Care for the baby after birth

Shortly after birth

  • Your baby is weighed and measured.
  • Care is given to the baby’s belly button.
  • The doctor checks the baby’s respiration, skin colour, muscle tension, heartbeat and reaction to stimuli.
  • The baby is dressed or wrapped in a blanket.
  • You or your partner can hold the baby. After a surgical delivery (caesarean section) the baby is given to your partner.
  • The midwife helps you breast-feed the baby for the first time about 1 hour after birth. If you had a caesarean section, the baby may feed several hours later.
  • You are washed and taken to your room together with your baby. You and your baby can stay in the hospital for several days and be cared for if you want to. In many hospitals, your partner can also stay there at night. Or you can choose to go home with the baby a few hours after delivery, if there are no medical problems.
Woman breast-feeding her baby.

The following weeks

  • A few days after birth, the doctor thoroughly examines your baby. The doctor checks its heart and lungs, body, spine, reflexes, hips and eyes.
  • For up to 5 days after birth, your baby may lose weight. This is normal.
  • In the first week the baby is tested for rare metabolic diseases. The doctor or nurse takes some blood.
  • After about 8 weeks, the baby will get several vaccines, for example against polio.

Zorg voor de baby na de geboorte

Kort na de geboorte

  • Uw baby wordt gewogen en gemeten.
  • De navel wordt verzorgd.
  • De dokter controleert de ademhaling, de kleur van de huid, de spierspanning, de hartslag en de reactie op prikkels. 
  • De baby wordt aangekleed of in een deken gewikkeld.
  • U of uw partner mag de baby vasthouden. Na een bevalling met operatie (keizersnede) wordt de baby aan de partner gegeven. 
  • De vroedvrouw helpt wanneer u voor de eerste keer borstvoeding aan uw baby geeft ongeveer 1 uur na de geboorte. Als u een keizersnede heeft gehad, kan het enkele uren later zijn.   
  • U wordt gewassen en samen met uw baby naar uw kamer gebracht. U en uw baby kunnen meerdere dagen in het ziekenhuis blijven, waar ze jullie verder zullen verzorgen. In veel ziekenhuizen kan uw partner ook ’s nachts bij jullie blijven. U kunt er ook voor kiezen om enkele uren na de bevalling met de baby naar huis te gaan, als er geen medische problemen zijn. 
Vrouw geeft haar baby borstvoeding.

In de volgende weken

  • Enkele dagen na de geboorte onderzoekt de dokter uw baby grondig. De dokter controleert het hart en de longen, het lichaam, de ruggenwervel, de reflexen, de heupen, de ogen...
  • Tot 5 dagen na de geboorte kan uw baby gewicht verliezen. Dit is normaal. 
  • In de eerste week wordt uw baby getest op zeldzame stofwisselingsziekten (metabole ziekten). De dokter of verpleger neemt wat bloed af. 
  • Na ongeveer 8 weken krijgt de baby enkele vaccins, bijvoorbeeld tegen polio.

More information or help needed?

Family doctor
You can talk to a family doctor about almost every intimate issue. If necessary the family doctor can refer you to a specialised health professional. Find a family doctor in your neighbourhood:
Community health centre (wijkgezondheidscentrum)
You can visit a family doctor in a community health centre. Other care professionals such as nurses and social workers also work at community health centres. Care is provided free of charge. Find a community health centre in your neighbourhood:
CAW - Centrum Algemeen Welzijn
Centre for general well-being - Help with all kinds of issues: a difficult relationship, medical, financial, administrative, legal or material problems, family problems,... CAWs also provide assistance to victims of violence and abuse. Find a CAW in your neighbourhood:
Aquarelle
Prenatal and postnatal care for women who migrated to Belgium
02 535 47 13
De Kraamtuin
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
078 05 52 00
Expertisecentrum Kraamzorg De Bakermat
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
016 20 77 40
Expertisecentrum Kraamzorg De Kraamvogel
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
03 238 11 00
Expertisecentrum Kraamzorg De Wieg
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
0473 45 14 38, 050 33 02 70
Expertisecentrum Kraamzorg Kraamkaravaan
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
09 333 57 60
Expertisecentrum Kraamzorg Volle maan
Information about a desire to have children, pregnancy, delivery, maternity care, breast-feeding and parenthood.
02 229 25 58, 0478 88 11 86
Kind en Gezin
Assistance to (prospective) parents with information, practical tips and medical follow-up until the child is 3 years of age. Services are for free.
078 150 100
Midwife
A midwife helps pregnant women before, during and after delivery. Find a midwife in your neighbourhood:
ONE
Free social and medical monitoring during pregnancy and monitoring of the child. ONE works throughout French-speaking Belgium. Contact the local ONE branch: