The first hour after birth is often referred to as the magic or golden hour. These terms were given to the first few hours because of the many benefits for mom and baby that occur during this time. If mom and baby are both healthy enough, this time is ideally spent with baby skin to skin with mom.
This time allows for natural bonding to occur and helps with mom’s natural hormone production. Your baby’s first few hours after entering the world are important and spending this time bonding has shown remarkable benefits. A few of the benefits for mom and baby when baby spends this time skin to skin are:
Assisting in mom’s natural production of oxytocin
- Oxytocin is referred to as the “love hormone” and it contributes to natural maternal instinct and bonding
- Oxytocin helps encourage early breast feeding and milk production
- Oxytocin also helps with uterine contraction after delivery which helps to control postpartum bleeding
Promotes relaxation
- As the mom spends this time focused on bonding with baby, it helps in managing any pain she may be experiencing after delivery
- Baby is comforted and this relaxation assists in regulating their breathing
Helps with baby’s temperature regulation
- During the first hours after birth babies can have difficulty regulating their temperature
- When babies become cold it can cause them to use more of their energy and oxygen and trying to stay warm can cause their blood sugar to drop
- Skin to skin contact helps baby stay warm as maternal temperature adjusts to meet baby’s needs and baby’s temperature regulates to mom
Promotes early breast feeding
- When baby is left skin to skin during this time, it facilitates the natural instinct to root and latch to the breast
- Early initiation of breast feeding also contributes to long term breastfeeding success
Promotes bonding
- At birth, babies see most clearly the distance between mom’s chest and face
- Early bonding and breastfeeding success have been shown to improve confidence for moms and lower risk of postpartum depression
- Babies feel secure and comforted when skin to skin and tend to cry less decreasing both maternal and infant stress
- Mothers learn early newborn cues and how to meet their needs
Boosts baby’s immune system
- Promotes quiet sleep which is important for brain development and immune response
- Reduces newborn stress and producing less stress hormones improves digestion and absorption of nutrients
- Provides additional opportunity for exchange of bacteria from mother to infant through contact with mother’s skin and this bacteria is used to begin microbial colonization which is important for immune system development
Here are a few ways you can help optimize this important time
- Ask your delivery team to place baby skin to skin after birth if you and baby are healthy
- Request that interventions such as weighing baby, medications, and assessments be postponed until after you have had at least one-hour skin to skin with baby and have completed your first feeding
- Ask that those necessary tasks in caring for baby during the first hour be performed while baby remains skin to skin whenever possible
- Limit visitors during this time to just you and your partner or those closest to you and part of your birth team
- Wait until after this time to allow family and friends to hold infant
- Dress baby only in a diaper and hat and allow the rest of baby’s skin to be in contact with mom’s skin and then cover mom and baby together in warm blankets
- Request to hold infant skin to skin during painful infant procedures, such as immunizations or heel sticks, whenever possible
- Make skin to skin contact a part of your birth plan and talk to your birth team, family, friends, and staff about your plan and why it is important to you
- Talk to your birth facility about options for skin to skin contact in the operating room in the event of the need for a cesarean delivery
- If your infant is born early or requires transfer to a newborn nursery or intensive care unit, discuss with baby’s care team your desire to begin kangaroo (skin to skin) care as soon as safely possible
- Discuss with your birth team prior to delivery the option for baby to be skin to skin with your partner in the event that mom’s health or condition prevents her ability to perform skin to skin
There are circumstances when mom or baby are unable to safely experience immediate skin to skin contact. In some cases, infants are born prematurely, require some assistance with breathing or transitioning after birth, or need close observation or monitoring which may delay or prevent skin to skin contact. Sometimes mom’s health or condition after delivery may cause her to be unable to hold infant skin to skin.
If this is your experience, do not feel you have completely missed out on your opportunity to bond or achieve these benefits. As you and/or your baby are healthy enough for skin to skin contact, spending time each day holding your infant skin to skin with you and your partner will provide you and your baby with these benefits as well.
