Skin to Skin After Birth: The Benefits and How to Make It Happen
Can you even imagine now that there was once a time when it was considered bad to let a new mother see her baby, until that baby was washed clean and fully dressed? That it was believed that the mother would be horrified to see her baby messy and newly born?
The baby would have been bathed by midwives, dressed and then returned to the waiting mother. A new person. In clothes.
The birth eradicated … and as this was during the time of ‘dream sleep’ (highly drugged, mostly unconscious mums), then this would be the first meeting. The birth part perhaps just ignored. The messy bit. Unladylike. Uncouth. Not right.
How little we saw ourselves as mammals. Our animal self, smell, taste, protection, love, fear...trampled down. Row upon row of babies, lined up in the hospital nursery. All alone.
Fortunately we have come a long, long way from those days. We know about human bonding. Maternal happiness and mental health. And we know about the importance of that first human step.
Skin to skin contact.
This is where your naked baby, just after she is born, is placed onto your chest...or brought to your own chest by you. The benefits to this are:
Regulating your baby’s temperature.
Stabilising your baby’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and sugar levels.
Seeding your baby’s microbiome.
Reducing your risk of post-birth haemorrhage.
Increasing your success rates for breastfeeding, as your baby is more likely to latch.
Bonding.
Skin to skin offers a slow, comfortable introduction to each other. So avoid trying to force your baby to the breast but let your baby explore in their own time. Notice how they start to wake up, how they respond to your voice. How they nuzzle and move their head. While you can soak up all of your baby’s smells and sounds. No hat required, just deeply breathe in their wonderful, sweet smell.
Checks, measurements and weights that require mum and baby to be separated can wait. Ensure that you have put this onto your birth plan.
This time, this golden hour, is precious for both of you. It should be protected so let your birth partner or doula know. This first hour is just for skin to skin and meeting each other in this world for the first time.