Newborn procedures can wait.

by Kelli Brus

10/03/2023

You've been waiting for the moment to meet your baby for months, and possibly even years. There is nothing quite like the feeling of your baby on your chest. In the vast majority of cases, baby can stay right on your chest for at least the first hour or two. Things like weighing, measuring, foot prints, newborn medications (if you choose to do so), etc can all wait until after you've had time to take in your baby, snuggle, and recover. ​​​​​​​​
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A nurse or provider will be making sure that baby's heart rate, breathing, and temperature are all where they should be, and this can all be done right on your chest.​​​​​​​​
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Often, 10-15 minutes after birth, a nurse may say, "is it okay if we take your baby over to the warmer for a few minutes?" You can absolutely say, "we'd like to wait for awhile." If there is a true need or concern, they will share that with you and your partner can go over to the warmer with baby. In most cases, it's just for a few minutes and baby can be given right back to the parent for skin to skin. ​​​​​​​​
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Sometimes it's hard to remember these things in the moment after such a big event, so discussing this with your partner and doula (if you have one) is key! That golden hour (or two) of snuggling is often so important to new parents and you deserve all that cuddle time!​​​​​​​​