After the actual delivery of baby....

[LLanali]

...what happens next usually? I mean, presumable when they take away babs to count fingers etc. and clean him, do you get cleaned up too? Are there showers in the delivery room usually- don't fancy walking down a corridor or anything! Also re the lochia- presumably, when you're still lying in Delivery room, do they clean you up and put a maternity pad on or what- not looking forward to the idea of standing up after giving birth to go adn have a shower and flooding the floor red!

It's rubbish- people tell you everything about delivery, and nothing about what happens after the placenta!

Thanks ladies!

[xjoannex]

Hi well after i had my daughter and the placenta had arrived they stitch you up if needed while holding the baby as you dont feel anythink as they numb you 1st then they got me a bowl of water so i could have a hand wash but then when i went onto the ward they let me have a nice bath to clean up probley when your in the delievely room after you have had a hand wash you put a pad on so you dont bleed everywere abit like when you have a period you dont walk to the ward after you have had the baby you have to go in a wheel chair hope this helps xxx

[LLanali]

Thanks joanne! that's really helpful. It's funny,people go ino reams of detaail about labour and the birth, but dont mention the after bits LOL I have a thing about bleeding everywhere- am almost more frightened f that than the idea of labour and delivery, silly I know!

[madtune]

after i had given birth, the placenta arrived and then they stitched me up .... i wasnt given a any water for a hand wash or anything like tht, and whilst i was holding my lil baba after they gave me a sheet to put between my legs ! it wasnt as bad as it sounds, my midwife got me some toast and tea, and the baby was fed, then i was given a wheel chair for hubby to take me for a bth, i was left a while b4 i had a bth but i think tht was due to the epidural as i had complications

[JD]

Hi LLanali,
You might have had your baby by now?
If you have congratulations, if not heres our experiences.....
My wife and I have had 3 children all at the same hospital, now aged 4 (boy), 2 (boy) & the youngest just 3 months now (girl).
Each time after delivery the baby has been placed on her chest, skin to skin contact while she has delivered the placenta. The midwife has always given her a quick clean down below & then placed a maternity pad below her. The midwife has then checked at regular intervals on the amount of blood lose & replaced with a fresh pad.
This continued for approx 15-20 minutes. While this has been going on my wife & I have always been offered tea and toast - always a nice touch; and each of our babys have been checked over, weighed, measured, quick clean etc.
Luckily my wife has never needed stitches & there has never been any complication with mum or the baby, the baby has been returned to mum, and we have been left in peace and quiet for a while to enjoy the new arrival.
During this quiet time the maternity staff have always run her a bath and we have made the short walk down the corridor with the new baby in a wheely crib. My wife has always put on a pair of disposable pants to hold the pad in place & thrown a dressing gown over herself.
After her bath; the midwife has always asked about the amount of blood loss & asked/encouraged her to have a pee - to make sure the water works work okay. With out first child the midwife told her it often helps to pee in the bath just before she gets out - supose to help prevent stinging.
After the bath the three of us have returned to the delivery room.
With our first born, my wife was given a wheel chair and taken to postnatal ward while I pushed the baby in the crib.
However with number 2 we stayed on the delivery suite until nanny & grandad had brought his older brother to see him, and then we all went home together about 3 hours after birth.
Baby number 3 was born just before midnight and we where home by 3am so her big brothers could see her when they awoke.
So for my wife it has been fairly stress free in hospital.
My wife has always breast fed and has found that this has helped her uterus to contract. Postnatal bleeding for her has lasted anything from 5 - 8 weeks which she does find a bit of a drag. She does use a Pampers Bed Mats (disposable mattress protectors used for night time potty training) on our bed to protect the mattress for the first week or two while the bleed is heavy.
I hope this helps & best of luck?