Your baby will be weighed and checked at birth by the midwife.

All babies then receive a full check-up within 72 hours after the birth.

What do they look for?

The doctor or midwife will:

• Examine your baby’s skin and fontanelles
• Examine his eyes, ears, nose, mouth and neck 
• Listen to his heart and breathing 
• Feel his tummy to check that internal organs feel normal 
• Check his genitals and spine 
• Examine his hips to make sure the joints are secure and not ‘clicky’; a few babies have dislocation of the hips. Babies born by breech delivery are more at risk. Also tell the doctor if there is any family history of dislocated hips. The sooner this is found and treated, the better.

Your baby will also be checked immediately after birth and then after five minutes and given an Apgar score.  Find out more about understanding Apgar.