Many of us have heard of Apgar scores. Can you say something about that?
ADRIANNE MOORE, MD: The Apgar score is a traditional means of scoring the well-being of the infant at the time of birth. It has no implications for how well the baby will do thereafter. After a normal labor and delivery, how long does a pregnant woman stay in the hospital? STEVEN HOCKSTEIN, MD: For a vaginal delivery, people typically stay in the hospital for two days. So if a woman delivers on Monday, Tuesday is considered Day 1. Wednesday — she will go home. For Caesarian section, women typically stay in the hospital four days if their recovery is uncomplicated. What happens, Dr. Moore, with a mother and her baby within those two days in the hospital? ADRIANNE MOORE, MD: In many hospitals, the mother and the baby are allowed to stay in the same room, and the mother learns to care for the baby, especially if she’s a new mother, and learns to bathe the baby and breastfeed. It’s enormously helpful to a new mother to be afforded this adjustment time.
