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!!

They didn't take my baby away. Immediately after birth was placed on my chest. Then taken over to a little table just across the room so we could still see her for Apgar scores and to be dressed.

Whilst I was being stiched was handed to my partner to hold, after stiching we were left alone and brought tea and toast.

Have no idea of time scales but then someone came along and I was taken to another room for a bath, my partner stayed with baby.

Straight after bath we were all taken to maternity ward, partner had to leave pretty much immediately as was about 2am.

Baby was never out of either mine or his site and apart from getting baby dressed was either in my arms or his.

Baby was born just after 11pm and stiching took around an hour so we must have been left alone with the baby for a fair while before I had the bath.

If you can you want to enjoy that first hour. No need for the baby to be weighed, dressed etc.

Ask for the baby to be delivered up to your chest. Do skin to skin. Allow the baby to find your breast if you have the patience try to allow the baby to do the breastcrawl. It is a truly amazing experience and if you ask the mw to leave you and the baby to breastfeed this should/could happen for you.

The first assessment APGAR is done visually whilst the baby is in your arms. If for any reason the baby is taken from you (not breathing well at birth.. anything) when the baby is back as much skin to skin and gently stroking as possible.

Try and protect that first hour with you, baby and your partner. It's a gloriously special time and no one should rush you through it.

with dd1 had some skin to skin then baby taken to other end of room to be weighed dressed etc, then dh held he whilst i was stitched up.

dd2 - skin to skin and midwifes left the room to give us some time togeher, they popped in every 5 mins to check all was ok but gave us about an hour which was lovely. then i was put in the shower and cleaned up, baby weighed etc.

DD1 Midwife Unit. Best experience of all! Lots of cuddle time immediately after the birth. Weighing, name tags , checks etc all done in the room. I remember it being quite a while before the stitching up; there was certainly no rush to do it, which was nice, as after delivering the baby, the last thing you want is someone fiddling with your bits straight away!! If you need stitches, you'll have your legs in stirrups (try to relax your legs, I tensed up and had dreadful cramp!)I think you can be offered an injection of local anaesthetic for stitches, though I just used the gas and air which took the edge off. I guess if you've had an epidural then you don't need anything. I then went off to soak in the bath - again, very relaxed and no hurry - but this was a very small 6 bed midwife unit.
DD2 - csection, prem baby. As she needed resuscitation, she was whisked next door very quickly. It was probably only minutes, but felt like hours, and I heard her cry before I saw her. Also had to shout through to the next room 'What is it??' and seemed like a lifetime before someone said 'A girl'. DH was then able to hold her for a few minutes before she went to SCBU. That was really hard, but I was able to hold her for a short time later that evening.
DS - VBAC in big hospital. He was born in the middle of the night, and the hospital was very overstretched. I had a quick bath after the delivery and then up to the ward. I was starving, and was offered a cup of tea but that was it. Needed to have a proper shower in the morning. DS wasnt bathed at all. Came home by lunchtime as I hate big hospitals!

Thanks for all the comments. It's good to hear everyone else's real life experiences as my friends/family have all kind of forgotten their immediate after-the-birth experiences - either that or they don't really want to tell me!!!

I suppose I will just have to try and relax n stop stressing about it all.

agree marslady the breastcrawl is absolutely amazing. my baby was taken away from me for a few minutes bec. she wasn't breathing - luckily I was so out of it I didn't realise what was going on at the time. Once they got her breathing they brought her straight over to me for skin to skin. good luck x

ooops

Both my ds' were forceps deliveries, so after being delivered onto my tummy they were whisked away (to a table in the same room) to be checked over. With ds1 they did his APGAR there cause his cord had snapped-he needed O2 blood saturation tests too).

Both were in their father's arms within minutes, yelling to be fed whilst I was stitched up. We (dh, baby and me) were then given quiet time by ourselves whilst I fed and dressed them(about and hour). Then tea, toast and a shower for me whilst dh was left in charge of the baby.

DS3 was delivered onto my chest and they cut the cord there, then i delivered the placenta still holding him(i think, i don't fully remember that bit) they lifted me up to put a clean mat under me, did a quick visual of DS3, covered us both up and left us for ages, in fact i buzzed for them to come back in and take him to be weighed because i wanted a shower and some toast! hahaha!

Dd was delivered and needed some oxygen as the cord was around her neck. The crib with the oxygen was already in the room so dd was always with us.

I then had the 1st cuddle while I had the injection for the placenta, that was delivered and I was checked to see if I had torn. Had a few stiches while dp held dd.

Was then left to it. Got myself up and sorted. Ran my own bath, sorted out dd etc. She was checked in the morning and we went home. It was great to be left to it.

ladies sorry you obviously didn't notice my mistake - the last post on this thread bef. me was January 08, the OP has probably had the baby by now! Don't know how I managed that..