Baby’s Post Birth Procedures and Breastfeeding
After your baby’s birth, your healthcare team will likely recommend some procedures to assess and care for your newborn. Some of these may impact breastfeeding, so it’s important to understand each option and make choices that feel right for you and your baby. While some procedures, like blood sugar testing, are necessary for certain health conditions, others are standard for all newborns. Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, you are encouraged to ask a trusted healthcare provider. As your baby’s advocate, you have the right to be fully informed and involved in every decision along the way.
Skin-to-Skin Contact: Your Baby’s First Hour1
- After birth, holding your baby skin-to-skin for at least the first hour (and until after their first breastfeeding session) can be beneficial for both of you. Many hospitals and birth centers call this time the “Golden Hour.”
- Skin-to-skin helps your baby regulate their temperature, breathing, heart rate, and blood sugar levels.
- This time also supports breastfeeding by encouraging your baby’s natural instincts.
- Many necessary procedures can happen while your baby is being held skin-to-skin, which helps them stay calm and comfortable.
- Be sure to include your desire for skin-to-skin in your birth plan and share it with your healthcare provider and nurses. Your support person can help communicate your preferences too.
Common Procedures After Birth
- Suctioning:
- Suctioning is only recommended if medically necessary.
- If needed, the healthcare team may use a towel to clear your baby’s mouth and nose.
- If suctioning is necessary, this can be done while your baby is skin-to-skin with you.
- APGAR Score:
- This score is reported at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth for all infants, and at 5-minute intervals (for infants with a score less than 7) until 20 minutes.2
- The healthcare team will assess your baby’s activity, pulse, appearance, breathing, and reflexes.
- This test can be done while your baby is skin-to-skin with you, so there’s no need to separate.
- Delayed Cord Clamping:
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping for at least 30–60 seconds after birth.3
- This allows extra blood from the placenta to reach your baby, helping prevent iron deficiency.
- Clamping and cutting the cord can happen while you and your baby are skin-to-skin.
- Weight and Length Measurements:
- Your baby’s weight and length are usually measured soon after birth, but these can wait until after the “Golden Hour”.
- Antibiotic Eye Treatment:
- An eye ointment (usually erythromycin) is usually applied to your baby’s eyes within the first 2 hours after birth.4
- This prevents infections caused by bacteria that may be found in the birth canal.
- This treatment is required in most states, so you may need to sign a waiver if you opt out.
- The ointment can be applied while your baby is still in your arms or after the “Golden Hour.”
- Blood Sugar Monitoring:
- Some newborns are born at increased risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and need to have their blood sugar closely monitored.5
- Babies who are born to diabetic mothers, born prematurely, or who are either born small or large for gestational age, all fall under this hypoglycemia protocol.
- Mild hypoglycemia may only require frequent breastfeeding to improve blood sugar levels. If breastfeeding isn’t enough, hand-expressed colostrum or donor milk might be recommended.
- Depending on hospital protocols, some may also offer glucose gel or infant formula (if donor milk is unavailable or colostrum can’t be expressed).
- If you know that your baby may fall into one of these risk categories, you may want to discuss the option of prenatal Colostrum Harvesting with your healthcare provider.
- Hepatitis B Vaccine:
- The first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended shortly after birth to protect against a virus that affects the liver.6
- You can decide when, or if, to give your baby this shot, but you may need to sign a waiver if you decline it.
- If your baby receives this injection, breastfeeding can help comfort your baby during this time, whether it happens during skin-to-skin or afterward.
- Vitamin K Injection:
- Babies are often given a Vitamin K shot in the leg to help prevent bleeding problems, as babies are born with low Vitamin K levels.
- You can choose whether to have your baby receive the injection, but you may need to sign a waiver if you choose to decline.
- The shot can be given while your baby is skin-to-skin or after the “Golden Hour.”7
- Bathing:
- Bathing babies shortly after birth used to be common, but many hospitals now recommend delaying it until after the first 24 hours.
- Waiting helps regulate your baby’s temperature, supports breastfeeding, and reduces the risk of infection.
- If you’d like help with your baby’s first bath, you can ask your nurse to walk you through it, or you’re welcome to wait until you get home.
Remember, you have choices. Every parent and baby is unique, so it’s important to talk openly with your healthcare provider about any concerns you have regarding early interventions after your baby’s birth. Clear communication and informed consent are key to ensuring you feel confident and supported in the decisions you make together with your care team.
What If I Have Questions?
If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:
- Birth and Breastfeeding Series
- Ultimate Breastfeeding Prep
To register for these classes, log into your portal or click here.
Want More Info?
For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:
Our classes and accompanying materials are intended for general education purposes and should not replace medical evaluation or consultation. Please seek advice from your own healthcare providers for individualized recommendations.
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