Salams Rosie
Congratulations on the news of your baby girl. I pray Allah gives you a safe and easy delivery, as well as a gorgeous, healthy, peaceful baby at the end of it.
My little boy was born last summer and I remember researching Islamic etiquettes and customs with regards to newborn babies.
First thing you are supposed to do when the baby is born is recite the call to prayer (Arabic word for it is adhan) in the ear of the infant.
"I saw the Prophet peace be upon him (PBUH) give the adhân for prayer in the ear of al-Husayn ibn Alî (the Prophet's grandson) when his mother Fâtimah (the daughter of the Prophet Muhammed PBUH) gave birth to him," (Tirmidhî)
It doesnt have to be a specific person who does this. It can be you, your dh or any relative who knows the call to prayer. This is done so that one of the first things the baby hears is the name of Allah.
This should be done in a voice that is audible to the baby but not too loud so as to startle the baby (like my uncle did when he recited the adhan in a loud voice in the middle of the hospital ward when his granddaughter was born. Imagine when you walk past a mosque in a muslim country at prayer time - that's how loudly he did it
).
The next step is of course to let your nearest and dearest know so that they are not left worrying and also so that they can make supplications (duas) for the baby. Something like saying I pray that God protects your baby, gives baby good health, intellect, strength, piety etc.
Another thing that you do soon after the baby is born is the tahnik. This is where you soften a date and then rub the palate of the new-born with it just after the birth or soon after. This is done by putting a piece of the softened date on your finger and rubbing it from left to right in the mouth of the baby. Don't allow any piece of the date to remain in the babies mouth. Its just to get let the baby get the taste of it rather then to eat it. I read somewhere that the sweetness of the date encourages the baby to suckle but not sure if that's the reason behind it.
The next step is naming the baby. The baby may be named on the day of it's birth or later on the seventh day or past the seventh day. For the first three days we just called our ds baby boy because we couldn't agree on a name. We had chosen one beforehand but at the time of birth we both didn't feel like it suited him. Some people make a big deal about hiding the name that they have chosen for the baby from all except their closest relatives until they officially announce it to everyone
on the seventh day but this is not really something from the religion but more like a cultural practice in some countries.
The next step is the fun part. On the seventh day you throw a party for the baby which we call the aqiqah. You don't actually have to have a party. Its just on that day you must arrange for a sheep to be sacrificed to thank God for blessing you with the child and as a welcome for it. The meat of the sacrifice may be distributed cooked or uncooked. If people cook the meat they tend to throw a party and feed their guests it or if they distribute it uncooked it is normally given to family, friends, neighbours or now more commonly people arrange for it to be distributed to the poor. By distributing the meat (rather than keeping it all for yourself) you are sharing the blessings that your family have received with the wider community if that makes sense because they are also sharing in your joy and also supplicate for your baby.
On the seventh day after the birth the head of the baby normally should be shaved and the hair is then weighed and the value of the baby's weight of hair in silver is given to charity. When the Prophet Muhammed PBUH grandson was born he instructed his daughter Fatima to:
?shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver to the poor" (Ahmad)
The right side of the head should be shaved first, then the left. The shaving should be done after the sacrifice, and it was the custom of muslims in the past to rub some perfume over the baby's head after the shaving though this is not necessary. In the case of baby girls there is a bit of difference of opinion whether you have to shave their hair or not. My mum swears that its not obligatory to shave the baby girls hair and I know people who have shaved their baby girls hair and some who haven't. I think I will leave it to other sisters here to elaborate on this point. I had a boy so it was pretty clear cut.
I think that's all of it. If I have missed anything out someone please correct me. I don't know of any books but there are some good sites online that can offer you more information.
Hope everything goes well for you. X