We don’t look for lengthening of the cord, separation gush or any of the
usual observations. Our observations in the first hour after birth are,
“Is the mother bright-eyed?” “Does her face look beautiful and radiant?”
“Is she focused on her baby and enjoying this time with her child?” A
woman who is bleeding too heavily will look worried, have a lack of skin
sheen and may be asking someone else to hold her baby. These rare
occurrences indicate something is wrong and the mother needs immediate
attention either to stop bleeding or increase her blood sugars. There is
no need to pester the bright-eyed, radiant mother by fussing around with
pulse checks and BP readings. No routine Pitocin. With a stable mother,
there is no rush.

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