Labor and Childbirth: Immediately after Birth

Starting your life together
After any type of birth, your healthcare provider will closely monitor your recovery. You will likely be able to greet your baby and start your new life together. While you are being cared for, your baby receives his or her first exam.

Attachment, or bonding, starts immediately after birth. It is an ongoing process that may take weeks or months. Be aware that you may not fall in love with your baby right away. Most newborns do not look like the chubby babies you see on TV. Months spent in your uterus and time in the birth canal can make your newborn look wrinkled and puffy-eyed. A slightly pointed or misshapen head is also common. These all go away after a few days.

After birth, unless your baby needs more attention from the healthcare team,  you will have exclusive time for skin-to-skin contact where you place your baby on your stomach or breast. If you are going to breastfeed, this skin-to-skin time will help you and the baby start. Your healthcare provider or nurse will help you introduce your baby to your breast and breastfeeding. Newborn babies are usually very alert right after birth and are ready to start breastfeeding. However, whether or not you are going to breastfeed, your baby will likely be placed skin-to-skin. This helps to regulate your baby's body temperature and starts the bonding process. If you choose not to breastfeed, your healthcare team will instruct you on how to stop milk production.   Ask your healthcare team about all the benefits of skin-to-skin.

Your immediate recovery

After birth, most women shake and get chills. This is over quickly. Your healthcare provider will watch your temperature and blood pressure until they are stable. Sanitary pads absorb the discharge of your uterine lining. To ensure that you are not bleeding too much, the pad and the firmness of your uterus will be checked after delivery and throughout your hospital stay.

If you had anesthesia, your healthcare provider will watch you closely until you can feel and move your toes. If you have pain let your healthcare team know and they will give you pain relievers. If you have perineal pain, an ice pack can help.

Baby’s first exam

A healthcare provider will examine your baby at 1 minute after birth then at  5 minutes to obtain an “APGAR” score.  This stands for activity, pulse, grimace, appearance, respiration.  To get this score your baby’s heart rate, respiration (breathing), muscle tone, reflexes, and color will be checked.

After you have skin-to-skin time with your baby, he or she will be given eye drops to prevent infection. ID bracelets are placed around the baby’s wrist and ankle. Your baby will also be weighed and measured. Your baby will be bathed after birth or it may be delayed for 8-12 hours to allow for more bonding and skin to skin time with your baby immediately after birth.