Postpartum: Family and Baby

Your care team will provide you with specific instructions on how to care for your incision while you are in the hospital and once your get home.  You will be given a hand out that will be reviewed by your nurse prior to your discharge.  It is important that you keep your incision site clean, dry and inspect it for redness, pain and swelling daily.  If you notice any of those things it is possible that you have an infection in your incision site and need to call the advice line for an appointment to be seen.  Make sure you tell them you had a Cesarean Section and how many days ago you had it.

You will be given a birth certificate work sheet that you must fill out before you go home.  This work sheet will be entered into the California State system so that there is a record of your baby’s birth.  The care team and/or Birth Certificate clerk can help you fill out the form and answer any questions that you have.  Before you leave the clerk will bring you a copy of the form that will be sent to the State, read it very carefully as the information that is on the form is what will be on your actual Birth Certificate.  If corrections are necessary they will be made and a new copy will be printed.

You must stop in the admitting office before you leave to ensure that you receive your “Baby Packet” this is how you will put your baby on your insurance plan.  Your partner can visit the office prior to you leaving to take care of this so that you do not have to stop on the way to the car.  If not done the person taking you to your car will stop so that you can complete what you need to do.

A circumcision is a personal decision only you and your significant other can make.  The care team will provide you with information and be able to answer any questions that you have.  The provider performing the circumcision will inform you of the procedure and answer any questions you may have.  You and your significant other are welcome to accompany your baby to the nursery where the procedure will be performed.  Once complete the baby will be checked and then brought back to the room for comforting.

All babies must have a hearing screening exam performed before discharge.  This exam will help us to determine if your baby has any issues with hearing that need to be followed up on in the Audiology clinic.  If you need a referral you will be provided with an appointment date and time prior to discharge from the hospital.  If you can’t make the appointment for any reason, please make sure you call to cancel and reschedule.

For the Newborn Screening exam,  labs will be drawn on your baby prior to discharge.  This test is a simple and safe test mandated by the state that checks for various genetic and metabolic diseases.  If there are any abnormal results your pediatrician will notify you right away.

Your baby will be scheduled for an appointment 24 to 48 hours after you go home from the hospital.  If your provider wants you to be seen prior to your four to six week exam you will also be given that appointment time.  Please make sure you call the clinic for a postpartum check up appointment when you get home.

Both you and your baby will have a discharge physical exam to ensure you are ready to go home.

If the clinicians order medications for either you or your baby, we will ask a member of your family to go to the discharge pharmacy to fill them for you before you leave for home.

Don’t forget your car seat.  You have been given a handout on car seat safety in your admission packet; please refer to that and the manufacturers recommendations for safety tips.  The members of your care team are not certified to install car seats, so they cannot help you with the installation.  You can visit the seat check website for information on where to find and inspection station and obtain help with the installation of your car seat.  The website at seatcheck.org or you can call 1-866-732-8243 for information.