What happens once my baby is born?

Once delivery of the infant is complete, your provider will cut the umbilical cord and get the baby's blood type. The team then checks your baby to make sure that he is breathing and moving well and they help wipe the baby off so that his body temperature does not drop, because babies can't regulate their temperature as well as we can yet.

The birthing team will then let you hold your baby - and encourage skin-to skin contact. A newborn will actually move toward the breast when placed on Mom's abdomen - a useful instinctive maneuver, as suckling by the infant stimulates Mom to release a hormone called oxytocin, which helps the uterus contract so the placenta can detach and be delivered. Most of the time you will receive a dose of oxytocin, either through your IV or as an intramuscular injection, to help restore uterine tone and decrease the amount of blood lost after delivery. (If you don't want to get oxytocin, you may be asked to stimulate your nipples, which also releases oxytocin.)