What happens after the birth?

[Hayleyandbaby]

Silly question i know, and it may have been asked hundreds of times before, and yes I am sat on my own at work with a lot of time to think think think too much.

I'm going to try to use the birthing pool (though the hospital only has one). So after I give birth what will happen?

What happens with the baby? Do they leave me and DP with it, or do they take it straight off us to bath it and check it over? Does it go straight on my boob?

What happens to me? Do I get straight out of the birthing pool and walk to a bed and deliver the placenta? Where is baby at this point? Where is DP?

Obviously I'll be soaking wet from the birthing pool, and also need a shower. Do I get dried, put on a nighty and dressing gown and flip flops and go to the showers on my own and have one? If so, where's baby and DP now?

What next? To the ward? Will someone show me how to feed the baby? And change it's nappy? Will someone else have clothed it by this point?

I could have this all wrong. There just seems to be a gap in info. Give birth. Be on ward with baby. No idea what happens between.

TIA

Hi Hayley,

I haven't ever managed a waterbirth, but I know that after delivering DS2 and DS3, both were delivered onto my tummy and I put them to my breast straight away and they were able to suck. They were then wrapped in a towel and I fed them for a bit, then DH took them and got them cleaned up a bit (they don't get bathed at this tage) and dressed them.

What happens will largely depend on your particular hospital, how the birth goes, time of day etc. so really my advise would be just to let things happen at that stage.

I seem to remember being given dd1 pretty quickly, although I was really quite dazed. They then took her and weighed her etc then brought her back dressed. But as I had her in the middle of the night, dh wasn't allowed to stay once they moved me to the ward as it was out of visiting hours, and I didn't get a shower or anything at all until the next morning.

There were nursing assistants around during the day who helped me, I did have to go and find someone to help though, it wasn't offered. I was left alone other than that.

Well much of that is dependable on what you decide to do at the time!!

I didn't use a pool. I had wanted to but it did nothing for me - plan already going awol!

After baby was born (first one) just lay there and fed him straight away - cord still attached - they took him to weight, do apgar etc a minute later, gave hi right back, no washing etc. and I was a state but didn't care.

Let him have some skin to skin contact, feed/nuzzle whatever - while other people stitched me/attended to my nether regions etc!

I was filthy with blood/sweat etc. but it didn't matter. There was time for that later. Babies and mums need quiet time if possible, to bond and be best chance of successful breastfeeding.

Second baby someone else held him when he came out, as I was in shock and bleeding heavily. I didn't feel anything towards him for a few minutes. It took longer for me to want to hold him, but same again (at home this time) lay naked together, and fed quite soon after birth.

HTH, we all do it differently!

I had a waterbirth with my third child and it was fantatastic The baby was put onto my chest as soon as he was delivered and dh and I found out the sex for ourselves. The pool was drained while I was still in it - think there was a towel over baby by this point, but he was still cuddled to my chest. Then the placenta was delivered while I was still in the pool, and the I got out (put a gown on) onto the nearby bed where I was checked for tears etc. - I think for this the baby was wrapped in a towel and put in his wee cot. At this point dh went out and phoned people to tell them the news.

Then We walked to another room where I put baby to the breast - he was still naked with just a towel over him (skin to skin contact is fantastic for establishing breastfeeding. You ahould be helped to latch on at this point I think. We cooed over our lovely boy for a while then dh had to go home to look after our older children. I went for a shower - I think the midwie will tell you when you can have one. Then after a shower we got taken down to the ward. This was about 3 hours after he was born, but I think we were forgotten for a while!

HTH

I had ds2 in the pool in hospital; dh in pool with me. He was delivered onto my tummy (it was surprisingly uncomfortable - I think the cord was quite short and I remember not likeing the feel of it coming out of me!! It didnt' hurt, I just remember being surprised by it as I'd never thought about it (ds1 born in theatre by forceps).) The midwives asked if I wanted a natural third stage and to deliver the placenta in the pool too - I'd never thought about it and said OK, but after a few minutes I started thinking actually I'd like to get out and get dry now. At that point I started bleeding heavily though, so they gave me the syntocine injection and got me out anyway - then it was a bit grim on a hospital bed for half an hour or so as they delivered the placenta and stopped the bleeding (dh held baby).
Then I went down the corridor to the ward - they wanted to keep me in overnight because of the blood loss, to my disgust! I can't honestly remember having a shower though I may have done so - was clean out of the bath though! I think what actually happened was a midwife sponged me clean between the legs and I went to bed. Ds was only weighed/dressed etc about an hour after the delivery - I assume the midwives did an Agpar score thingy or some sort of assessment as he arrived and concluded that he was robustly healthy! (He was 11lb3 - and I did the whole thing on a lemsip I had at home at about 4am!! The water was fab). Apart from that few minutes when we got him dressed etc, he was being held either by me or dh the whole time. He wasn't bathed until the next day, by dh and I (they offered to show us but it was our second so we just got on with it. Plus he was so big he didn't seem fragile!).

I think it probably depends where you are, but roughly my experience was:
dd2
baby pops out, handed to me to hold, cord cut, baby wrapped up and given to dh to hold, placenta plops out, baby handed back and midwife assists b/f. After how ever long (1hr?) mw shows dh how to clean baby and gets baby dressed whilst I have stitches and go for shower to clean up. (then move to ward? / I was in mw unit so stayed where I was instead). Then chill out time with just you, dh and baby. At some point later a mw checked her over.

dd1
baby pops out, cord cut, baby whisked away to heat lamp where she was checked, cleaned and dressed. Meanwhile I was dealing with placenta. Baby brought back and b/fs. Shower (dh with baby), move to ward, chill out.

With dd2 I deliberately specified wanting to see her and hold her before being cleaned up as I was so disapointed dd1 had been whisked away.

Everyone's stories are different- it's really helpful, thanks. I was also wonder- my midwife at the hospital said I'm not to let the baby out of my sight for a second. not even for blood tests, nothing. She said you can never say never to a baby being taken!!! Alarming. So how do I shower? Should I wait until DP comes in for visiting and do it then? It's all so confusing. I know it'll all happen naturally, but I'm more panicky about the after bit than the birth!!

Any more stories are welcome please

You can wheel the bassinet around with you, so you don't have to leave the baby alone. Some hospitals don't like you to carry the baby around in your arms - apparently this is in case you drop him! Ds2's bassinet wasn't on a trolley, but attached to my bed, so I carried him around in his car seat if I needed to go to the loo and dh or other visitor weren't around. Sometimes the mws may be willing to keep an eye on the baby if you want to go shower alone.

Don't let the security issues panic you. IME they are very stringent with security and you and your baby will be safe. Better to overdo security than take chances.

I tended to wait until I had a visitor to keep an eye on baby before going off for a shower - but would just ask the mums in the ward if they could keep an eye out while nipped to the loo (or should i say shuffled john wayne like whilst simultaneously balancing jelly on belly and brick between legs - its not glamorous those first few days!).

Had water births with no 2 and no 3 and my experiences were very similar - baby born and I scooped it up in water and brought up to surface, cuddled in arms while waited for cord to stop pulsing. Kept baby close to me and still in water up to their shoulders while they adjusted. My third was very slow to start breathing - I don't think he realised he had been born and was fast asleep!! The midwifes started to flap a bit as he was very floppy and unresponsive to start with but once they cut the cord and he realised he was out he was fine - lots of gutsy wailing.

After that left dad holding the baby while I got out the pool and had checks for tears etc. I think I delivered the placenta in the water for both the water births. Had a shower after that and got cleaned up and dressed in nightgown etc. Take pool shoes if you have them as handy to wear in shower to prevent slipping - you can be a bit faint after.

About security - all the hospital staff should make it quite clear who they are and what they have come to do to you or the baby. Any tests etc should be carried out by your bedside and your baby should not need to be taken away from you by anyone. The units are usually closed to visitors for a mid day break and the rest of the time they usually carefully monitor who is coming and going. When I had my first baby my mum and step mum came in to see us but I had fallen asleep - the midwives would not let mum and my step mum go anywhere near the baby until I was awake and consented. So I woke up to find a large "new baby" balloon next to the bed and thought I had missed them as they had pottered off to they day room to wait!

PS - forgot to say - the midwifes might help you get baby dressed the first time and put first nappy on - but you are usually on your own after that! Had a lady opposite me when I had dd1 who kept buzzing the midwifes in the night to come and change the baby and feed it etc and she got very short shrift!

If you are planning to bf then don't be scared to ask them to come and sit with you and show you how to do it. But it is well worth seeing someone before the birth if you can - some hospitals run a bfing class as part of their antenatal classes. Some videos around as well - try your local nct branch.

Wishing you all the best - its a magical time!

Both my water births at hosp went like this:

Have baby, born under water, you reach down and bring baby to surface, unless you don't want, then MW will.

Hubby cuts cord.

Climb out of pool.

Hold baby.

Deliver placenta on bed. (Or on way out of pool as i did with DS2! )

MW checks nethers for damage.
(DH holds baby for this bit!)

Hold baby again, attach to boob.

Go for shower.

MW does any work on nethers that is neede after shower.

Not had a water birth so can't help you there
Provided your baby doesn't need any special care he/she should be with you once they arrive
Mine were skin to skin/first feed while I delivered the placenta

Nappy on and dressed by DH or a MW while I showered
They don't need a bath straight away

Both times we have been left to our own devices straight after.
If you want help with feeding you'll have to ask probably

sweatbean waves hello from due may thread x

With mine i didn't have a water birth but

Gave birth.
Then she was given to me to hold while i deliver placenta.
Had a bit of time DP and me just starting at her and crying.
Then i let DP hold her and bond, while i went for a shower.
WE then both went back to the ward and put her nappy and baby grow on!!

I was AMAZING and the relief when its all over it fantastic. Please try not to worry to much. i cried nearly everyday when i was pregnant as i was so scared about labour but when the time comes you will be just fine xxx

Oh and this time I'm feeling a lot better about it not so scary the second time around ! xx

That was ment to be IT was amazing not I was amazing

I had a home birth, basically dd was born and passed to me, she lay on my chest for a few minutes and fell asleep. I think cord was then cut and she went to someone in my family (either mum or hubbie-my dh has a habit of passing out at the sight of blood so not reliable newborn baby holder on his own.) The placenta was delivered, naturally in my case. Then I was quickly checked over and they did their newborn checks intermingled with her lying on my chest having an investigate of boob. Meanwhile a bath was run for me, which I had and then dd came in and got a bit cleaned up and then we snuggled up in bed. Can't remember what point we got dressed at but it must have been sometime soon after the bath as it was a bit chilly that night.

I had a waterbirth and it went like this:

dd was born in the pool and the mw brought her to the surface for me to hold her (still in pool)

I then started to bleed, so they clamped and cut the cord and handed dd naked to dh (I was apparently very firm that he should take her and not a nurse/mw).

They helped me out the pool and I delivered the placenta on the bed - it was only a step or two and was all ready with towels and stuff on so I didn't stay wet for long. The room was really warm anyway so everything dried fast.

Meanwhile someone weighed dd and put a nappy on her then put her on my chest and covered us both with sheets/towels/blankets to keep us warm.

One of the mws helped me put her to the breast but she was too sleepy to get the hang of it - in fact she dropped off to sleep.
We stayed like that (with dh taking photos and texting the firstline relatives) for quite a while while they did the form filling re her name, time of birth etc.

Eventually the mws left us alone in the delivery room and an auxiliary brought us tea and toast. I needed a wee and DD was still fast asleep so I passed her to DH (in her nappy and a blanket or two)and a mw helped me to the loo, but I felt so much better for walking around that I asked if I could go for a shower.
I had packed a dressing gown and flipflops and stuff but in the end I just tottered there and back in bare feet and the nightie I'd done the early part of labour in.

Stayed in the delivery room a bit longer while I had a stitch put in - dh made several trips to the vending machine as I was ravenous.
Eventually DD woke up and we pressed the call button to get someone to come and help me get her feeding, which she did.
We must have been in there about 6h from the moment of birth, and nearly went home straight from the delivery suite, (and I wish we had) but ended up going up to the ward, me in a wheelchair holding dd and dh taking all the bags.

On the ward no-one showed us anything re feeding or nappies and we were bawled out because dd was still only in a nappy and blankets .

OOh finding this fascinating (36+5 today).
Would just like to add my friend recently gave birth at Sunderland Royal, she said the bassinets had a lock and key which she could use to secure the baby while she nipped out to loo, get food etc.