After the birth, since you’re already at home, you can just stay in bed, skin to skin with your baby.
Ideally, you and your new baby will spend three quiet days together in bed while you wait for your milk to come in. These first three days are a time for you both to rest and integrate the birth experience. It is a time for your baby to adjust to life outside of the womb and for you two to continue to form a deep attachment to one another.
It’s best for the environment to be quiet and under-stimulating. In general, visitors should be discouraged during the first week after the birth except to drop off food at the door. Someone close to you should move in for one week to help care for older siblings, cook, serve you food in bed, do the laundry, shop, answer the phone, answer the door, get the mail, etc.
We visit you and your baby 24 hours after the birth, three days after the birth and one week after the birth. You should schedule a one week appointment with your pediatrician. An office visit is scheduled with us six weeks postpartum to check on you again and discuss options for family planning (birth control).
Newborn Care at Home
Within hours of the birth we examine your newborn baby. we repeat this exam at one day, three days and one week of life. Your pediatric care provider will continue to provide care for your baby after one week of life. We provide you with a list of referrals for pediatric care providers during your prenatal care so that you may choose your baby’s care provider before the birth.
