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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

So just after baby has arrived..

27 replies

highlove · 27/01/2014 10:57

I'm just thinking about my birth plan (which I get has to be totally flexible, so it's just my 'ideal world'). I'm wondering what the options are/what other people did immediately after baby arrived - ideally I want skin to skin straight away, but if so when is baby weighed, checked, eyc? Can you try for first BF before weighing and checking? And what does that mean for third stage - is it better to have the injection and get it over or to do it naturally? So in a nutshell, what did the first 30-60 mins look like, or what would you have liked them to be like? (And I recognise I may not have the luxury of this, but best to know what I want ideally..)

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Original poster

highlove · 27/01/2014 10:58

Ps - thank you!

OP posts:

FirstUpBestDressed · 27/01/2014 11:14

Uninteruppted skin to skin until baby has fed is optimal.
Obviously any urgent treatment for you or baby would take priority.
Weight can be declined politely until baby is fed :)

Original poster

highlove · 27/01/2014 11:24

Thanks firstup what does that then mean for third stage? Sorry if that's a really silly question!

OP posts:

justalilmummy · 27/01/2014 11:31

I'm only going by experience here but first baby I had the injection and placenta got stuck had to be manually removed
Second baby, no injection and placenta came away fine!
Defo try bf I did with 2nd, baby was hungry! Weighed afterwards no problem

SweetPeaPods · 27/01/2014 11:33

If your feeding baby and having lots of skin to skin that will encourage a quick natural third stage.
I had to deliver ds in theatre by forceps so they did a managed third stage. They also cleaned ds up and weighed him before they gave him to me, which ideally I didn't want. But they needed to check him over first and it wasn't actually that long a wait.

Pregnantberry · 27/01/2014 11:36

I am lurking in this thread, I would also like to know this. Whenever I watch labour videos the baby seems to get whisked off even in a healthy pregnancy without giving the mother any choice in the matter.

addictedtosugar · 27/01/2014 11:47

DS2 was a shock home birth, but with the modification of a little more planning in prep for a home birth, and a midwife in attendance, I'd say:
immediate skin to skin (following a towel rub down)
natural third stage, assuming no intervention required - stitches stc are best ASAP.
let baby feed if desired
weight and checks 30-60 mins post birth, while Mum gets tea and FOOD! Then a shower.

123rd · 27/01/2014 11:53

I was lucky to enjoy both labours naturally. No injection for placenta either time. So DD popped out. Straight onto my tummy. I then cuddled and talked to her whilst the third stage. Happened. I do remember We tried latching on and that was more if a nuzzle really. (I did state that I didn't want the injection before it all kicked off). My second labour was a planned home birth. All over v v quickly. And again Ds popped out and I snuggled him while the placenta came out and was checked. Baby was weighed and checked after we had cuddled. Hath

Babylonmood · 27/01/2014 11:58

Home birth- Baby born. On my chest crawling to have first feed. I got back into bed while baby weighed and checked. Placenta delivered naturally after 45 mins. Dh held baby (skin to skin) while I was sewn up and washed blood off in birth pool. Didn't feel rushed or deprived of baby in that first hour after birth.

lonesomeBiscuit · 27/01/2014 11:59

You can have skin to skin AND a managed third stage. DS was delivered straight onto my tummy (felt like he was thrown at me). All slimy but perfect. They towelled him dry while on my chest and put hat on him and covered us both with blanket. In the meantime the midwife was active the other end delivering the placenta following the injection and stitching me up but I wasn't really aware of this. Obviously if he'd needed urgent medical attention they would have had to take him away.

I'm not actually sure when they weighed him, it was after we'd had a while of skin to skin but before he fed. At some stage I had a shower then went back to skin to skin (at NCT class they advised against washing the chest area during this first shower so as not to confuse baby's sense of smell). He then breast fed during this second period of skin to skin.

Lj8893 · 27/01/2014 12:00

Dd had a traumatic birth so the 3rd stage happened while they were checking dd over and giving her a bit of oxygen. Then we had some skin to skin and attempted to latch her on. Unfortunately she then had to be whisked away again for oxygen and recuss as she had breathing problems again. (I'm told it was very traumatic and horrifying but I seem to have blanked it out) but if all had been well they would have weighed her about 40 minutes of skin to skin.
Dd got weighed in scbu instead, a few hours after birth.

WipsGlitter · 27/01/2014 12:03

Its a blur! Cord was round the neck, so ventouse delivery (on second attempt I think), straight to paed for APGAR, then to me for skin to skin. I literally have no idea how my placenta was delivered.

worsestershiresauce · 27/01/2014 12:07

I didn't have a birth plan, as you have no idea how things will go on the day. Baby was delivered and put straight on my chest for skin to skin. She had no interest in feeding, she's just been hauled out into a scary world, and hunger wasn't the first thing on her mind.

I had the injection and the placenta was delivered straight away. I was completely unaware of that, or the stitching. Once your baby is there everything else is a blur.

She was then towelled down, weighed etc, and given back to me. When I was ready I had a shower, and she fed once I was on the recovery ward.

cathpip · 27/01/2014 12:32

I had skin to skin with both my dc, and they were born via section. They were delivered, wiped down and then put under my gown with an extra towel placed on top while they were sorting me out down below. They weighed them whilst I was being transferred from theatre.

ThereIsNoEleventeen · 27/01/2014 20:39

Straight after the birth DC1 was whipped off to scbu via the resuscitation cart...when DC2 was born he was passed to DH and I for a cuddle, because of what had happened with DC 1 we asked the MW if she needed DS back to weigh, measure and check. She said that we could relax and that she didn't need to do that for a while, it was lovely, the MW pottered about, did some jobs and we had DS for ages before the weigh in.

EmB1715 · 28/01/2014 04:52

I wrote about skin to skin etc in my birth preferences but it wasn't followed :( DH got skin to skin first... I didn't say anything as was still in shock from the birth! I opted for a natural 3rd stage, but after an hour the placenta still hadn't come out so was then given the injection. Had skin to skin about 30 mins after birth and attempt to BF, but she wouldn't latch :( was then stitched up so baby was handed back to DH and had her checks/weighed etc. I had to stay in hospital for 3 days as establishing BF was very difficult. Skin to skin with mum is very important (especially if planning to BF) so make sure it is straight away!

EmB1715 · 28/01/2014 04:56

Also was desperate for a wash as was covered in blood (eww). Took them 3 hours to run me a bath and help me off the bed. Lesson learnt: be vocal about what you want/need!

Romann · 28/01/2014 05:16

My dc1 was whisked off, wiped down and wrapped up. I was really annoyed as it was a while before I got to unwrap him and look at his little toes etc. Dc2 was handed straight to me, and a nice nurse stayed in the corner of the room warming little blankets to put on him so he was OK for about an hour, until I realised I was about to pass out from hunger. That was lovely. Dc3 I bellowed "GIVE ME THE BABY" as he popped out just in case someone took him off to wash him or something, and they did give him to me. But I got terrible shakes so I gave him to dh after a few minutes. I don't have the faintest idea how the placenta came out, but on one occasion they did show it to me I remember. Pretty gross

Foxeym · 28/01/2014 08:08

I had a CS and was very I'll for about 4 hours after in recovery but they encouraged my DP to put DS down his t-shirt for skin to skin which he loved

TobyLerone · 28/01/2014 08:09

DD2 was born a few weeks ago.

I delivered her kneeling and leaning over the backrest of the bed. She was passed up and through my legs, straight under my nightie for skin to skin. The mw then helped me on to my back, making sure the cord/drip/monitor cables didn't get tangled, while we let the cord pulsate for a bit. Then she clamped it and DH cut it.

By this point, DD had found the breast herself and started feeding :o

I had the injection (because I was a PPH risk) and the placenta was delivered. The mws wrote up their notes and then left us to it for 15 minutes or so. Then they came back in with teas all round and had run me a bath. They weighed DD about an hour after she was born. We weren't rushed to do anything. It was lovely.

TobyLerone · 28/01/2014 08:10

And DH got to do skin to skin too.

ReticulatingSplines · 28/01/2014 08:12

There was no hurry to weigh either of mine. DS had a feed and a poo before he was weighed. Both of mine were born in theatre though so although I got cuddles I they were wrapped in blankets and I didn't get much skin to skin until we were in recovery. Neither were cleaned though.

MummyPig24 · 28/01/2014 08:28

I'm sure we had skin to skin and tried to feed before baby was taken to be weighed, vit K given and baby dressed. Unless there is a complication then this should be fine.

AnythingNotEverything · 28/01/2014 08:28

DD was born 14 weeks ago. I delivered stood up and she was passed through my legs to me. We climbed back on the bed and did skin to skin and fed.

We had a natural third stage. Seemed to take ages and was about to have the injection to get my placenta out before trying one more time, and out it popped.

DD was born about 10pm and when DH called family just before midnight she still hadn't been weighed as she was still on my chest.

It was lovely and not rushed at all. We went up to the postnatal ward at about 4am.

Your experience may depend on the time of day and if they need your room.

notso · 28/01/2014 08:37

I had the injection with my first three, was at risk of PPH although it still happened with DC2. The delivered the placenta while I was having skin to skin and feeding, I didn't really notice it happening.

With DC4 it was an unplanned home birth. I couldn't hold him for ages as I was in shock, shaking and being sick. The ambulance didn't have the injection and I tried to push the placenta out for ages but couldn't. Had to go to hospital so MW could deliver it. Had PPH again. Still couldn't hold DS, went for a bath and a cry. Then finally got to hold him. He did have trouble feeding, low blood sugar and jaundice made him very sleepy.

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