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After-birth care for you and your baby

You may have many questions about what happens at BC Women's after the birth of your baby.
Immediately after the birth

Immediately after the birth of your baby

After your baby is born, the most important thing is for you to spend quiet time together as a family.

Your baby is placed skin-to-skin with you right after the birth.  You will have the chance to spend some quiet moments with your baby, cuddling and getting to know each other. You or your baby may need medical attention after the birth which may prevent this immediate skin-to-skin contact. We will do our best to start this as soon as it is possible.

  • Uninterrupted skin-to-skin care is encouraged for at least the first hour after the birth to keep your baby warm, help with breastfeeding and bonding. You can do this after a caesarean birth as well, as long as everything is well.
  • Babies usually start to breastfeed within the first hour as well. Keeping your baby skin-to-skin will help your baby have an early and strong start to breastfeeding.
  • The umbilical cord is clamped and cut after birth.  If mom and baby are well, we try to delay this for 1-2 minutes to increase the amount of blood going to baby from the placenta. Your partner or support person is welcome to cut the cord, if you wish. This won’t hurt your baby.
  • You may notice that your baby has some swelling or bruising or that their eyes look a little puffy. Some babies have a funny shaped head from the birth. Many babies have blue hands and feet.  All of these are normal and temporary for new babies.
  • Your nurse and midwife/doctor will be continuously checking you and your baby to make sure you are both well.
  •  After the first feeding, your baby will be weighed and measured. The midwife/doctor will do a full baby check-up at this time as well. We try to wait until your baby finishes feeding. 
  • Identification bands are attached to your baby’s wrist and ankle, and you will receive matching bands as well. 

There are a few routine procedures that are done with your permission shortly after birth. Visit Newborn tests and procedures for more information.

You and your baby will normally remain together in the delivery suite for about two hours after your baby is born and then moved to a post-birth unit. Your baby stays warmer if you keep your baby skin-to-skin throughout your transfer. Your partner can also keep the baby skin-to-skin if needed. If you had your baby in the single room maternity care unit, you and your baby will stay there until you are ready to go home.

Babies who are premature or who have health concerns may be cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). If your baby is in the NICU, you can start expressing your breasts within the first hour after birth. Though you may not express drops of milk right away, you soon will.

During your hospital stay

During your hospital stay

Use your time in hospital to enjoy your new baby, learn how to care for them, rest and recover.

We strongly encourage you to have someone stay with you throughout your hospital stay. They can support you and help you to learn about caring for your new baby and yourself. This support person must bring their own pillow, bedding, towels and pajamas.

Nurses will help you to learn about baby care and feeding, as well as the normal body changes after birth. Your midwife/doctor will see you every day while in hospital to answer questions and to check on how you are doing.

 


Your baby will stay in your room with you 24 hours/ day unless they require extra care. Keeping your baby with you, with lots of skin-to-skin contact, will help you get to know your baby and help your milk to come in. We provide support and teaching for feeding your baby, with a focus on breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for your baby. You will also receive information about BC Women's Milk Bank - the only one of its kind in Canada.

Babies who are premature or who have health concerns may be cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). If your baby is in the NICU, you can start expressing your breasts within the first hour after birth. Though you may not express drops of milk right away, you soon will. Try to express milk every 2-3 hours in order to provide early milk to your baby and help get your milk supply established. You can also ask your nurse about oral immune therapy (OIT) and Kangaroo Mother Care. Spend as much time as you can with your baby in the NICU. Your baby’s nurses will help you learn to care for your baby in the NICU. Your baby needs your support to grow and thrive.

We value the safety of your newborn after birth. You can help to keep your baby safe in the following ways:

  • Ensure that your baby is with a responsible adult at all times.
  • Only let your baby leave your room with staff who have proper hospital photo identification. You can accompany the staff caring for your baby.
  • Put your baby to sleep on their back in the provided bassinet.
  • When walking in the halls, please keep your baby in the bassinet.

 

Take the time to recover from the birth of your baby. Your nurses and doctor/midwife will be doing regular health checks to ensure that you are recovering well from your birth.  These health checks include:

  • Checking your heart rate and blood pressure
  • pushing gently on your tummy to check that your uterus is firm and contracting normally
  • looking at the stiches in your perineum/bottom (if you have them)
  • Looking at your caesarean wound (if you have one) to make sure it is healing well
  • helping you breastfeed and improve latching/positioning
  • checking how you are feeling emotionally
  • What to expect in hospital after birth

You can help us take care of you by:

  • Using the pain medications provided, if you need them.  Your nurse will teach you how to use the medications properly. 
  • Letting us know if your pain is still bothering you despite the usual medications.
  • Using the toilet regularly.  It is normal to feel a bit nervous about this.
  • Telling us when you feel nervous, worried or unsure.  We’re here to help!
  • Learning to take care of yourself and your baby
 


 

You may be ready to go home  24-36 hours after giving birth vaginally, and 48-72 hours after giving birth by caesarean section (c-section). 


Your nurse and doctor/midwife will discuss the following things with before you go home.  We encourage you to learn about these prior to birth as well:

  • Comfortable positioning for breastfeeding
  • Recognising when baby is getting enough breast milk
  • Expressing breast milk either by hand or pump
  • If you have chosen to feed with infant formula, how to sterilise and make up bottles safely
  • Settling your baby when they cry
  • Baby care, including diaper changes and baths
  • How to take care of yourself
  • Normal mood changes and postpartum depression
  • Who to call and where to get help if you need it
  • When to see your midwife/doctor after going home

Practical things you can do prior to birth to help prepare for going home from hospital.


Arrange a ride

  • Have a plan for how you will go home from the hospital. 
  • We suggest going home by car for your comfort and your baby’s comfort.
  • If you do not have a car, you can take a taxi or have a friend/family member drive you. 

Check your car seat

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Information after you go home

After you go home

The first two weeks are a combination of excitement and chaos.  There will be many adjustments to make and lots to learn. You may feel nervous or alone in caring for yourself and your baby, but there are many services available to support you at this time. You are not alone.

Public health nurse

We send your contact and health information to the public health unit in your community. If you normally see a doctor for your pregnancy care, a public health nurse will call you soon after you get home to see how you are doing. You will be offered a visit at home or at a nearby public health unit to check on you and your baby. We encourage you to see the public health nurse to continue your health checks and learning.

If you had a midwife for your pregnancy care, a public health nurse will contact you 6-8 weeks after birth.


When to call your doctor/midwife


If your baby:

  • has a fever of 37.5°C or more (underarm temperature)
  • is not interested in feeding or is too sleepy to feed 8 or more times a day
  • is not wetting their diaper at least 2 times per day in the first week, or 5 times per day after the first week.
  • doesn’t have at least one greenish brown stool during the first 3 days, or at least 2 dirty diapers after four days of age.
  • cries all the time and can’t be comforted.
  • has yellow skin color on the body, arms, legs, or in the whites of the eyes.

If your baby has a fever of 38*C (100*F) or more, call your doctor or midwife right away or go to the emergency department.

 

 
Call your doctor/midwife immediately, or the BC Women’s hospital assessment room (604-875-3070) if you have:
  • bleeding that soaks through a pad in one hour
  • fever greater than 38˚C (100.4˚F)
  • severe pain in your vagina or perineum
  • fears of hurting yourself or your baby
Call your doctor/midwife within 1-2 days, if you have:
  • bleeding that changes to bright red and is very heavy even when you are resting
  • clots (clumps of blood) larger than a loonie
  • fever less than 38˚C (100.4˚F) and chills  
  • difficulty passing urine (peeing)
  • dizziness or feel faint even when you are resting
  • sore nipples or breasts
  • pain in your vagina or perineum that is not getting better
  • feelings of sadness, anxiety

 

Almost all caesarean births involve a cut in the lower abdomen, just above the pubic area.  Stitches or staples will be used to close the cut, and these will be covered with a bandage. 


Your wound may be tender to touch for a few weeks. Before you leave the hospital, your doctor/midwife and the nurses will discuss pain management with you. The pain usually gets better with each day, but can worsen if you do too much, too soon. The area may feel numb for a number of months but this will fade and is not a problem. 


Call your doctor/midwife immediately, or the BC Women’s Hospital Assessment Room (604-875-3070) if you have:

  • A fever greater than 38°C/100.4°F
  • bleeding that soaks through a pad in one hour
  • severe pain around your c-section incision
  • fears of hurting yourself or your baby
  • Concerns about a C-section infection at night or on the weekend

Call your doctor/midwife for a visit within 1-2 days, if you have:

  • Discharge or liquid coming out of incision
  • Incision that is opening up, red or swelling
  • Pain around your c-section incision that is getting worse
  • Fever (body temperature) less than 38°C or chills
  • bleeding that changes to bright red and is very heavy even when you are resting
  • clots (clumps of blood) larger than a loonie
  • difficulty passing urine (peeing)
  • dizziness or feel faint even when you are resting
  • sore nipples or breasts
  • feelings of sadness, anxiety

We offer a clinic for c-section infections, staffed by a nurse-practitioner (NP) with referral to an obstetrician as needed.  If you are unable to see your doctor/midwife, you can make an appointment by calling the clinic at 604-875-2396.


It is important for us to know which of our patients had C-section infections after they left the hospital.  As a result, we will ask your permission to contact you via email with a link to an online survey to find out information about your recovery.


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