The First 24-48 Hours After Birth: What to Expect for You and Your Baby

The moment you finally meet your baby is awe-inspiring, emotional, and sacred. After months of anticipation, labor, and birth, the first 24-48 hours postpartum are a time of transition, bonding, and healing.

Many new moms feel unprepared for what happens immediately after birth. While the focus is often on pregnancy and labor preparation, understanding what to expect in these early hours can help you feel confident and at peace as you navigate this new chapter.

In this post, we’ll walk through what happens in the first 24-48 hours after birth—for both you and your baby—so you can enter this season feeling prepared, informed, and supported.

The First Moments: What Happens Right After Birth?

Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or a C-section, the first hour postpartum (also called the “golden hour”) is a special time for bonding, recovery, and adjustment.

Here’s what typically happens:

💛 Immediate Skin-to-Skin Contact: Placing your baby directly on your chest helps regulate their temperature, breathing, and heart rate, while also promoting bonding and breastfeeding initiation.

💛 Delivering the Placenta: After your baby is born, your body will naturally release the placenta within 5-30 minutes. You may feel mild contractions as your uterus continues to contract and shrink.

💛 Breastfeeding & Oxytocin Release: Your baby may show signs of readiness to breastfeed within the first hour. Nursing triggers oxytocin, which helps contract your uterus and reduce postpartum bleeding.

What to Expect for Your Baby in the First 24-48 Hours

Your baby has just entered the world, and their tiny body is adjusting to life outside the womb. Here’s what to expect:

👶 Newborn Apgar Score: Right after birth, your provider will assess your baby’s breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color. This is called an Apgar score and helps determine how well your baby is transitioning.

👶 First Poop (Meconium): Expect your baby’s first bowel movement within the first 24 hours—it will be thick, black, and sticky as they clear out meconium.

👶 Initial Weight Loss: Babies typically lose about 5-10% of their birth weight in the first few days—this is normal! Colostrum (your first milk) is nutrient-dense and helps support them as your milk comes in.

👶 Newborn Sleep Patterns: Your baby will likely sleep a lot in the first 24 hours but may have one or two periods of alertness—usually right after birth and then later in the night.

👶 Increased Alertness at 24-48 Hours: Many babies have a more wakeful period around 24-36 hours and may want to cluster feed. This is completely normal and helps stimulate your milk supply.

💡 Want more newborn care & postpartum tips? Follow me on Instagram: @g2gjaimiejohnson

What to Expect for You in the First 24-48 Hours

Your body is recovering from birth, and you may experience several physical and emotional changes:

💖 Afterbirth Contractions: As your uterus shrinks back down, you may feel mild to strong cramps—especially while breastfeeding.

💖 Bleeding & Lochia: Postpartum bleeding (lochia) is heaviest in the first 24 hours, similar to a heavy period. This will gradually lighten over the next few weeks.

💖 Swelling & Perineal Discomfort: If you had a vaginal birth, you may feel swelling or soreness. Ice packs, sitz baths, and gentle postpartum movement can help ease discomfort.

💖 Hormonal Shifts & Emotions: Many moms feel a wave of emotions—from overwhelming love to exhaustion, and even weepiness. You can experience shakiness and nausea as well. This is due to the rapid hormonal changes after birth.

💡 Want to feel more prepared for postpartum once you get home? Read: How to Set Yourself Up for a Peaceful and Balanced Postpartum Season

Breastfeeding in the First 24-48 Hours

Breastfeeding is a learning process for both you and your baby, and the first couple of days help establish your milk supply and baby’s feeding rhythm. Here’s what to expect:

🤱 Colostrum: Your Baby’s First Milk – Colostrum is a thick, nutrient-rich milk that’s packed with antibodies to help protect your newborn. Your baby’s stomach is tiny at birth, so they only need small amounts at a time.

🤱 Frequent Feedings – Expect to nurse every 1-3 hours in the first 48 hours. This frequent nursing stimulates your milk production and helps your baby practice their latch.

🤱 Cluster Feeding – Around 24-48 hours after birth, many babies go through a period of increased feeding (cluster feeding). This can feel exhausting, but it’s normal and necessary to encourage your milk to come in.

🤱 Signs of a Good Latch – Your baby’s mouth should be wide open, with lips flanged out (like a fish). You should hear swallowing, not clicking sounds. If nursing is painful, ask for help adjusting the latch.

🤱 Milk Transition – Your milk usually starts to transition from colostrum to mature milk between days 3-5 days postpartum. Some can take a little longer than this.

💡 Looking for breastfeeding support? Go DM me on instagram @g2gjaimiejohnson & I’ll send you to my favorite IBCLCs!

Prepare for Birth & Postpartum with Confidence

The first 24-48 hours after birth are a time of adjustment, healing, and bonding—and the more prepared you are, the smoother this transition will feel.

That’s why I’ve designed my faith-based childbirth education course to guide you through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with Scripture, evidence-based education, and practical tools to help you feel fully supported—mind, body, and spirit.

💡 Want to be the first to join? Join the waitlist now!

Let’s step into postpartum anchored in faith, confidence, and peace.