The First Hours: Cord Clamping, Vitamin K, Eye Drops, Hep B
A short class from the Gaux library — credentialed teaching, ten minutes you can use tonight.
What this class is
Cord clamping timing, vitamin K injection, erythromycin eye ointment, and the hepatitis B vaccine are all standard practices in the first hours after birth, and they are also among the most-asked-about items in a birth plan. This class walks through each one — what it is for, what the evidence says, and what your real choices look like.
Gaux built this because the questions deserve more than a yes-no checkbox. The class explains the underlying clinical reasoning so you can have a real conversation with your provider rather than a defensive one.
It is taught by a credentialed Gaux professional who works through these decisions with families routinely. The goal is informed consent, not a single answer.
What you get
- A focused mini-class on one piece of the pregnancy arc.
- Practical guidance you can act on between appointments.
- Watch on your own time; the rest of the library opens with membership.
What you’ll learn
- What delayed cord clamping is, what the timing window is, and what the evidence shows for both term and preterm infants.
- What vitamin K is given for, why it is given by injection rather than orally in most US hospitals, and what the oral protocol looks like where it is offered.
- What erythromycin eye ointment is for, where the practice came from, and whether it can be deferred or declined.
- What the hepatitis B vaccine at birth protects against, why the timing matters, and what your options are.
- How to have these conversations with your provider before delivery so they are not happening in the moment.
- How to write these preferences into a birth plan in a way that staff actually use.
- What questions are worth asking your pediatrician about each intervention if you want a second perspective.
Who it’s for
Anyone in the late second or third trimester finalizing a birth plan, or anyone reviewing recent care decisions and trying to understand the reasoning.
Inside this chapter
Other lessons in Bonus content — included with membership.
- 01Doulas: What They Do
- 02Pain Management Options
- 03VBAC: Who's a Candidate, What's the Math
- 04Choosing a Pediatrician
- 05The First Hours: Cord Clamping, Vitamin K, Eye Drops, Hep B · you’re here
- 06Working Through Pregnancy and Maternity Leave
- 07Pregnancy Supplements
- 08The Glucose Tolerance Test
Common questions
Is delayed cord clamping standard now?
It is widely supported by major obstetric and pediatric bodies, with specific timing windows. The class covers the details.
Why is vitamin K given as a shot and not oral?
The injection has the strongest evidence base in the US. Oral protocols exist in some countries and are covered in the class.
Can I skip the eye ointment?
Refusal policies vary by state and hospital. The class covers what the practice protects against and how the decision tends to be framed.
Does the hep B vaccine have to be at birth?
There is a reason for the birth-dose schedule, which the class explains. Whether it has to be at birth is a conversation worth having with your pediatrician in advance.