Giving birth: What happens to your baby after birth

The banding can be done during skin-to-skin contact.

Right after your baby is born, the health care team will:

• clear the amniotic fluid from your baby's nose and mouth, if needed.
• wipe off the vernix (creamy coating on the skin).
• assess Apgar scores two times within the first 5 minutes. Your newborn will be given a score of zero, one, or two in five areas:
• breathing
• heart rate
• color
• muscle tone
• reflexes.

A score of seven or more on the first test is usually a sign of well-being. The score usually increases with the second test.

• dry him and give him to you:
• for skin-to-skin contact.


Skin-to-skin contact helps encourage breastfeeding and helps forge a bond.

This is a special time to bond with your baby. The warmth and closeness is not only soothing and calming, it will help you learn your baby's feeding cues.

Wearing only a diaper, your baby is placed on you with his tummy on your bare chest. His head will be turned to one side.

You can wrap a blanket or large towel around both of you. When your skin-to-skin contact is done, gently lift your baby off your chest and dress him.

• wrapped in a blanket.

  You may hold your baby on your chest in your arms. A hat and diaper will be put on soon.

• put identification bracelets on his ankle and/or wrist. These bracelets match the ones you and your partner will have.
• give a vitamin K shot to help your baby's blood to clot.

  Babies do not get enough vitamin K from their mothers during pregnancy or when they are breastfeeding.

  The easiest way to give babies vitamin K is by injection (shot). One shot just after birth will protect your baby for many months.

  You can choose for your baby not to have this shot.

• put an ointment in his eyes to prevent an infection that can lead to blindness.
• take footprint impressions for a memento.
• make every effort to fulfill your requests to hold, nurse and photograph your baby.