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
New born baby boy with mother and maternity support worker on maternity unit St Thomas

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.

Contact us

Phone: 020 7188 2300

Our call centre is open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

You can also use the phone and email contact details given to you by your midwifery team.

Infant feeding team (postnatal ward): [email protected]

Breastfeeding support in Lambeth and Southwark: [email protected]

Address: St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH

Community midwifery clinics

We have community midwifery clinics throughout south east London. For full list of locations, see our community midwives page.

Do you have any comments or concerns about your care?

Contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

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