Checks after birth for you and your baby

Once your baby is born, maternity staff will complete routine checks for you and your baby.

Checks for you

There are a number of checks that the maternity staff will complete on you to ensure you are okay after giving birth.

Stitches

If you had a vaginal birth, it is very common to have a graze or tear in between your vagina and anus (labia or perineum). For most people, these tears are minor and heal quickly.

After giving birth, your midwife will check for any tears. They will stitch them with dissolvable stitches if needed.

You should keep the area clean. Make sure not to use perfumed products or creams in that area.

Midwives will regularly check your stitches.

You can take regular pain relief if you are feeling uncomfortable.

If with any wound you have more pain, strange smell, or green discharge, please let a midwife know.  It can take up to 6 weeks for wounds to heal.

If you had a caesarean, a dressing will be put on your tummy. This will be removed the next day. You should keep the area clean.

Avoid using perfumed products or creams in that area. Let the midwife regularly check to see if it is healing.

Pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are advised after birth. They are really important to help you recover and avoid leaking urine. This video shows more about how to do your pelvic floor exercises:

This video was not produced by Health for Under 5s and may contain adverts.

Click here for more information about pelvic floor exercises from The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Bleeding after birth

After your birth, you will have some bleeding. This bleeding will be heavy at first. It can carry on for a few weeks before getting lighter. Your midwife will check your blood loss. If you lose any large clots, please tell your midwife.

Your midwife will also check that your womb is slowly going back to its normal size by feeling your tummy. You may have some tummy cramps; this is normal.

Going to the toilet

After your birth, your midwife will check that you can pass urine okay before you go home. They will check that you can pass urine within 6 hours of giving birth. If you had a catheter, your midwife will check 6 hours from when it was removed.

Reducing blood clots

Some women and birthing people are more at risk of getting a blood clot after birth. For example, if you had a caesarean section. Your midwife will talk about the signs of blood clots. This can be swelling or pain in your legs. You might be advised to have injections after your birth to stop the risk of you getting a blood clot. Your midwife will talk with you about this. The injection is given once a day for a week.

Checks for your baby

After birth, your baby will have their temperature checked two times and will be weighed. A full head to toe check will be done to check for any problems. The midwife will check for any birth marks and let you know everything they have checked.

Checking oxygen levels (pulse oximetry)

This is a screening tool which is offered to all babies after birth. Your baby’s oxygen will be checked by putting a probe on your their right hand and then their foot. It will give a reading of your baby’s oxygen level. This check helps to understand if your baby may have problems with their heart.

Newborn infant physical examination (NIPE)

Within 72 hours of your baby’s birth, a detailed head-to-toe check of your baby will be done. This will check your baby’s eyes, heart, hips, and other things to check for any problems. If any problems are found, your baby may need some more checks. Your midwife will talk this through with you. The NIPE is completed at the hospital or in a postnatal clinic.

Click here for more information about the newborn physical examination

Hearing screening

If your baby is born in hospital, you can be offered a newborn hearing test before you go home. This can also be done in a planned clinic within the first few weeks of your baby’s life. Your baby’s hearing test takes a few minutes. A small ear piece is put in your baby’s ear and gentle sounds are played. It is not always possible to get a clear reading at the first test. This can be because your baby is unsettled or may have fluid in their ears. This does not always mean your baby has hearing loss. You will be offered a second test. You will have the results as soon as the test is done.

Click here for information about the newborn hearing screening

Vitamin K

The midwife will offer vitamin K for your baby within the first couple of hours of birth. Vitamin K helps blood to clot. Babies have low levels of Vitamin K which can cause a serious condition called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). It can be very serious and can cause disability or death.

Giving vitamin K soon after birth is important to stop VKDB. There is more information on the links below about why vitamin k is recommended for all newborn babies in the UK. It will help you make a choice about wanting this for your baby:

• Medicines for Children- Vitamin K for newborn babies to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding
• University Hospitals of Leicester- Vitamin K and your baby

If you are not sure if you want your baby to have vitamin K, please speak to your midwife.