As soon as your baby is born, several things will happen. The umbilical cord (the connection from the baby's navel to the placenta) will be cut and clamped. If able, the midwife or doctor may offer to have you or someone you request cut the cord. Some people think of this as a rewarding experience, as it allows them to become directly involved in the birth process. If you would like to do this, talk it over with your caregiver and indicate this desire on your Birth Plan.

At one minute after birth, and again at five minutes, your baby will be given an Apgar score. This score helps assess the baby's health at birth by rating the baby's skin color, heart rate, muscle tone, ability to breathe and reflexes. A score of 7-10 at one and five minutes means that the baby is doing well. Lower scores may mean that your baby needs more time to adjust to being born, or that your baby needs some special help. The baby will remain with you unless your baby needs special help.

This first contact between you and your baby is the start of "bonding" -- a feeling of closeness that develops between parent and child. If you will be breast-feeding, this is a good time to put the baby to the breast for the first time. If the baby's father is with you at the birth, he should be encouraged to hold the baby for a moment. Families may wish to be together for the first hour or so after birth -- if neither you nor your baby needs special medical care -- so that bonding can begin right away. Also, the baby's brothers and sisters may be able to visit. Ask your caregiver.

If you feel up to it, keep the baby with you as long as possible. A newborn will often stay awake and alert for an hour after birth listening and looking at this new world. This is a good time for the family to be together -- to hold, touch, and get to know each other.

Meanwhile, you may deliver the placenta (afterbirth) which may take up to 30 additional minutes. The caregiver will check your uterus to make sure everything is normal.

You may need stitches in the vaginal area. The caregiver will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area before stitching a tear or episiotomy. Putting an ice pack on your stitches right away will help prevent swelling and pain.

The baby may be washed or wiped off and wrapped in warm coverings. A nurse may clean any mucus from the baby's nose and throat. Next, a nurse will put an antibiotic ointment in the baby's eyes to prevent infection. Also, the baby may be given an injection of Vitamin K to prevent any bleeding problems during the first few days of life.

They your baby will be examined for any possible physical problems. He or she will be weighed and measured for length. Your baby will be given an ankle and wrist identification bracelet that matches your own.

The Bassett Birthing Center encourages "rooming in," the baby can stay with you all or most of the time. With this arrangement, you and the baby get to know each other more quickly, and you will have more time to find out how to take care of him or her. If you are breast-feeding, you can nurse the baby whenever he or she is hungry.

You can expect to stay in the Birth Center for about two days, unless you have a special health need to stay longer. Mothers who have cesarean births stay about three days.

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In the past, women usually stayed in the hospital up to a week after delivering their babies. In recent years, many women have been discharged from the hospital much sooner. If you are planning to be discharged early (less than 48 hours), you should arrange for someone to help you when you come home. Friends and family members can help with most household tasks. You can often arrange for a public health nurse to visit your home and check on you and your baby. Contact your local county health department to see what services they provide. Also, the Birth Center has a telephone help-line, to answer some of your questions after you have been home for a couple of days or weeks. If you are planning on breast-feeding, there are support services available such as lactation consultants. LaLeche League is also a good source for breast-feeding support. See the telephone list for the LaLeche group nearest you.

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If your baby is premature or has other special health care needs, he or she may need to stay in a "special care nursery" on the pediatric floor even after you leave the hospital. You will still be able to stay with your baby.

You'll discover that your baby probably weighs between 5 and 10 pounds and is about 20 inches long. His or her head will appear to be quite large and may even look a little lopsided. (Don't worry. This sometimes happens while the baby is moving through the birth canal. It usually disappears within the first week.)

Look closer and you'll see that the baby's shoulders and chest are narrow, that he or she has a little "pot belly," and even looks bowlegged. After all, the baby has been curled up inside you for some time.

The baby will listen to sounds and look at people and things, if they are close. Your baby will especially enjoy looking at your face and listening to your voice.

Your newborn's hair may be dark and silky. This hair will be replaced in a few weeks by the baby's "real" hair.

Don't be upset if your baby doesn't look like babies in magazines -- they are rarely newborns. Your baby may have flaky, wrinkled skin from living "underwater" (in your womb) for so long. His or her face and head may be bruised or puffy from moving through the birth canal. This will go away in a few days.

Your baby may not look like you, or his or her father, or anyone you know. As your baby begins to grow and develop, you will find that he or she is an individual, not just a smaller version of someone else.

If you've had a baby boy, you will want to decide if he should have a circumcision. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis. Circumcision is not considered medically necessary, and is not without risk. But some families prefer circumcision for cultural or religious reasons. Talk it over with your caregiver, your baby's caregiver, and your family. Write your decision in your Birth Plan. If you decide to have your son circumcised, tell your midwife/doctor soon after the baby is born. That way, it can be done in the hospital. You will have to sign a permission slip.

If you have stitches from either vaginal birth or a cesarean incision, you can expect some discomfort. But this should hurt less each day. You may also feel afterbirth cramps. These are usually mild contractions of your uterus as it begins to return to its normal size. You can expect them to increase somewhat during breast-feeding. This helps your body get back to normal.

While you are recovering, drink lots of fluids. This will help replace the fluids you lost during delivery and help maintain good bowel and bladder functions. It also helps with breast-feeding. Try to drink at least one to two quarts (four to eight glasses) of water, milk, or juice each day.

In between feeding and playing with your new baby at the hospital or birth center, you'll be learning what you need to do once you go home. The nurses or nurse-midwife will teach you how to breast-feed, how to care for and bathe the baby, and how to take care of yourself. Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Whether you are breast-feeding or not, you could become pregnant the first time you have sexual intercourse after the baby is born. For your own health and the health of future babies, it is best to space children at least 18 months to 2 years apart. Until you plan to have another child, you will need to use a method of birth control. You should discuss this with your caregiver.

Also, ask any other questions you have before you go home. If you want, you can ask that a Public Health Nurse visit you at home.

The nurses may also speak with you about AIDS and hepatitis B and other infections mothers can pass on to their babies before or after giving birth. They will encourage you to be tests, if you haven't already done so. A vaccine against Hepatitis B is available for newborns, and there are measures that can help prevent mother-to-child infection with the AIDS virus (HIV).

It's a good ideal to write and tell the Hospital Administrator and/or HMO how you feel about the care you received. If you are pleased, the administrator and staff will be glad to know. If you are unhappy, the administrator will want to make sure any problems are resolved. The administrator and your caregivers do care about how you feel.

Once you and your baby are home, you will begin to adjust to life with each other.

During the first month, your baby may sleep up to 20 hours a day. He or she will usually wake every 2 to 4 hours. Waking periods will last up to an hour. This is when you will feed and bathe the baby and change his or her diaper. Breast-fed babies normally need more frequent feedings because breast milk is more quickly digested than formula.

Use the awake times to hold, cuddle, and talk to your baby. This will help you become close to each other. If the baby's father is with you, he also needs to get to know the baby. Encourage him to hold the baby and help with feeding, bathing, diaper changing, and playing time. This early parent-child "bonding" is probably the most important part of the baby's young life. Remember: It's impossible to spoil a baby with cuddling.

During the six weeks after delivery, your body will go through several changes. That's why your doctor or nurse-midwife will want to see you for a postnatal or postpartum appointment. Be sure to make and keep this appointment. Your caregiver will want to check your blood pressure and weight, as well as your uterus, cervix, vagina, and breasts. This is also a good time for you to talk with your caregiver about any questions or problems you may have.

If you or your baby experience any of the following problems after leaving the hospital or birthing center, call your caregiver or baby's doctor immediately:

Mother Baby

shortness of breath poor feeding

fever or chills temperature greater than 100° F

dark urine umbilical cord becomes red or has a yellow-

colored discharge

redness or pain in breasts bleeding from circumcision site

abdominal pain sleeps more than 20 hours a day and doesn't

wake for feeding

burning/pain during urination has fewer then 3 to 5 wet diapers a day

redness or yellow discharge from

episiotomy site

redness or pain in legs

Some women feel let down or "blue" after their babies are born. This can be due to normal changes in the body's hormones. Usually, the "postpartum blues" only last a week or two, but if they last longer, here are some things you can do:

There are a few women who are more than just "blue." They feel very depressed. If this happens to you, you may need help to get over these feelings. Your caregiver can suggest sources for the help you need.

The baby's father may also have moments when he feels sad or anxious. He may worry about money or security or other problems. He may also feel "left out" because of all the attention you are giving the baby. Talk with him and let him know he is still very important to you. Involve him in your activities. And set aside time for the two of you to be alone together.

Older children in the family will probably be excited about the new baby. But soon they may feel left out, or jealous of all the attention (and presents) the baby is getting. It will help if you talk abut these normal feelings with any older children, if you involve them in caring for the baby (even a toddler can help wash baby's toes or sing a song to the baby), and if you spend special time alone with each child.

Today, many women must return to work soon after a child is born to help support the family. Be sure you know your employer's maternity leave policy and how long you can stay home with your baby. If you are going back to work, or to school, you will need to find good care for your baby. Maybe you have a relative or friend who can look after your baby while you are away. If not, you will need to find a good child care program. For help in finding a licensed day care program that you can afford, contact your local social services department.