Overview
Maternity: after your baby is born
Overview
Now that your baby has arrived we want to help you build the relationship with your baby.
We'll support you after you've given birth, with feeding your baby and can guide you to further practical or emotional support if you need it.
Our maternity services are delivered by a dedicated team of:
- midwives
- obstetricians (doctors specialising in pregnancy and birth)
- sonographers (specialists in ultrasound scanning)
- specialist nursing staff
- maternity support workers
What happens after giving birth
Your baby will be given a vitamin K injection soon after the birth, with your permission.
Home from home birth centre
You'll usually stay in the same room and can normally go home with your baby after 6 to 12 hours.
Before you leave we'll do some health checks and support you with feeding.
We may move you to our postnatal ward if you need to stay in longer than 24 hours.
Hospital birth centre
You may be discharged directly from our hospital birth centre. However, you'll normally move to our postnatal ward after giving birth. You can usually go home after 6 hours.
If you had complications while giving birth, you'll move to the high dependency unit in the hospital birth centre. Once you and your baby are well enough, you’ll go to the postnatal ward.
Unless you or your baby have additional needs, you'll normally be ready to go home from the postnatal ward within 2 days. Our postnatal ward page tells you more about what to expect during your stay.
Special care
Finding out your baby is going to spend time in a neonatal unit can be a frightening time.
Our neonatal services at Evelina London is co-located with St Thomas' Hospital. It's one of the country's leading units in the care for newborn babies and provides care for:
- babies who need extra support but are not in intensive care on our special care baby unit (SCBU)
- very premature or babies who need surgery on our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Bliss charity has useful information about what to expect and where to get support.
Health information
The Unicef baby friendly initiative website has information about:
Our tongue tie clinic is part of Evelina London Children's Hospital.
The Lullaby Trust offers safer sleep advice.
Birth and beyond app offers 48 videos to support you and your new baby.
Our consultants
Our maternity page has a list of our consultants.
