What to expect immediately after birth?

[domuch]

The Childbirth section seemed quiet, so I thought I'd post here.

How long was it before you were able to get cleaned up etc? Were you left alone or was there always someone about? How did you feel physically? When did you let people know baby was here?

I know it will be different for everyone and complications can happen, but general pointers would be great. I don't really know what to expect.

I didn't have visitors at hospital or at home - it was lockdown, so I don't know any different. It was quite blissful though to have my safe space at home to still be my sanctuary to get to grips with early parenthood and not worry about the state I looked or the state of tidiness of the house. We did have a socially distant masked up visit from my own parents and in-laws after about 3w at home though. Hoping to do the same this time (currently 36w with baby number 2).

It's totally your call!

I had an emergency C-section at 7.33 in the morning and didn’t get moved to the main ward until very late that day. However I had to have a general and they needed to do bloods etc after.

Didnt have a shower until the next day as was not well enough to get up beforehand. However was given bowl of water to try and wash etc few hours after birth.

First baby:
Gave birth at 7:05pm, delivered placenta and had some cuddles/skin to skin then was moved to a proper delivery room (as I wasn’t in one when I gave birth but that’s a whole different story), was stitched up, then went for a shower (best shower ever), more cuddles and tea and toast bought to us (considering all the hype I thought it was fairly average lol), then moved to the ward via wheelchair. Had feeding difficulties as baby was drowsy from pethidine and uninterested in feeding, so we ended up staying in a couple of days which was quite tough as I found it impossible to sleep there and it was covid times so only a 2 hour visitor slot, although it was nice being bought food and not having to clear up lol.
second baby: gave birth at around 10:40pm in water, had cuddles in the tub for about 10 mins then got out to deliver placenta, I felt okay but my body wouldn’t stop shaking for a while, more cuddles and first breastfeed. Was bought a cup of tea (was offered toast but didn’t fancy it, had haribo tangfastic sweets instead haha) then had a shower (again, amazing!). After my shower was wheeled down to the ward just before 1am. Couldn’t sleep at all due to the excitement, was bought bread and jam for breakfast and waited to be discharged- was discharged just before midday. Got home, straight to bed for a nap with baby in crib next to me while hubby went out and picked up a Burger King, then I woke up and ate it in bed… was a good day haha.

Be prepared for the postnatal ward! First time for me was horrible in there but then I was there for 3 days and it was so hot and noisy I couldn't wait to leave. I remember the woman next to me sleeping through her babies crying, still haunts me to this day!

Second time I had my own room and it was like heaven in comparison!

I was induced at 38 weeks. I had a pessary inserted at about midday, and started having light cramping pains at about 7pm.

Carried on throughout the next day, and was checked over regularly, but no real contractions as such aside from the odd one or two. I wasn't feeling great, because I was struggling to keep anything down, every time I tried to drink, i was sick. Checked at 4pm, and as I was 4cm dilated, they took me off down to labour suite (delivery) to rupture my waters and move things along, which it did.

My labour was drug free, but only because gas and air made me vomit, I had asked for an epidural, but by the time the anaesthetist was free, I was 10cm, so it wasn't going to happen.

DD was born at 12.40am, skin to skin immediately which was amazing. Stitched up because I had a 2nd degree tear. Had the meal of champions (tea and toast 😋) and was up on the ward by 3.00am. I was euphoric immediately after - I felt like I could run a marathon.

I didn't sleep a wink, just cuddled DD until DH came back at 9.00. Had a shower, washed my hair, and spent the day with DD and DH.

DD was tiny, and was struggling to latch and feed, so the Midwives suggested a tiny bit of formula to give her some energy to keep feeding, I wasn't producing much milk, so do bear that in mind. DD was combi fed, breast then bottle (I persevered for 6 weeks, feeding and pumping, but I could barely get more than 2oz in an hour of pumping)

We stayed in for another night (48 hrs in hospital) and then home.

DD is 7 now, but I remember it like it was yesterday 💗

Hope you have a wonderful birth experience and a lifetime of joy.

It depends on the quality of your unit IMO. I had to wait to have a shower probably hour or two but then I had lost a lot of blood so they may have been being cautious. I just remember feeling so yukky and desperate for a wash.
When we made it to the ward I think I had a cup of tea.
You can ring or message family whenever you feel ready, I rang my DM about half an hour after birth as she had been worried.
With my first I went home later the same day and with 2nd I stayed a night as I had lost lots of blood and felt terrible.

I think I have PTSD from the maternity ward 😭 I was put there after 3 days in HDU and what I didn't know at the time is that babies are often exhausted and subdued immediately after birth so they are quite quiet. I was surrounded by mums with babies just a few hours old whereas of course my baby was 3 days old and screaming the place down. I thought I was such a bad mother. Of course now I know!! I discharged myself after that!! Honestly maternity ward was the only bad bit, everything else was amazing!

My first (vaginal birth) he was born at 5pm, I was stitched up for an hour or so. I had some cold tea and toast (which was incredible) and me and DP just stared at this human for a couple of hours until he had to leave at10pm. I remember being taken to postnatal ward in the evening and one of the midwives said, does he have any clothes? Do you think we should perhaps dress him? 😂 I don’t know if it was shock or just pure idiocy it hadn’t even occurred to me to dress him (he was in nappy and blankets/hat.) I had a shower pretty much soon as I was stitched because I felt gross. Very sore downstairs for a couple of days but healed quickly.

My second delivery was an EMCS due to failed induction, I had been in the hospital 5 days by the time he was born. Section recovery surprisingly straightforward but did require a lot of support for a couple of weeks afterwards.

I think both times I was on a huge high for a couple of days afterwards and like a pp said crashed (emotionally and physically) a few days later. I would have loved to keep the births just between myself and DP for a bit but had family constantly ringing and texting!

I think everyone's experience will be completely different so no one can really prepare you for what to expect.

I was stitched up within minutes of the placenta coming out, given a cup of tea and toast which was amazing after not eating for so long. I'd puked everywhere during labour cos I was so hungry and couldn't have anything after having an epidural.

We facetimed immediate family about two hours after my DD was born, we were moved up to the post natal ward the about 8 hours after giving birth. Home same day.

Dc1 I'd had epidural and forceps so for me, post birth was stitches, washed down, still numb. Dh took dd to a little side room and I joined them when washed. I then had to lay for hours with these pads that kept inflating and deflating around my legs and back as the epidural wore off.

Then, we all got taken to a private en suite room where dh helped me shower (I had a catheter in), and then we all went to the post natal ward. I was lucky ro get a side room. That's when the dreamy tea and toast came.

Dc2 - sneeze birth, so no recovery time needed I just chilled in the delivery room for a few hours with dh while baby lay next to me under a hot lamp. Tea and toast came, then we got wheeled up to post natal. 4berth Bay but only me there. There was a student midwife who brought me hourly cuppas. Dh went home to dc1. I stayed 2 nights.

My daughter was born at 21:46, normal natural no stitches delivery… I had gas and air and pefadin as pain relief and can’t really remember the middle bit and as soon as I pushed her out I fell asleep.

her dad got to stay with us until about midnight and then he got sent home. I remember being sat there for a few days and imediately after I remember feeling that in pain and tired I just wanted to lay there. It was great and I loved it but I had to ask for help eventually cause it got the better of me.

hormone wise day number 6 was horrendous as I was sat in hospital with my baby on light therapy I remember just not having control of my emotions and sobbing ALOT.

I was able to shower within a few minutes in the delivery room after mine was born (no pain meds). Second the abattoir comment 🫣! Shower looked like a massacre 😳 My partner took the most hideous photo of me and sent to all the family whatapps too before I had a chance to see it as well but he was just so excited.
Sore bits for sure. The first poo a day or so later is worse than the push almost so don't be alarmed!
Also I got a lot of comments about that 'instant love' you feel when you see them for the first time. Yeah I didn't really get that tbh just had pulled an all nighter so really it took a couple of days for the warm fuzzy feeling to arrive. Don't put pressure on your self to be all doey eyed the first day your with the wee baby.
Good luck OP, don't over analyse it just what will be will be!

And just to add reading some other comments, if your given the option to stay overnight or go home- GO HOME! You won't get any sleep or rest in the ward!

I wasn't in hospital long enough to have visitors there.

At home at first it was only immediate family so baby's grandparents. With my first his godmother came when he was a day old, but old because she was passing then.

Other visitors were a few weeks later.

After birth I had to stay in the high dependency unit as had a severe haemorrhage. I sat there alone and in shock wondering if my daughter was still alive, as she had been resuscitated and rushed off to NICU and DH had gone with her (at my request). Everyone was too busy to update me. I overheard some of the staff talking in a corridor outside about my birth - it had been a close call and some of them blamed me for trying to push for too before agreeing to intervention.

I think what I'm trying to say is don't have too many rose tinted expectations about getting cleaned up, a golden hour snuggling the baby and things like that. If anything does not go to plan, the feeling of having missed out on a great post birth experience that many women have adds to the trauma.

If you want to breastfeed, think about hand expressing and freezing some colostrum in advance. If you need an epidural (sometimes there is no choice with complications) and baby needs to go to NICU, you will not be able to see them for about 6 hours when epidural wears off.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Some hospitals are better than others.

Best tea and toast ever!

All I can remember was going into shock. They put the silver foil blanket like the ones round the marathon runners on me!.

As soon as DD was born, I was sick and as I'd had an epidural (topped up a few times), I couldn't move. Had to have quite a lot of stitches, so that took a while. I phoned my DM while having the stitches done. My temperature then shot up, so priority was to cool me down with every fan going. After my stitches had been done, DH was able to pass DD to me (hadn't had a cuddle due to being sick, then stitches). He then left and phoned his family.

About 2 hours after DD was born I was given a bed bath - I didn't care what state I was in prior to that as I was really tired. DH came into the shower room with me the next day and helped me wash.

We went up to ward about 3.5 hours after birth, but it was much quieter where I'd been.

You might as well not bother closing your front door if it's anything like my house was! Midwives, health visitors, neighbours, family and friends...you can't keep the buggers out when there's a newborn in the house it's lovely!

I think it all depends on how the birth goes. If all goes smoothly and no stitching required, you have skin to skin with baby and are served some tea and toast (amazing as a PP pointed out).

You’re then encouraged to get cleaned up rather soon and taken to the shared ward where you and baby will stay for 1 night or more depending. Check with your hospital what hours partner can stay with you.

It’s a euphoric time, one of the best experiences even with the pain and discomfort. Good luck x

It might be good to talk visitor strategy with your DP now actually, we had agreed how we were going manage family dynamics etc as they were quite complex and it was handy to have thought about it in advance. We had nobody at the hospital, can't think of anything worse, but I was only in for two days/one night with our first and not at all with her sister so there wasn't much scope for visitors anyway. Unless there's someone you really don't fancy hosting in which case get them booked in for an awkward hour on a hospital chair with vending machine tea and you'll have ticked that box 😂

Grandmother here! I'm a bit nervous too as dds are adopted, so I have no experience of newborns, and dd2, who is giving birth is approx six weeks, is only 18 and single.
We went on a birthing course at the hospital last Saturday and were told that if mum and baby are both fine, they could go home two hours after birth! All I could think was poor baby, being sent home with us hapless pair!
My niece had a difficult birth at the same hospital last week and was discharged about 12 hours after delivery, even though her baby was struggling to breastfeed until the following day and had to be syringe fed initially.
it appears there is a lack of both beds and midwives round here which is why mums get kicked out ASAP.

I’ve given birth 3 times.

After each I’ve been so tired I’ve pretty much been nodding off. DH has had to deal with the babies 😳

Mostly lying around afterward, shower, some toast and a cuppa! I’ve always gone home as soon as allowed too.

I think what you don't realise until you've done it is that after labour you're in quite an altered state.

All those hormones - all those endorphins - and the body so tired after a lot of work.

My experience was feeling blissed out with relief, satisfaction, love for baby, delight no longer pregnant!

I don't know that I kept track of time at all as your in a bit of a different place. So when you say six hours maybe it would be but you might not really notice it quite like that.