As pregnancy draws to a close, you may be thinking more and more about the first few moments you’ll spend with your baby. This hour after giving birth is often called the “Golden Hour.” You have your first chance to meet and see one another! Wondering what to consider? We’ve got you covered.
Skin-to-Skin
One of the sweetest moments after giving birth is having your baby placed directly on your chest. You may even pull your baby out on your own! This practice, also known as kangaroo care, is when your naked baby is placed on your bare chest (no blankets, gowns or bras between you). Ideally, they are placed between your breasts, but sometimes, if your baby’s umbilical cord is too short, they may be on your belly for a few minutes. After a cesarean, there may be a brief delay as Baby is settled in with you. Skin-to-skin is possible after vaginal or cesarean births, so ask what’s standard (and what’s possible) at your planned birth location!
After birth, skin-to-skin time has some serious benefits as the Baby transitions to life on the outside.
- Better temperature regulation
- More stable blood sugar
- Improved respiratory effort
- Direct transition to breastfeeding
Skin-to-skin contact also promotes the release of oxytocin in both parent and baby. This love and bonding hormone and the physical touch of holding your baby help decrease pain and increase calm. Newborns are most alert during the golden hour, making it the ideal time for bonding and breastfeeding.
All routine newborn drying and care can be done while Baby is skin-to-skin with you. It shouldn’t be interrupted, even for a quick weight or other check. If your baby needs advanced support or resuscitation, they’ll typically be moved to a baby warmer once this need is identified. Skin-to-skin can be done anytime once you both are stable. Although the “Golden Hour” technically refers to the first hour after Baby is born, you can have skin-to-skin any time. Its benefits don’t go away just because you’re past a certain moment. Research suggests long-term bonding benefits and decreased symptoms of depression from skin to skin in the newborn period, even after the golden hour.
Delayed Cord Clamping
After your baby is born, they are still attached to their umbilical cord and you! For many parents, cutting the cord is an exciting right of passage. However, it takes a few minutes for the umbilical cord to stop doing its important work. During these first moments, it’s helpful for most babies to remain attached as they continue to receive valuable blood and stem cells. Experts don’t agree on an optimal time frame. Some say 60 seconds at minimum, while others recommend anywhere from 3-6 minutes. The benefits include:
- Increased hemoglobin levels
- Increases iron levels over the first months of life (which may positively impact development)
- For preterm babies, there are additional benefits: decreased risk of intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and the need for blood transfusions.
Although delayed cord clamping has benefits, remaining attached to the cord and placenta for hours or days does not provide any known benefits and increases the risk of serious infection. If you’re interested in any specific care during the golden hour, add it to your birth plan and discuss it with your OB provider. These practices are standard in many hospitals and birth centers, and it’s almost always possible to follow your wishes if not.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
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Sources
- Committee Opinion Number 814 (Replaces Committee Opinion 684, January 2017. Reaffirmed 2023): Delayed Cord Clamping After Birth, ACOG, Vol. 136 No. 6 Dec. 2020
- Ola Andersson, Judith S. Mercer, Cord Management of the Term Newborn, Clinics in Perinatology, Vol 48, Issue 3, 2021, Pages 447-470, ISSN 0095-5108, ISBN 9780323896887,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clp.2021.05.002.
- Moore ER, Bergman N, Anderson GC, Medley N. Early skin‐to‐skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 11. Art. No.: CD003519. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003519.pub4. Accessed 18 June 2024.
- Front. Psychol., Mother-Infant Skin-to-Skin Contact: Short‐ and Long-Term Effects for Mothers and Their Children Born Full-Term, 27 August 2020Sec. Psychology for Clinical SettingsVolume 11 – 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01921
