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Newborn and After Birth Care

Skin-to-Skin Care

Holding your infant skin-to-skin with you, the new parent, is promoted at St B. This means that the baby is wearing only a diaper and is placed on parent’s bare chest and both of you are covered with a blanket. Skin-to-skin care can also be done with the partner as well. Holding your infant skin to skin has many benefits for the baby, which include less crying, better breathing, better blood sugar levels, less stress, and breastfeeding sooner, longer and better. It also promotes bonding between the infant and the parent. This practice can also be continued at home.

Learn more about kangaroo care in our video below. Skin to skin care benefits all babies, from preterm to term.

Link: Skin to Skin Fact Sheet, Canadian Premature Babies Foundation

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Length of Stay and Discharge

  • 24 hours minimum stay generally after vaginal birth, with no complications for birthing parent/mom or baby.
  • 30 hours minimum stay after a cesarean birth, with no complications for birthing parent/mom and baby.
  • Patients may be discharged home at night or can stay until the following morning and be discharged then.
  • Please make plans for your ride home to be here at your time of discharge.

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Breastfeeding

You will be encouraged to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth. Most newborns will be interested in breastfeeding within one hour of being born. Your baby will typically feed every 3 to 4 hours in the first day, then more often at least every 2 to 3 hours including overnight.  Some babies are quite sleepy after delivery, so your nurse may encourage you to wake your baby to see if they are interested in feeding.  This is normal behavior, but it can be tiring for the new parent. Please try to rest when your baby is sleeping.

All nursing staff involved with newborns provide help with breastfeeding. Extra support is also available from our lactation support nurses, who can see new parents in the hospital if there are breastfeeding issues.

Breast/chest feeding parents are encouraged to learn how to do hand expression and hands-on pumping.  Links to videos that show you how to do this are located here: 

 Hand Expressing Milk | Newborn Nursery | Stanford Medicine  and 

Maximizing Milk Production | Newborn Nursery | Stanford Medicine.

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Pain Management After Birth

After your baby is born vaginally, you may have some discomfort or pain from “after pains” (cramps), stitches in your perineum or your breasts/nipples may feel sore. Your nurses will be asking about any discomfort or pain often and help you with comfort measures if necessary. You may wish to have medication for pain at your bedside and take them when you feel the need rather than calling a nurse and asking for them. We refer to this as Self-Administered Medication or the SAM Program. If you wish to participate, you will need to:

  • Learn about the medications from your nurse
  • Follow the directions for taking the medications
  • Keep your medications safely at your bedside
  • Only use the medications provided by the hospital
  • Write down the medications you take on the sheet provided. This paper document needs to be returned to your nurse before discharge.
  • Stronger pain medication is available if required.

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Care of Yourself After Birth

See the booklet called Caring for Yourself and Baby After Giving Birth.  This is given to you when you are admitted to the postnatal unit.

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Care of Your New Baby

  • Baby’s newborn health care provider– your baby will need to be examined in hospital before they go home. It may be a pediatrician assigned to care for your baby while in hospital, your family doctor if they also cared for you in labour, or your midwife who will examine your baby before you leave the hospital.
  • It is important to have regular care for your baby after discharge from hospital. Most babies should be seen by a newborn health care provider by 1 to 2 weeks of age. You will need to make this appointment for follow-up care.
  • Arranging to have a newborn care provider ahead of the birth is your responsibility. We do not provide you with a list of newborn health care providers taking on newborns into their medical practice, nor do we arrange for a follow up newborn health care provider for you.  Please contact the Family Doctor Finder Program if you need to arrange a newborn health care provider to care for your baby after discharge from hospital.  Family Doctor Finder
  • Newborn metabolic screening – All new babies in Manitoba are screened for rare metabolic diseases before they go home from hospital. This test is done with a simple blood test. Your baby’s health care provider will follow up with you if there are any concerns. Want to learn more? Visit the Newborn Screening – Shared Health  website of Manitoba Health or call the Cadham Provincial Laboratory at  204-945-7458.
  • Newborn Hearing Screening – All parents/legal guardians of Manitoba newborns will be offered hearing screening. Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) | Health | Province of Manitoba (gov.mb.ca)
  • For more information on care of your new baby, see the booklet called Caring for Yourself and Baby After Giving Birth

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Cesarean Birth

If you have had a cesarean birth, the following information will answer some of the questions you may have after this type of birthing experience.

What happens right after my surgery?

You will be in the Recovery Room for about 2 to 3 hours. You will have an intravenous (IV) in your arm for fluids which will be removed around 12-24 hours.  You will also have a small tube in your bladder to remove urine which will be removed by 6 hours after surgery if there are no problems. Sometimes the medication from the surgery may make you itchy or sick to your stomach. Your nurse can give you other medication to help with these problems.

While in the Recovery Room, the nurse will check you often, provide pain medications and check to see how well you are moving your legs. You will be asked to:

  • Hold your baby skin-to-skin as soon as possible
  • Breast/chest feed or bottle feed if you and your baby are well
  • Move your legs; anyone who has a cesarean birth will temporarily have sequential compression devices (SCD) put on their legs after surgery. They will be plugged into a machine that will rotate between inflating and deflating. These are worn to help prevent blood clots from forming in the legs. They will be removed once you are fully mobile. This time will vary per person.
  • Drink and or eat small amounts when you are ready and have been transferred to the postnatal unit.

How will I manage my pain as my recovery continues?

If you do not have allergies to acetaminophen (Tylenol ™) and naproxen (Aleve™), you will be given these pain medications every six hours for the first 48 hours. After this time, this same pain medication can be left at your bedside, and you can take it yourself when needed. Let your nurse know if you still have pain after taking these pain medications and they will help you. All the medication we use for pain is safe for breastfeeding. Before you go home, talk to your doctor or nurse about how to manage your pain at home.

When can I breastfeed my baby?

You can start breastfeeding as soon as you are able. You can use a pillow to protect your incision when feeding; you can also hold the baby like a football or lie on your side.

When can I get out of bed?

You should get out of bed and move around as soon as you are able, and ideally within 6 hours of surgery. Make sure you have feeling in your legs before trying to get out of bed.  A staff member will assist you with walking the first time you are out of bed and in the hallway. The sooner you are up and walking, the sooner the sequential compression devices can be removed.

When can I begin to eat and drink?

Unless your doctor has given special instructions, you can drink and eat when you feel ready. Everyone is different so drink and or eat what you like.

How do I care for my incision?

Your nurse will remove your wound dressing the day after your surgery and then you can shower. Unless otherwise directed, your stitches will dissolve on their own and do not need to be removed. However, if you have staples, they will need to be removed in about 5 to 7 days. Contact your doctor’s office when you get home to make an appointment for the staples to be removed.

When in the shower let the water run over your incision. Gently pat the incision dry using a clean towel. Wear loose clothing to avoid pressure on your incision.

Wash your hands before and after touching your incision.

Do not take a tub bath, go in a hot tub or swim until the incision has healed and vaginal discharge has stopped.

Will I be bleeding from my vagina?

Yes. For the first 3 to 5 days your vaginal bleeding will be bright red and may have small clots. The color changes slowly to pink then light brown and to white over the next 3 to 6 weeks. Clean your perineum (area between your vagina and anal opening) each time you use the toilet using a squirt bottle filled with warm tap water. Change your pad every time you go to the bathroom or every 3 to 4 hours.

What can I do to help get some rest?

Have your partner or support person stay in the room with you as much as possible to help care for your baby.

Limit your visitors. Suggest friends visit when you get home.

How long is my stay in hospital?

Most patients and babies are ready to go home on the 2nd or 3rd day after birth. If you want to go home earlier, please discuss this with your nurse. If there are any concerns about your health or the health of your baby, you or your baby may need to stay longer.

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Birth Registration

After your baby’s birth, you will be given an envelope which contains a Registration of Birth form. This form asks for your baby’s name, as well as information about the parents. Once completed, it will be a legal document and must be handed in to our staff prior to the patient’s discharge from hospital. If you have any questions about this form, you can call the Vital Statistics Agency at 204-945-3701 or toll-free at 1-866-949-9296. Also, social workers and nursing staff can assist with answering your questions.

You will also be able to apply for Canada Child Benefits and a social insurance number for your baby on the back side of this form. The birthing parent’s social insurance number will need to be added at this time. Also, there is an application for a birth certificate for your new infant, which can be sent to Vital Statistics after discharge from hospital.

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Infant Car Seats

Manitoba law requires all infants travel in car seats. It is your responsibility to read your car seat manual and be familiar with how to use it before coming to the hospital. For further information, go to the MPI web site. Click on “Road Safety”, then “Car Seats” to find out general information on inspections and different types of infant car seats.

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Postpartum Depression

One in eight new birthing people will experience postpartum depression. The non-birthing person can also experience perinatal depression. Information on postpartum depression is available at the following web site, or ask your doctor, nurse, midwife, hospital social worker or public health nurse:

For help lines call:

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Safe Sleeping Environments for Your Baby

Sleeping with your baby in bed is not allowed while in hospital. For information on creating a safe sleep environment for your baby, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has developed a helpful resource called Safe Sleep and Your Baby. Additional information and resources on preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and information about safe sleep practices can also be found at Baby’s Breath Canada.

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Immunization

For information on immunization, contact your health care provider, Public Health Nurse or visit the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Immunization: The Safest Way to Protect Your Baby’s Health.

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Questions and Help

Even after all the preparations you have made for the birth of your new baby, you may still have questions and need help. Please ask your nurse, doctor or midwife.

Sources of information include:

  • Brochures and patient education material
  • Ode’imnin (formerly known as the Birth Centre) or Women’s Health Clinic for information on health education programs on parenting and newborn care found on their website https://womenshealthclinic.org/
  • Public Health Office / Nurse
  • Sources of information on motherhood, breastfeeding concerns and postpartum health care are listed in your booklet Caring for Yourself and Baby After Giving Birth.

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Patient Information – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

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Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Up to 1 in 4 pregnancies can end in loss and our program is here to care for and support families who are anticipating or experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. A team of doctors or midwives, nurses, social workers, spiritual health professionals, and Indigenous health services providers will offer guidance and care through an experience of loss. A bereavement program is in place in hospital for families to have keepsakes created to honor their child’s life. Once home, there are community supports available in Manitoba for individuals and families impacted by pregnancy and infant loss through the Dragonfly Support Program.

Other helpful resources to learn more about what to expect after loss can be found here: Resource library – PAIL Network (sunnybrook.ca) and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Resources | Women’s Health Clinic (womenshealthclinic.org). 

If you, or a loved one is experiencing grief after loss, this resource may be helpful to you from MyGrief.ca. St. Boniface Hospital Spiritual Health Department hosts an annual committal of ashes ceremony for families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss.