done immediately. I think it's things like chest clear of mucus, breathing well, skin getting pinker, temperature, response to stimuli. All very quick checks. Many of them can be done without taking the baby away from you. You may not even notice the mw making her observations. Your birth partner will be able to have a cuddle as well. As long as you and the baby are well it's entirely up to you.

They may wash the baby for you, or offer to help your partner do it, or you don't need to have the baby washed at all. It's healthier for the baby not to wash, but it also depends on your tolerance for gunk .

After a while you'll need to be checked to see whether you need stitches. My dh held the baby for this bit, and also for the stitching itself. Once that is over you'll probably want a wash. What happens then depends on the facility. Dh and the baby came with me each time.

And then you get to go up to the ward - though, depending on how busy they are, you might be discharged direct from the labour ward if you are OK. I think that I went to the PN ward about 2h after the actual birth in each case.

TBH I enjoyed the wheelchair ride to the PN ward - the first time I needed it as I'd had an epidural, the other two times I requested it as I felt I'd worked hard enough to deserve the ride . Also I got to carry the baby, which I wouldn't havbe been allowed to do had I been walking - he would have had to be wheeled in his bassinet.

HTH

[sparklygothkat]

I have never had the first minutes with any of my kids [sob] I had a CS with DS1 and didn't hold him for about a hour. With the others they were all born prematurely. With DD1, I didn;t see her till I went to SCBU, DD2 I saw her briefly as they took her away in an incubtor, and DS2 I saw very quickly when he was born. I feel all sad now

[Milkycheeks]

Hi, I had a water birth (in a birth unit, so slightly different to a maternity ward) - my baby stayed with me in the pool until the cord was cut (we asked to wait until the cord stopped pulsating, which ended up taking about 20 mins) then she was cleaned, weighed, dressed etc. in the same room while i delivered the placenta. I fed her and then my dh held her while I had a cup of tea followed by a shower. We were back home 3 hours after giving birth.

[BitTiredNow]

I gave birth and had the baby straight onto my chest, even before the cord was cut. I was so hot in all 3 labours that I was naked and past caring what I looked like, but got cold very quickly afterwards and was wrapped in sheets and blankets. None of my babies were ever taken away from me - all the wieghing and washing was done in the same room. I fed the second two immediately after birth, but no 1 was quite happy to lie on my chest and take it all in for over an hour before he cried. Good luck Hon, I hope it all goes well for you.

[gibberish]

Aw sgk. Don't feel sad. You have your little ones now and that's the main thing I had EC with dd4 and despite not seeing her for ages after the birth it matters not a jot now. She was still my baby, still is and always will be.

Don't let it worry you. What matters is how you take care of them out of the hospital. You have every reason to smile as you are a great mum.

[sparklygothkat]

I know, but i would love to experience the skin-to-skin thing, to have the baby delivered onto my chest, not the 'here your baby, bye, see you in SCBU' that I have had.

[PrettyCandles]

Oh Sparkly, that must have been gutting. Sorry to have rubbed it in .

[gigglewitch]

sparkly.
tis a shame for you. my mum hasn't got over me being whisked away immediately after being born - and to the main city hosp 12 miles away by the time i was 20mins old ...37 years ago!!! She didnt see me for three weeks.
I dont think there is any replacement for that first few minutes with your baby, so possibly something you just have to grieve for in a way? The only consolation is probably that many mums don't actually remember it cos they were too high (I am the only one of a whole group of friends who remembers it, cos i didnt have pain relief with #2&3!)

[sparklygothkat]

oh not you PC, it just made me realise what I missed out on.

[sparklygothkat]

I remember them showing me Callum when he was born because I had had enough of the G&A about 15 minutes before the birth so did the deliverly pain relief free, he was all covered in vervix (sp?) and looked so perfect..

[gibberish]

Can understand that SGK. If I'm brutally honest though, the initial contact with my girls was sadly lost in my absolute relief that it was all over (had awful labours) so sometimes, sadly, it isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Wish I could remember the moment they were handed to me being the best, but it wasn't. Once I was showered and realised I was still alive and they were, only then I enjoyed holding them.

I think I can understand how you feel though. Feel like that about BFing. Could not do it. Tried all 4 times and completely failed. So wish now I could have experienced it and will probably always feel that. So can understand that feeling about not having been able to do something which other people naturally experience.

[lisad123]

aw SGK hugs to you my big sister. They are lovely kids now hun, you get to hold them for the rest of their lives once they are well, remember that

1st timer: just remember that everyone will say how you need to do this and that for best birthing experience, it doesnt matter in the long term, please dont be disappointed if you dont/ cant get what you want. Not saying you wont, but be prepared that things change quickly. Like SGK and me, not everyone gets to hold their precious babies straight away.
hope that doesnt sound too negative.

[gibberish]

lisa that's true. so much can change. it's not a failing on anyone's part... just the way things go.

paranoid, my advice would be to try to not have too many expectations of how it 'should' be. It won't be like that. Every labour is different (this is from experience). Try not to think about what other people's labours have been like. Just take it as it comes and you will be fine.