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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Tell me wat happens right after baby is out?

102 replies

SunnySideUp2020 · 20/01/2021 14:52

FTM. Coming up to 30 weeks.

Just wondering what actually happens after the baby comes out?
Lots of info and videos on the labour itself but not much about the hours after....
Does the baby stay on you for skin on skin?
Do they take him away for a wash?
What about the vitamin K and eye meds?
When do you dress him?
Do you take a nap?

C section or vaginal birth i am really interested if anyone would like to share their own experience ?

Thank you!!!

OP posts:

Glenorma · 20/01/2021 14:57

They took mine away to the back of the room and cleaned him up, then handed him back and put him on my skin. Wheeled me to the ward and buggered off, leaving me with a naked baby whose clothes were in a suitcase that I couldn’t reach. No chance of a nap - the nurse wouldn’t even watch my baby while I went for a wee, never mind a nap.

WhatsMissed · 20/01/2021 15:00

My baby was taken to be checked and I was totally out of it in recovery. I had a difficult birth. My husband dressed him etc and when I came round put him on my chest where he had his first breastfeed. He then mostly stayed on my boob after that. I didn’t have any skin to skin and still managed to successfully breastfeed. I understand if you can just lying with your baby is best.

FTM91 · 20/01/2021 15:01

OP I would really recommend reading The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill. All of the things you mention above can be decided by you and you can put in your birth preferences. She talks all about Vit K, skin to skin, washing the baby, cutting the cord and all of the options you have on how those things happen.
Beyond that, loads of stuff about labour and birth choices as well which you may also be interested in :)

WhatsMissed · 20/01/2021 15:01

Also being in recovery was actually really advantageous IMO. I had two midwives spilt between a max of 3 women checking on me constantly. They gave me breastfeeding pointers and were so so helpful. Not that a bad birth is desirable, but it sounded like a better experience than other women have being shoved on a ward.

FelicityBob · 20/01/2021 15:03

What eye meds?

boymum9 · 20/01/2021 15:03

Both my deliveries baby came straight for skin to skin, first while they stitched me up, I'd had a hard labour and ended up with epidural so cuddled him while they did that, they ran me a bath after and I did that while ex h dressed him and then it was late so I was taken to the warm while ex went home and I just sat awake the whole time staring at ds!

Second time it was all v quick abd same, did skin to skin, they weighed him, did the vitamin k shot and handed him back, I was in a birthing suite but was so quick never used anything so the midwives ran the birthing pool for me and I had a bath. We then went straight home!

Herdwick · 20/01/2021 15:04

Entirely depends on what kind of birth you have and where you have it.

In my case in a birthing unit both times I was back home 6 hours later.

My DH held the baby while I got stitched up. They did weights etc observed a few feeds, filled in the red book and we went home.

My SIL was almost unconscious for around 8 hours after giving birth.

My friend gave birth on the bathroom floor assisted by her husband. She was showered and tucked up in bed feeding the baby by the time the midwives got there. No stitches needed or anything. Midwives checked the baby and left again.

THATbasicSNOWFLAKE · 20/01/2021 15:05

I have had five, all pretty similar.

Baby passed straight to me for skin to skin / cuddles

Baby then weighed etc, nappy on, dressed and wrapped in blanket,

Passed back and fed , brought tea and toast

I have had brief naps while birth partner held baby

ThePricklySheep · 20/01/2021 15:08

Eye meds is not a UK thing.

Mine were given a quick wipe and plopped on me

yellowbeaker · 20/01/2021 15:08

both my babies were put straight on to my chest at my request. We snuggled for a bit whilst the nurse sorted everything out at the business end. then they were weighed and had a nappy put on but I had them straight back under the covers with me for skin on skin contact.
I was given a vitamin K shot then eventually they took me down to the ward.
Both times I had really helpful nurses who would happily help with the baby so I could rest/go to the loo etc.

I agree with the pp, get the book and make the decisions which are right for you. Good luck. Its bloody hard work but its also amazing.

FelicityBob · 20/01/2021 15:08

First baby-
Born in pool, held him skin to skin and fed him while the stitched me up. He then got weighed and checked and had vit k. The probably back to skin to skin and feeding, can’t remember.
Second baby, born at home, straight to skin to skin while waiting for midwife to arrive. All a bit of a blur, don’t remember him being weighed but he pretty much fed for 12 hours straight.
No naps

THATbasicSNOWFLAKE · 20/01/2021 15:09

Yes mine have all just had a quick rub with a towel for being "cleaned up"

FoxtrotSkarloey · 20/01/2021 15:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ.

steppemum · 20/01/2021 15:10

It depends a bit on the hospital and what you request.

All of mine put straight on to me, all coverd in stuff, and blanket put over us both while we cuddled.
Then taken awya for a minute or two. Not actually cleaned up, they say they prefer not to do that too much initially, just wiped off and wrapped up and handed back (I assume they do the initial checks at this point?)

Dc 1 baby then handed to dh while she sewed up my tear
DC2 baby taken and put under heat lamp as she was cold, and then when I asked, kangarooed on my chest to warm her up. She stayed like that for most fo the night (born at 11 pm)
DC 3 on my chest for a bit, then wrapped and dh held her.

With all three, there was time to dress them (if I wanted to) I think midwife dressed DC1 and I had had an epidural?
Didn't dress dc2 as she was skin to skin

I tried to feed mine, none of them were interested at all for a couple of hours. In fact dc 1 slept for ages after birth, they said he was as exhausted as I was. When he woke up he fed loads.

Then wheeled back to ward and left to it. Midwives took baby while I was in the shower.

Hms49 · 20/01/2021 15:12

Baby was placed straight on me for skin to skin and a feed whilst they stiched me up. Afterwards he was checked and weighed. Then my partner dressed him whilst I had some tea and toast and a shower.

changedmynamelol · 20/01/2021 15:13

I had a huge bleed immediately after my littlest was born as the placenta had not detached so we had no early skin time. The midwives jabbed my thigh with vit k and hit the red emergency button and dashed me to the consultant led unit for emergency care. Then 3 months of iron pills for anaemia and other perinatal issues also.

Heartlantern2 · 20/01/2021 15:13

Baby comes out and then not long after you have to push the after birth out.

First baby was wrapped and handed to me, hours later back on the ward I hadn’t taken her out of the clear box thing she was in or changed her bum, about 5 hours, but I did give birth in the middle of the night. For some strange reason it didn’t occur to me I could taker her out and hold her, or even check her nappy as I was so bewildered.

Second birth and more experienced, straight out and onto my skin, about 10 minutes later nurse latched her on my breast with me, effortlessly, which was a huge sigh of relief as with my first I wasn’t shown and so couldn’t breastfeed her.

It all goes rather quickly to be honest and just happens without you knowing what is actually going on!

Merrz · 20/01/2021 15:14

Vaginal delivery, midwife put baby straight on me for skin to skin, baby stayed there and fed for I think about an hour, I was stitched while baby was on me (only a couple of stitches for a graze) they also gave the injection to pass the placenta and I did that while having skin to skin. DH cut the cord when baby was lying on me too. The midwife then weighed baby and gave Vit K jab and got her dressed. I then went for a shower while dad stayed with baby. Think I was lucky to have a natural birth which allowed the above but if you can at all I would push for as much skin to skin as possible and as soon after birth as possible, I feel like it really helped to settle baby and got us off to a great start breastfeeding

louisejxxx · 20/01/2021 15:16

My dd was given a quick wipe down and passed straight to me for skin on skin. It’s a bit of a blur but I remember them giving me the injection for the placenta to come out and them taking it away (after the midwife showed me, bleurgh! Dd stayed on me for the duration of all this - I can’t remember when they gave the vit K injection. Then when I was being stitched up they took baby away and gave her a better wash down and put her nappy on, then put her in the hospital crib.

Hardbackwriter · 20/01/2021 15:17

I remember that I definitely did not get a nap - or any sleep that night - and that I felt so bewildered and betrayed by nature about this at the time; it was the toughest thing my body had ever done, it seemed so unfair that I didn't even get a break afterwards!

katmarie · 20/01/2021 15:17

For me, it went something like this:

Baby delivered, showed to me and told it was a boy (first time) and a girl (second time). Put onto my stomach for me to hold, and have some skin to skin, and the cord clamped, DH cut the cord. I said oh my god about 400 times. And hello to baby. Then one of the team took the baby and put it on the warmer while they did checks, weight, apgar etc, and DH was invited to come and dress baby. They don't bath/wash baby, although they did wipe DS off a bit because he was covered in meconium. DD was just wiped off a little bit, she was born a lot cleaner. They don't bath them because the gunk they come out with is good for their skin.

Not too sure what was really happening at that point though because I was busy delivering the placenta. They gave me back the gas and air, and then did a local anasthetic so they could stitch me up. Somewhere in there they asked about the vit k injection and I consented, so they did that, and then they cleaned up the bed around me, gave me the baby, and we did a feed, took pictures rested a bit etc. For my first one the anaesthatist had to come and remove the epidural as well, and make sure I was recovering ok from that.

My first baby, they bundled me into the shower about half an hour after that happened, because the delivery suite was busy, then packed us off to the ward. The second time they left us there for a good hour, popping in occasionally to check on us, and then sending me into the shower before we went down to the ward.

HettiSpagetti · 20/01/2021 15:19

2nd birth during first lockdown, husband at home looking after DS1!

Baby delivered straight onto my chest, and covered in warm blankets. Cord clamped before it had stopped pulsing as there was bleeding that they wanted to stop so needed to deliver the placenta. I was then examined and told surgery needed to fix tear.

Baby on chest and feeding whole time I waited for theatre. Midwife held baby swaddled in blankets and put a little knitted hat on him for me while I was stitched up, and then baby back on my chest in recovery where they weighed him and did vit k shot.

I dressed him Probably 6 hours later in the ward when I was allowed to get up/catheter removed after epidural.

xanthian · 20/01/2021 15:21

Student midwife here, assuming you are in the UK? In our trust, after a vaginal birth, if baby is well and no concerns then they will go straight on your chest. The cord will then be cut and you'll be offered the injection to help your placenta to come away.

The placenta will then be birthed and then mum is checked for any tears.

The baby doesn't go away for a wash and baby should stay on mum's skin for at least an hour after birth. After this, the baby will have a quick check over head-to-toe and given the vitamin K if the parents consent. The baby is then usually weighed dressed at this point. Women I care for don't tend to take a nap, and partners leave shortly after (especially due to covid) but you can take a nap, if your baby lets you!

tara66 · 20/01/2021 15:23

Don't remember.

mrstasty · 20/01/2021 15:23

Lol at being allowed a nap.

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