Are you wondering what to expect in the first 24 hours after delivering your newborn?
If you are delivering your baby in the hospital, it can seem like an overwhelming and scary place. As postpartum nurse, let share with you a behind-the-scenes look at what your stay might look like.
After your baby is delivered, you should be able to go immediately skin to skin with your baby on your chest. It doesn’t matter if your baby was delivered vaginally or via C-section, as long as you and your baby are stable, you can tell your medical care team that you desire immediate skin to skin.
You can learn more about the benefits of immediate skin to skin here.
During this initial time of recovery, you and your baby will get the chance to see eye to eye for the first time, and you can revel in their tiny body.
If you’re planning to breastfeed, your baby will have their first feeding at the breast within the first hour or two of life. This time has also been called the “Golden Hour.” Especially if you have delivered at a Baby Friendly hospital, then your providers will delay interventions (such as weighing your baby, bathing, etc) until after your baby’s first feeding.
If for some reason you and your baby are separated due to medical complications, you will want to begin to hand express or pump within that first hour or two post-birth if you plan to breastfeed.
After your baby's first feeding and as long as you are stable, you will most likely be transferred to a postpartum recovery room.
If you had an epidural, your nurses will help you up and help you to the bathroom for the first time within six hours after the Foley catheter was removed.
You may have intravenous medications or fluids running for a few hours, depending on how your delivery progressed.
If you are rooming in with your baby, you have the best opportunity to learn your newborn’s hunger cues (learn more about hunger cues here).
Your nurses and other staff will routinely check on you. If you need help with anything, ask them! We are there to help you recover, and will answer any questions you have about newborn care. If you want an on-site lactation consultant to observe a feeding, go ahead and ask! They are there to help you have a successful start to your breastfeeding journey.
A typical stay in the hospital is between 24 to 72 hours after delivery, depending on time of birth or any complications of mom and baby.
During your stay, there will be several screenings and tests administered while you’re in hospital. Your newborn will have a hearing test performed, and a blood panel that tests for specific abnormalities or conditions, and varies by state. You can learn more about what your state screens for here.
You'll fill out your baby's birth certificate and receive a certificate of live birth from the hospital, which you can submit to your health insurance to establish coverage for your baby. Don't worry, you usually have a thirty day grace period to submit that documentation.
The pediatricians will assess your baby, and the OB/GYN will assess you post-birth and make sure everything is healing well.
Newborns are typically pretty sleepy the first day, and it can be very difficult to keep them awake for a full feeding. In order to establish a healthy milk supply, your newborn will need to be fed 10-12 in a 24 hour period, or roughly every two to three hours.
But remember it is important to watch your baby, and not the clock. If they are showing signs of hunger, it is important to feed them, even if two hours haven’t passed since the beginning of the last feeding.
Early hunger cues for a newborn look like:
More obvious hunger cues for a newborn look like:
A late sign of hunger is
Being able to catch your baby's early signs of hunger may lead to a less frustrating breastfeeding session, as they have greater willingness to learn. Remember, just as it is for you, breastfeeding is a new skill that they have to learn. It can be frustrating and hard at times, especially when they are really hangry.
If a feeding it not going well, take a pause, do a few minutes of skin to skin, then try again. Ask for support from your postpartum nurses or on-site lactation consultants. They are there to help you succeed!
And remember to ask for help.
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