Once your baby is born there will be a few things to consider before you are left alone with them.  Here's what to expect:

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is given to babies just after birth to prevent a rare bleeding disorder of newborns, which can cause serious problems. It may be given as a single injection or via several doses by mouth. If vitamin K is given by mouth and the baby is breastfed then repeat doses will be needed. Timings vary from area to area, but follow-up doses may be given around seven to 10 days and at one month. When given as an injection, only one dose of vitamin K is needed.

Heel pricks

All babies in England are offered screening for five rare but serious conditions. Your midwife will take a small amount of blood from your baby’s heel between 5 and 8 days old. This heel prick test (sometimes called the ‘Guthrie test’ or ‘dried blood spot test’) screens babies for phenylketonuria, congenital hypothroidism, MCADD, sickle cell diseases and cystic fibrosis. These may vary in other parts of the UK. Normal results are usually sent to you in a letter by the time your baby is six to eight weeks old. Your health visitor will also discuss the results with you and write these in your child’s personal health record (red book).”

First nappies

The poo in your baby’s first nappies will be green-black and sticky. This is called meconium,and it’s the remnants of the amniotic fluid that your baby swallowed when still inside you. It will give way to a more ‘normal’ colour in a day or so. Your baby will have wet nappies from the first day.

‘I only have eyes for you…’

Your baby’s range of focus is about an arm’s length, perfectly matched to gazing at your face while you hold her; she may turn her head just to look at you. New babies may have a slight squint, which will disappear as they learn to focus their eyes, but they’re already interested in getting to know you, and their new world. It’s been shown that even very new babies prefer to look at coloured patterns rather than plain colours, but the pattern new babies like to look at most is the human face.

Help with breathing

A few babies need help to get their breathing settled. If necessary, medical staff will put your baby on a resuscitation trolley. She may need to have her breathing passages cleared of mucus and she may receive some oxygen. This only takes a few minutes, and then you can hold her.

Apgar? What’s that?

The Apgar score gives a quick picture of a new baby’s condition and helps medical and midwifery staff to decide if the baby needs some help.  Here's how it works.