After Baby Is Born.

What happens to my baby after it is born?
First, the baby's mouth and throat are suctioned to clear out any secretions. Then the doctor clamps and cuts the umbilical cord. The baby is wrapped in clean blankets and may be placed on your abdomen. At 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth, Apgar scores are recorded to show the baby's response to birth and to life outside the womb. An ID band is placed on the baby's wrist. Usually a brief physical or an assessment is done right after delivery. The baby receives eye drops to prevent infection and is given a vitamin-K shot to prevent bleeding.

You will be asked if you want your baby to receive the hepatitis vaccine. You may want to discuss this with your doctor or your baby's pediatrician. The vaccine is given to protect the baby against hepatitis in the future.

When the initial evaluation is complete, the baby is returned to you. See the chart on page 341 for a description of tests commonly performed on newborns.

My partner wants to cut the umbilical cord after the baby is delivered. Can he do this?
Talk to your doctor about your partner's participation in the delivery. What he is allowed to do varies from place to place and from doctor to doctor.

I've heard my uterus will contract after my baby is born. How much will it shrink?
Following the birth, the uterus shrinks from the size of a water melon to the size of volleyball. The uterus contracts and becomes smaller so it won't bleed.