Immediate after the birth

[jellyjelly]

I know that the midwives need to check spinal bits and pieces first but can it wait till after i have pulled baby up?.

I think this is what i want to do. Have the baby and pull baby up to stomach rather than being placed and start breastfeeding to geththe best start. Do you think this is possible? then do the apgar score. i think i want to be naked and the baby too to do skin to skin.

Yes ime the mw prefer it this way.

the apgar score only measures skin colour, breathing and crying all of which they can tell as soon as baby is born, if there's no problems they tend to give baby straight to you and encourage feeding.

A very sensible request jelly. I've always done it this way. It helps with delivery of placenta too.

bear in mind that if you need stitches that might hold up how soon you can hold the baby after the birth (felt like 1/2 hour, but am sure it was probably about 5 to 10 minutes before I could hold DS).

They should ask you whether you want the baby delivered onto your chest/stomach - or you can just say so. They should only have to take the baby away if there are problems e.g. he/she needs resus. Apgars are done immediately just by looking and all the weighing/checking etc doesn't have to be done until you are ready for it.

All midwives should know that immediate skin-to-skin is the best thing post-birth and will hopefully encourage it.

The need for stitches is unlikely to be assessed until a while after the birth - again unless there's something that obviously needs immediate attention!

Make sure you tell the Midwife what you want that the main thing

i think most of all i want to feel enpowered and in control and not waiting to be told what to do but never having done it and being a parent is odd. i am glad that i had a cs as it was the best thing but i dont want that next time so i think i am trying to fight for the best result. I am aware that stiches need to be done but i thought you could feed while dong it? Is there actually any reason not too feed while it is being done?

TBH I found the stitches much more painful than the birth so there's no way I could have fed at the same time. Needed plenty of gas & air! And a bit of writhing!

I thought they would be less so and that feeding might help. is there a reason that you cant feed apart from the pain?

Not as far as I know. I just certainly couldn't have done it.

don't they give you a local anaesthetic for stitching?

I held mine immediately after birth, and with 2 did need stitching, which was done while dp held the baby.First time I had no laocal anaesthetic, and it was the most painful bit of childbirth for me - def couldn't safely hold a newborn! Second, I had local (which hurt alot being given so I guess not worth it if only a small tear) but still needed g&a as well and when it wore off I'd def have dropped the baby if I'd had him!

They did the more time consuming checks much later, after I had fed.

Yes I had a local, but she had to check me inside first to see if I did need them there- which I did and these were the worst. Getting the anaesthetic was not nice either. I think she only gave me it where the stitches were going (obviously) but the whole area was sore and there was probably a few areas where I didn't need stitching but was sore. And nobody told me they have to check your back passage after all that! It may be obvious to some but unless there's a very large tear/episiotomy I wouldn't have expected that!

I had a homebirth... picked DS up off my floor, cuddled him for a minute, went to move back to sofa to wait for placenta and found it on the floor already. Cut cord and went to sofa still holding my baby. After a few mins I actually handed him over to DH so they could check me out out for tears etc.

Remember - this is YOUR birth and YOUR baby - you tell them exactly what you want from the start, and insist on it. The only reason you should give in is if there is a life threatening problem for either of you.

I had a homebirth... picked DS up off my floor, cuddled him for a minute, went to move back to sofa to wait for placenta and found it on the floor already. Cut cord and went to sofa still holding my baby. After a few mins I actually handed him over to DH so they could check me out out for tears etc.

Remember - this is YOUR birth and YOUR baby - you tell them exactly what you want from the start, and insist on it. The only reason you should give in is if there is a life threatening problem for either of you.

Oh that's nice fs. Did you have to have the inj. to encourage the placenta? I didn't want one but was given the idea it's dodgy not to. Would also love a home birth next time but we're an hour and a half from nearest hospital so is very unlikely

That was the other reason I was moving - to have the injection, but it was too late . It was very bizarre, it only took 2 mins to come out, and I didn't even feel it!

Bramblina - I delivered the placenta without the injection - it took longer than stage 2! Pushing = 15 minutes. Placenta = 30 minutes. I figured that since I had done it without pain relief, I might as well go the whole hog. Dont be talked into having the injection through scare tactics - do what feels right and what is in your and baby's best interests! I held DS as soon as he was born and whilst DP cut the cord. After a little while, my DP had the wonderful experience of holding our DS skin to skin whilst MW and I dealt with placenta and stitches. It all passed really quickly and I was tucked up in bed with DS and feeding him in no time. It was a fantastic birth and I wish you all the best with yours.

oops = message was for jellyjelly -

just to say i was 90 mins to deliver placenta (birth 15 mins), mw (who arrived 50 mins after the birth) wasnt at all stressed about waiting (i had read they only like you to go 60 mins), in fact i was MUCH more stressed than her (if i have another, which I wont be) then I would be much more relaxed about 3rd stage.

I've had 4 home births and didn't have an injection for the placenta with any of them. Just make sure the midwifes know what you want and I have found that they will do their best to stick to it.

For each of my children I had embroidered a baby vest and wanted that to be the first thing they wore. Post birth haze I remember mw1 almost shouting to mw2 as they helped to dress dd "Where's the vest, she want's the vest !" it was very sweet .

I wrote out an easy to read birth plan and had loads of copies so I could give it to anyone I thought needed it !!
Good luck