Understanding standard procedures for the mother after birth

OBGYN Lauren Hyman, MD, explains the normal procedure for mothers after giving birth up until the end of her hospital stay
Standard Procedures For The Mother After Birth
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Understanding standard procedures for the mother after birth

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After your baby is born, if everything is a-okay, the baby goes right on your chest. You spend time bonding with you baby. You and your partner can take photographs, call whoever you want to call. The baby can even start trying to nurse. The bonding time immediately after delivery is wonderful and absolutely delicious. During this time, the doctor is doing what the doctor needs to do, delivering the placenta, sawing up any tears or any episiotomy that might have been performed. And, once you're all put back together again, the nurse will help get your legs out of the leg rest, if you are in them in the first place, put on underwear that has ice in it to help with any swelling that might have occurred and get you back into a little bit more of a state of grace where you're looking like a princess with warm blankets on you all covered up. So, if you'd like, the rest of your family can come in and meet the newest addition. At this point, you'll be with your baby for about an hour. The blood pressure cuff stays on your arm and continues to give the nurse blood pressure readings to make sure you are safe. You no longer need the oxygen that might have been on you when you were in labor. You will also receive Pitocin after the delivery of the placenta to help firm up the uterus and to make sure there's no extra bleeding that went to be expected. After you and your baby have bonded and recovered for about an hour, all of you can go over to postpartum if your hospital has a separate postpartum unit, or in some hospitals, it's a labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum room that you stay in it for your entire hospital stay.

OBGYN Lauren Hyman, MD, explains the normal procedure for mothers after giving birth up until the end of her hospital stay

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Lauren D. Hyman, MD

Obstetrician Gynecologist

Dr. Lauren Hyman is a board-certified obstetrician gynecologist. After receiving her ScB from Brown University and her medical degree from Yale University, Dr. Hyman returned to Southern California where she has been in private practice in the West Hills area for fifteen years. She can be seen weekly on Hallmark Channelʼs Home and Family Pregnancy Series and is a contributing writer on mom.me. She lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles.

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