After-Birth Protocol

Baby’s here, but what happens next? Mom of two, Nicky Manson, reveals the chronology of baby’s first moments

Conception. Tick. Pregnancy. Tick. Baby shower. Tick. Labour. Tick. Birth. Tick. Well done, your baby has arrived! But what now? What happens to your newborn baby in those first few minutes and hours after they are born? Whether you have a natural birth or a C-section, it can be scary when your baby is whisked away from your arms to be checked by the peadetrician. But this is procedural and happens in all uncomplicated births. In fact, there are a number of doctor and hospital procedures that follow the birth of a child and we get to the nitty gritty timeline here.

THE UMBILICAL CORD

Seconds after the delivery, the cord is clamped in two places and cut in the middle. Your partner can do the honours.

There may be certain rituals to follow here regarding disposing of the umbilical cord, depending on your culture, but you would have discussed this with the doctor beforehand. If you have elected to store your baby’s umbilical cord blood or tissue, then this will be the time when the storage kit comes into play. See box on Umbilical Cord Blood/Tissue Storage Kit.

SKIN ON SKIN CONTACT

This is immediately after a vaginal birth. Newborns are unable to control their body temperatures and so skin-on-skin contact (SSC) with mom will keep them warm and kick-start the bonding process. If you have a C-section, the baby will be wrapped in a blanket first and then handed to you, as the operating theatre is a sterile and chilly space. Dad will then get to hold your baby while you get stitched up. Your baby may still be covered in some of your blood and their vernix – a white coating, which protects their skin from exposure to the amniotic fluid in the womb. Your skin-on-skin contact will happen shortly afterwards.

CLEARING THE NOSE AND MOUTH