After your baby is born
Your baby is finally here. At Edward-Elmhurst Health, our expert team of physicians and nurses is honored to care for you and your new bundle of joy. Read on to learn more about what happens after your baby is born.
Recovery: the “golden hour”
After delivery, you and your baby will stay in your private birthing suite for approximately two hours to recover. This is a great time for you and your partner to get to know your newborn. It’s also an important time for mom and baby bonding.
Skin-to-skin contact with your baby has scientifically proven benefits: baby’s temperature, heart rate and blood sugar stabilize faster. And both mom and baby’s stress hormones are reduced by skin-to-skin contact. This is a good time for you to start breastfeeding, if desired. For these reasons, we generally discourage visitors during the first hour after birth.
Rooming-in with your baby
After the recovery period, and if you and your baby are doing well, you will be taken to a private room on our Mother-Baby Unit. Here, you and your baby will stay for the rest of your hospital visit. Rooming-in with your baby helps you get to know your baby’s hunger cues, get breastfeeding off to a good start, and get more sleep at night.
Behind the warm wood fixtures and contemporary furniture, each private room is furnished with the latest technology to ensure that everything is just a touch away for you and your baby. Your private room comes with a private bathroom with a walk-in shower, a flat screen TV, and a couch that converts into a bed — so you and your partner enjoy all the comforts of home.
While you’re here, your nurse will routinely check your vital signs and condition, and instruct you on things to do to help your healing process. For your peace of mind, our Family Birthing Center is a “locked unit,” secured by an infant security system.
Every new mom at Edward Hospital is offered a complimentary neck and shoulder massage from our certified massage therapist, who will come to your room the day after your delivery. At Elmhurst Hospital, new moms receive a large water mug. Learn more about our patient and visitor amenities.
If your baby requires specialized care, our NICU or Special Care Nursery are fully equipped to care for your little one.
Quiet time
Both Edward and Elmhurst hospitals schedule quiet time for mom and baby from 2-4 pm each day. During this special time, you’re encouraged to rest and bond with your baby. Your Care Support person may stay in your room 24/7, including during Quiet Time.
Please see the current Visitor/Care Partner Policy for the most recent information about visitors.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding has been shown to have many medical benefits for both baby and mom. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend that babies are breastfed or receive expressed breast milk exclusively for the first six months of life.
At Edward-Elmhurst, we are committed to helping you breastfeed successfully, if you desire. Our maternity nurses are specially trained to help you, and our internationally board-certified lactation consultants can come to your room to assist with any breastfeeding difficulties.
Breastfeeding Center
The Edward Breastfeeding Center, located at 10 W. Martin Ave, Ste. 202, Naperville (across from Edward Hospital), is also dedicated to your breastfeeding success, and offers supplies and clothing for purchase. The Breastfeeding Center is open to the community, even if you didn’t have your baby at Edward or Elmhurst hospitals. Call 630-527-3238 for hours and more information.
We also offer prenatal breastfeeding classes to educate you regarding positions, good latch, and how to protect your milk supply. After your discharge, we offer a breastfeeding support group.
Learn more about our breastfeeding services
Commemorating your baby’s arrival
During your stay, you have access to many different resources to celebrate your baby’s arrival:
- Baby portraits: We work with experienced photographers to capture your baby's first photograph with a natural, artistic style. Your professional mini photo shoot can take place right in the comfort of your private room and can also include other family members.
- Cradle Club: Through the Edward Hospital Foundation's Cradle Club, you can commemorate your baby's arrival with a beautiful keepsake footprint medallion that includes your baby’s name and birthdate. Learn more about Cradle Club.
Preparing for discharge
If you had a vaginal delivery, you will typically stay in the hospital for two nights following delivery. If you had a c-section, you will usually stay 3-4 nights. On the day of discharge, you can generally plan to leave before noon.
Here’s what happens prior to your discharge from our Mother-Baby Unit:
- Your doctor and your baby's doctor will need to see you on the day of discharge and give discharge instructions.
- Your baby's hearing screen, PKU/Metabolic Screening test, non-invasive cardiac screening, and any other tests or immunizations that your doctor or your baby's doctor has ordered will need to be completed prior to your discharge.
- The baby's birth certificate must be completed (including the baby's name) and signed prior to your discharge.
- If you have chosen to have your baby's picture taken, this will need to be done prior to your discharge. Baby pictures are taken daily. A photography representative will stop by your room to take the pictures.
- Your baby's umbilical cord clamp will be removed prior to discharge.
- Immediately prior to your discharge from the hospital, we will also remove the security band from your baby's ankle.
In the weeks leading up to delivery, it’s important to take the time to have a car seat properly installed in your car. It’s required in order to bring your baby home. Learn more about car seat safety. For your convenience and comfort, we will provide a wheelchair for you and a cart for transporting all your belongings to your car at the time of discharge.
Back home
Your nurse will provide you with instructions on what to expect once you get home. A few days after discharge, one of our mother-baby nurses will call you to see how you and baby are doing. The nurse will remind you of follow-up appointments, reassess you for any signs of postpartum mood disorders, and answer any questions you may have about caring for yourself and your baby.
If you have any questions after discharge, you can always call your doctor’s office or your baby’s pediatrician.
We know that navigating your child's healthcare can be hard, so we also created a family resources page with information about common pediatric issues and how we can help.
Learn more about your baby’s birth certificate and social security number
Learn more about caring for your baby
Learn about postpartum care
Postpartum support
Making the transition to being a parent can be difficult. Edward-Elmhurst offers several support groups to help you through this transition, including “Cradle Talk,” “Mommy and Baby Hour,” “Breastfeeding Support,” and “Nurturing Mom,” a support group for postpartum depression.
Learn about support for postpartum depression
Pregnancy and baby locations
[Updated January 2022]