What happens after having your baby?

[Anonymous006]

So I’ve never had a full term pregnancy before. But this little trooper is looking like he’s gonna make it and be my first little baby I get to have and snuggle. Im still going through the motions of being scared and nervous but I know I can’t wait to hold him and hear his little baby noises. He’s been kicking a bunch and I’m getting more excited every day even though I’m still just around 6 months pregnant. I can’t wait to hold him but I really don’t know what all happens right after giving birth, can anyone tell me how long it takes for the doctors to hand me my baby? What all happens immediately after he gets here? I really don’t know much so any help I’d really appreciate. Thank you

Delivered on my back so handed baby straight away, needed stitches with both and had a lot of blood loss so DH had to take them from me after maybe 5 minutes as I was shaking and weak, but everyone else I've know has continued to hold their babies during stitches. Once I was stitched, midwife brought me some tea and toast which helped massively, so was able to have a cuddle for half hour to an hour, then went for a shower while DH dressed them. Then more cuddles till taken to the postnatal ward.
Time flies so saver it! Don't blink or you'll miss it! Good luck

In my experience as soon as the baby is born, assuming no huge emergency needing resus etc they will immediately put them on your chest and then tuck a towel around both of you.

It's a pretty surreal moment as you stare at them thinking what the fuck, you were just inside me a minute ago. Or experiencing a rush of love or whatever the staff kind of bustle around you putting a hat on the baby and making notes etc and you don't really care because they're too amazing. I preferred to wait until the cord had stopped pulsating before it was cut so that takes a couple of minutes, they can be on your chest during this time.

If you choose not to have the injection for the placenta (I chose not to) after about twenty minutes you'll start getting contractions again to deliver that, I generally handed the baby off to somebody for this bit. At some point, they need to do more observations and weigh and measure the baby so they will generally do this while you're still in the labour room and that's when they usually offer you something to eat and drink. But they should be leaving you mostly uninterrupted for 30-60 minutes, this is called the golden hour. It depends how busy they are and how quickly they need the room plus whether they're more pushed for rooms vs space on the ward.

I never went onto a UK postnatal ward because it was too busy with my first one and for the others I was abroad.

I couldn’t do skin to skin as the baby had a little difficulty breathing (I suspect because I’d been given diamorphine about 30 minutes before delivering - I’d been stuck at 4cm for ages then went from 4-10 very quickly!)

I delivered the placenta with the injection whilst they look after my baby. Once she was back I had a hug and a little feed. I didn’t have any birth injuries so didn’t need stitches or anything. Got up for a shower while weighing etc was done and dad had a hug, then went onto the post natal ward! Finally got something to eat on the post natal ward before we went to sleep. It don’t know what I’d imagined but it was all pretty relaxed once the baby got breathing a little less sleepily!

If all is well with mum and baby then baby is put on your chest for skin to skin straight away. This was the case with DC2, she then breastfed and then had cuddles with DH whilst I was stitched up. We then had tea, biscuits and sandwiches. DH went home and I had a shower whilst the midwife got DD changed into a babygrow for me. We then had more cuddles/breastfeeds and I was moved to a ward a couple of hours later.

We stayed one night to check for infection because I'd gone over 24 hours between waters breaking and birth.

That was the ideal birth for me. Having DC1 was a very different story that I will not share.

They sent me for a shower about an hour after my first birth and I went all dizzy, found the sound of the water completely overwhelming and had to pull the emergency cord.

I didn't get showered or washed after the other two (!) Did probably within 48h but nothing immediately. I think they sponge bathed my vagina for me XD Absolutely no baths on postnatal wards in Germany as they consider the lochia to be very infectious and don't want it to get into contact with your nipples! I don't know why I found that really funny because in the NHS most new mums are offered a bath.

After a vaginal birth your vaginal area will be sore and bruised feeling whether you've torn or not, don't be afraid to ask for pain relief. It can be difficult to move around and you might feel weak. My muscles ached like I'd been all day in the gym or doing heavy physical work. Just take it steady.

Most probably your midwife will ask you if you want baby out straight onto you or wiped down then handed to you.
Depending on your midwife/ hospital policy discuss with her if they will cut the cord straight away or if you want to delay the cutting.
Once you've had baby they may offer you an injection that helps with delivering the placenta or you can wait and let it happen naturally ( physiological delivery) .
Once you've had a long cuddle the midwife might ask if you want to put baby to the breast, this also helps to deliver your placenta.
At our hospital they weren't in a rush to weigh baby but that's up to you, you can ask them to weigh baby first, straight after birth if you want.
They'll offer you the customers tea/ coffee and toast and leave you to settle in with baby.
If you feel up to it after around an hour you may want to shower then snuggle back in with baby.

If natural and no issues then I imagine straight away for a bit of a cuddle then they need to do the once over and the Apgar test.
Mine were sections, I got a peak then baby taken for these tests immediately. Second time even quicker view then she went straight to NICU. I didn't see her for hours. She's fine now (17).
So all being well you will have your baby on your chest within a minute.

Mine was c-section. When she came out, they cleaned her off and handed her to my husband who carried her over to show me while they started to stitch up. I was shaking quite badly, maybe due to the epidural/spinal so couldn't hold her. Then he took her to cut the cord. Then they took her to SCBU as she had an infection. I held her a few hours later when a nurse brought her back in and helped with the first feed.

I had three c sections and three premature babies and they checked the baby and gave a good running commentary on what was happening. They brought them over so I could see them. DS had to go straight to an incubator and with DDs my husband got to hold them

I had an EMCS and baby was shown over the curtain then quickly checked over and brought straight back and put on my chest. I think DH held her at some point too but I can't quite remember. Oh and a little knitted hat appeared on her at some point! They must have given her a quick wipe too.

Then I got wheeled to recovery room and the midwives helped me try to breastfeed, then DH dressed her while they got me some tea and toast. It took him ages cos he had no idea what he was doing Then we got wheeled to the ward with her on me the whole time.

It depends on the hospital I think. I had an emergency c-section, they ignored my request for skin to skin, cut the cord immediately and gave her to my husband once shed been weighed and wrapped up.

I was then taken to a ward, my husband ordered to leave and I was left alone with no buzzer, nothing to eat or drink, my catheter wrapped around my ankle so I couldn't move and a hospital nightgown on so no way to do skin to skin then either even though I wanted to.

at first it can be daunting, even basics like dressing baby or changing a nappy, I found that they would help the first time if you are nervous! Or too exhausted! Also showing you how to put baby to sleep in cot etc. ask for help if needed. It’s a magical time!