Postpartum choices — It’s not just a case of immediate skin to skin

The moment that baby hits your chest. That sense of utter physical relief and hopefully, elation.

No matter how you did it, you, and only you, birthed your baby.

But the choices available to you don’t end with your baby being born, they extend into: 

• the third stage (that is, the way you choose to birth your placenta — yep, you have a choice about that)


• choices around the “management” of your baby’s umbilical cord


• keeping your baby with you (this shouldn’t even be a topic but alas here we are)


• whether and how you would like any baby checks or vaccinations to be completed


• suturing
of any tears

• uninterrupted skin to skin with your baby


• feeding


• the list goes on (and includes how you would like any resuscitation or transfer to special care or NICU to be managed between you and your support team). 

We want you to know about those choices, and to have made plans for them, ahead of time.

Because the last thing we want you to be doing in those precious moments after birth is thinking and advocating.

Photo by @evarosebirth