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Did Your Newborn Suffer Cerebral
Palsy or Another Brain Injury Before
or During Labor and Delivery?
Get a FREE guide of resources available throughout Ohio to children and families of children who were born with brain injuries.
Our guide can help you build a foundation of knowledge and tools that will help you help your child
now and in the future.
You spend hours in labor and final deliver a beautiful baby. You may get to see the little one for a bit, but all too soon they are whisked away. You may wonder what goes on until they are back in your arms again.
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If you have a normal delivery, the baby should be placed on your chest/abdomen with a towel to cover and keep them warm. The nurse will also put a cap on the infant’s head for warmth.
Within the first couple of minutes, the doctor will cut the cord. They may delay it for a bit to allow more blood to flow to the baby from the placenta. This helps lower the likelihood of anemia in the newborn.
The medical staff may collect blood from the cord to determine the baby’s blood type. This is necessary if the mother has type O or Rh negative. If the type of blood the baby has isn’t compatible with your type, they are at a higher risk for jaundice.
The doctor may need to suction the baby’s nose or mouth. This would likely to have been done before final delivery, but it may be necessary to repeat if the infant seems to have excess fluid.
The first thing to occur after birth and your baby has been removed from your arms is an Apgar assessment. This generally happens within the first five minutes after birth. The doctor will check the breathing, heart rate, and skin tone as well as response of the reflexes and muscle tone. Many doctors will do this assessment while you’re holding the baby as long as there are no concerns with either the mother or the infant. It’s at this point, your baby will also begin feeding something in the first hour or so, if they are alert.
If you have a C-section, the baby may go to a partner or be put in a warmer until after the mother has been taken to the recovery room. The little one will likely stay in the room while the mother is being stitched up, so she can talk to the infant and touch them.
Before the baby leaves the room, a nurse will put ID bands on both the mother and the little one. If the hospital makes footprints, they may make two copies – one to keep on record and one to give to the parents.
Within the first hour or after breastfeeding, the baby will be given eyedrops to prevent infection caused from the birthing process. They will get weighed and the nurse will record length and circumference of the head. They will also receive a Vitamin K shot to help with clotting.
A bath will happen sometime in the first six to 24 hours, depending on the hospital’s protocol. Studies have shown that it can be beneficial to delay bathing to help with feeding and regulating body temperature. The doctor will perform a complete exam sometime within the first 24 hours and each day until they are discharged.
Your baby will undergo some newborn screening tests. This includes a blood test, pulse ox test, hearing tests and HIV tests if the status of the mother is known. They will also receive their first shots. Boys who will be circumcised will have this happen within the first day or two after they are born.
This gives you a picture of what to expect when you deliver your baby in the hospital. If you have any questions or concerns about what will happen, you can talk to your doctor ahead of time.
If you have a normal delivery, the baby should be placed on your chest/abdomen with a towel to cover and keep them warm. The nurse will also put a cap on the infant’s head for warmth.
Within the first couple of minutes, the doctor will cut the cord. They may delay it for a bit to allow more blood to flow to the baby from the placenta. This helps lower the likelihood of anemia in the newborn.
The medical staff may collect blood from the cord to determine the baby’s blood type. This is necessary if the mother has type O or Rh negative. If the type of blood the baby has isn’t compatible with your type, they are at a higher risk for jaundice.
The doctor may need to suction the baby’s nose or mouth. This would likely to have been done before final delivery, but it may be necessary to repeat if the infant seems to have excess fluid.
The first thing to occur after birth and your baby has been removed from your arms is an Apgar assessment. This generally happens within the first five minutes after birth. The doctor will check the breathing, heart rate, and skin tone as well as response of the reflexes and muscle tone. Many doctors will do this assessment while you’re holding the baby as long as there are no concerns with either the mother or the infant. It’s at this point, your baby will also begin feeding something in the first hour or so, if they are alert.
If you have a C-section, the baby may go to a partner or be put in a warmer until after the mother has been taken to the recovery room. The little one will likely stay in the room while the mother is being stitched up, so she can talk to the infant and touch them.
Before the baby leaves the room, a nurse will put ID bands on both the mother and the little one. If the hospital makes footprints, they may make two copies – one to keep on record and one to give to the parents.
Within the first hour or after breastfeeding, the baby will be given eyedrops to prevent infection caused from the birthing process. They will get weighed and the nurse will record length and circumference of the head. They will also receive a Vitamin K shot to help with clotting.
A bath will happen sometime in the first six to 24 hours, depending on the hospital’s protocol. Studies have shown that it can be beneficial to delay bathing to help with feeding and regulating body temperature. The doctor will perform a complete exam sometime within the first 24 hours and each day until they are discharged.
Your baby will undergo some newborn screening tests. This includes a blood test, pulse ox test, hearing tests and HIV tests if the status of the mother is known. They will also receive their first shots. Boys who will be circumcised will have this happen within the first day or two after they are born.
This gives you a picture of what to expect when you deliver your baby in the hospital. If you have any questions or concerns about what will happen, you can talk to your doctor ahead of time.