By Stephanie Coffin
What goes on directly after I deliver my baby?
Right after you deliver the baby, the doctor will usually hand the baby directly to mom, to give her a chance to bond and breastfeed. Baby will experience a period of increased awareness and warms up 
with the skin to skin contact. The nurses will also immediately place identification bands on baby’s ankle and wrist. Baby will be weighed, cleaned up and placed under a warmer to regulate body temperature; they will be measured and they will do the footprints in the nursery as well as a heel stick to check the blood, Vitamin K injection, erythromycin eye ointment and a bath!
What will my baby look like after birth?
If you had a normal vaginal delivery, baby’s head will miss-shaped from the fontanelles or soft spots on their head. During vaginal delivery a vacuum extraction is used and can leave a swollen bruised mark on the baby’s head. The head will round out after birth, the mark from the vacuum will disappear quickly as well. Some babies can have generalized swelling under the scalp, puffy eyelids, breasts will appear swollen from mom’s hormones. Your baby will deliver with a cheesy-like coating called Vernix, that protected baby in-utero.
Baby may often have white bumps on their face called Milia, newborn rash that usually resolves itself, called Erythema toxicum, or bluish hands or feet due to
a poor circulatory system. Other skin conditions that a baby can be born with is Mongolian spots, bluish-gray spots that are often found at the base of the spine or the buttox and usually go away in the first couple years of life; stork bite are dialated capillaries that are usually found on the nose, eyelids and the nape of the neck – it shows more when the baby is crying and usually goes away in the first couple years of the child’s life. Baby’s eyes will also often appear “crossed” due to immature muscles in the eyes.
If your baby postdates or goes longer than 40 weeks they may have skin that is dryer than other babies, or lanugo hair which is a fine, downy hair covering the baby’s back, shoulders and upper arms. The hair will rub off on bedding and clothing.
If your baby’s skin appears yellowish or golden or the whites of the eyes appear yellow it could indicate Jaundice, a potentially serious condition, let your pediatrician know immediately. If your baby has drainage from one or both eyes it can indicate a blocked tear duct and you should let your pediatrician know so the baby does not develop an infection.
What tests will my baby receive while in the hospital?
- Metabolic screen: Some states require this test by law, it tests for errors in the baby’s metabolism
- Hearing Screen – your baby will have a hearing test, the results are either pass or fail. The test may be repeated if your baby has any other risk factors .
- Upright Position Test – If you baby is born before 37 weeks, they will have to pass an upright position test in order to leave the hospital. It will see if the baby can tolerate being in an upright position.
- Transcutaneous bilirubin – tests baby for levels of Jaundice
If you had a normal birth your baby will be able to go home in 36-48 hours, during your hospital stay you will have constant assistance from nurses and family, once you go home you will adjust to your new addition. Remember all babies are different, and there is plenty of help from local resources if you need it. Don’t ever be afraid to admit you need help; having a baby is tough!
Bellies Babies and Beyond simplifies parenthood by providing comprehensive resources to expecting, new and seasoned parents. Navigate your pregnancy and the first years of your child’s life with trusted and nurturing advice. As your one-stop-shop we will guide you throughout the uneasy anticipation of expecting and raising your child. Owner, Stephanie Coffin, has 15+ years in the childcare industry as well as Charleston, South Carolina’s premier baby planner! You can follow Bellies Babies and Beyond on Twitter @Bellies Beyond and like them on Facebook.
I wish I would have seen a post like this before my first son was born! I was so upset when I had him because I didn’t know what to expect. And it seems the doctors just do stuff with out explaining why.
I hated that with my 1st son–them wanting to take him away for screenings!
Fortunately, you can request that any screenings be done with you or your husband present. That’s what I did, especially because we declined the HepB vaccination, which is also done routinely at birth.
One thing that is missing here is the APGAR test which scores the baby on Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Repiration. Each is scored 0, 1 or 2 for a total score of 10 (most babies never score a 10).
What a great article. But now I want another baby 😉
When my kids were born they didn’t leave my birthing room for screenings. Maybe the would have if something was suspected?
Great post! It is really important to know what to expect. Unfortunately most doctors or nurses tell you. Thanks for posting!
This is a great list that new mom’s should know. Thank you for sharing.
Good info. Very thorough and it can be scary if you don’t know what to expect. I don’t remember any of the screenings. I was fuzzy-headed though, they said it was a side-effect of the blood pressure med. I remember declining a shot for her as she was preemie and wasn’t eating well. Once we were in our room, she was in there with me until we were discharged. I liked that.
They went over all this in the birthing class we had to take. I had c-section babies and the nurses all made remarks about how you can tell c-section babies from vaginal birth babies. C-sections had perfectly round heads, poor vaginal babies had kinda pointy heads. After my son was born a nurse taking care of me told me she thought all babies should be c-section because that trip down the birth canal was so hard on babies.
Another important test that all parents should ask for is a pulse ox screening. Unfortunately, most states do not require these but it screens for crititical congenital heart defects–it is the most common and also the deadliest birtth defect. Around 1 in 100 babies will be born with some type of heart defect. Pulse ox will not catch all heart defects but it will catch some of the most critical that need early intervention. Far too many parents receive their child’s diagnosis from the coroner becasue a lifesaving pulse ox test was not done after birth 🙁
My daughter’s defects were not ones that are caught by pulse ox screenings because her oxygen saturation levels always remained high but I am still a firm believer that all babies should be screened. So if it isn’t routine, demand it! It is quick, painless, noninvasive, and costs about five dollars.
My daughter is OK, btw–she had open heart surgery at seven months to repair the defect that put her into congestive heart failure and her surgeon is optimistic that her other defects will not need intervention 🙂
Piper,
Welcome and thanks for sharing. So glad that your daughter is ok. What a relief. Pulse oximeters are great devices and a great noninvasive tool.
I am impressed with how medical care has changed for women giving birth. Years ago, many of these tests were not even heard of.
Disgusting how many women think these things are needed. C sections because the birth canal trip is hard on babies?! Lol. Yup… lefts cut them out, injection them with toxic shots, put chemicals in there eyes, cut off part of thei sexual organs if they have been unlucky enough to be born male, take them.from their mom and put them in total isolation for.awhile to observe them. Quite barbaric. Thenot instead of feeding them breast.milk let’s feed them gmo toxic baby formula. Crazy world we live in. People have too.much fear.