11 things your midwife will do after birth

As your due date approaches, you're so focused on what will happen during labour and birth that you hardly think about what'll happen immediately afterwards. But there are all sorts of procedures and things that your midwife will do after delivering your baby. Hold out for the last one on the list. By then, you've earned it!

Your midwife might do this or may ask your partner if they want to have the honour. You might want to look into the benefits of delayed cord clamping. What does it feel like to cut the cord? A Reddit user described it as:

'I was surprised at how tough the thing was, actually. it was like there was a guitar string in the middle.'

Another wrote:

'I cut the cord and it was pretty cool. Like cutting through thick wet rope.'

Your baby's first ever test. The Apgar Score is the first quick check of your baby which looks at the colour of their skin, heart rate, breathing, muscle tone and reflex response. It's carried out at one minute and repeated at five minutes after birth. Babies get a score out of ten to quickly calculate if they need any immediate treatment. Babies scoring seven or over generally need no further help.

You might think once all that pushing is out of the way and your baby is safely delivered, your work is done. But you still have to deliver your placenta (known as the third stage of labour).

You can choose to have a managed placenta delivery, where your midwife will give you an injection of a drug (syntocinon or syntometrine) at the top of your thigh, just as your baby is being born or soon afterwards. Most women will not notice the injection as they are too busy giving birth.

Or you can opt for a natural third stage and push out your placenta naturally. Breastfeeding your baby can stimulate a contraction and help your placenta separate from your womb.

Midwives will examine your placenta to make sure that no parts of it have been left in the uterus. They will also check the colour and feel of your placenta and the position of the umbilical cord. Some mums choose to have their placenta incinerated, others decide to take it home either to plant in the garden or to have it made into smoothies or pills.

It's the best thing for baby and for you, too, and midwives will encourage a skin-to-skin first cuddle. It has a multitude of benefits for your baby and will help you bond too. Enjoy those first cuddles.

It's the question everyone asks after you announce the birth. But your midwife isn't weighing your baby after birth just for the announcements, of course. They need a record of birth weight so they can be sure as your baby grows that he's gaining weight at the right rate. Funnily enough, even though we work in metric, people still tend to associate babies' weights with pounds and ounces.

Your midwife will do a detailed check of your baby, checking they have ten fingers and toes, checking their hearing and making sure they don't need any extra care.

You will no doubt have discussed this before birth but, if agreed, your midwife will give your baby a vitamin K injection. This is given to babies soon after borth to prevent a rare bleeding disorder called haemorrhagic disease of the newborn. Your baby can have vitamin K by mouth if you prefer, but in this case they will need more doses afterwards.

Now your midwife's attention turns to you and any repairs you might need to your nether regions after birth. If you had an epsiotomy or had a tear, you may need stitches. You will be given an injection to numb this delicate area first as well as advice on how to care for your delicate undercarriage as the stitches heal.

After every birth there is more paperwork to be filled out that you can shake a stick at. If your midwife seems to be busy scribbling notes in the corner, that's what they're doing.

This is the very, very best post-birth experience EVER. It will be the most delicious meal you will ever tasted. You'll never forget it.

(Be cautious though as we've heard from some Netmums that they were offered rubbish post-birth meals such as a wilted cheese sandwich and – get this – an ONION sandwich! If this happens to you ask for the tea and toast. You've earned it.)