The midwife will label the baby as yours, dry and wrap them warmly before passing them to either the woman or her partner or support person to hold. Some hospitals will wrap the baby in what is called a 'space blanket'. This is a sheet of soft, silver foil-like wrapping that helps the baby to retain their body heat in the cool operating theatre. You may be able to ask for the baby to be passed to you naked for skin to skin contact with a warm blanket around it. You could include this in your
birth plan.
Image 9-09 shows the baby being held by the mother with skin to skin contact and covered with a warm blanket.
If the woman has had a general anaesthetic (meaning she is asleep for the operation) the baby will usually be taken out of the operating theatre (after being checked, wrapped and labelled), to show the waiting partner and / or support person.
If the baby is unwell at birth, the cord will be cut and clamped immediately after the birth and the baby will be passed straight over to the 'scrubbed' midwife. The midwife will take the baby directly to the resuscitation table for the Paediatrician to attend to.
The
resuscitation table is located usually to one side of the operating theatre, however it can feel like your baby is miles away. As the partner, you may wish to go over and be with the baby (ask a staff member to escort you as you do not want to trip over equipment or contaminate the sterile operating area). Once the baby is stabilised, the midwife will wrap them warmly and then pass him or her to you so you can hold them.
Image 7-08 shows a typical resuscitation table.
If the baby remains unwell, the Paediatrician will organise for the baby to be transported to the intensive care nursery, usually in an incubator. The partner or support person may be able to go with them to the nursery.