What to Expect in the Delivery Room

Giving birth is a beautiful moment to be excited about, but don’t forget it comes with certain pediatric procedures. If you’re a first-time mom, you probably don’t know exactly what will happen after vaginal birth. You might have questions such as, “Are there tests? How long will my baby and I stay at the hospital?” To answer these questions and more, here is an overview of delivery room procedures and recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Umbilical Cord Cutting

After your routine delivery, your newborn will lie with you as her umbilical cord pulsates and remains attached to the placenta. After the cord stops pulsating and your baby can breathe on her own, the cord is clamped and cut. This might sound scary, but your baby feels absolutely no pain from this because there aren’t any nerves in the cord.

Drying, Apgar Scores, and Other Hospital Routines

After the umbilical cord is cut and you’ve had the opportunity to be acquainted with your beautiful newborn, she will be dried, examined by a nurse or doctor, and given Apgar scores to measure responsiveness. Certain hospitals prefer to measure and weigh your baby. Once you have skin-to-skin contact with your baby and successfully breastfeed for the first time, she may also receive an injection of vitamin K to ensure healthy blood clotting.

Hopefully, this overview gives you some peace of mind regarding what happens after delivery. If you have more concerns or questions, be sure to consult hospital staff.