New Chapter 6
Have you heard of skin to skin-to-skin contact? Skin-to-Skin contact is the practice of placing babies directly on mom's chest immediately after birth, baby is no longer taken to the warmer to be assessed, all immediate assessments can be done on moms chest. According to the World Health Organization, immediate skin-to-skin contact is the best option for all healthy moms and babies because it significantly increases breastfeeding success rates, helps regulate baby's body temperature, and helps regulate babies' breathing and heart rate.
The recommendation is to keep baby skin-to-skin for at least an hour after birth. We call this time "the golden hour" and it is a special moment for you and your family. Unless mom or baby needs immediate medical care all newborn assessments can wait for at least 1 or 2 hours after birth. Place your baby between your breast and allow them to explore your chest; they will instinctively start to crawl toward the breast! We want baby to have 1 good feeding in the first hour after birth, however, it is not a rush! Your baby was just getting everything they needed from the placenta, they are born with the urge and instinct to latch, but they are not born starving, allow your baby time to orientate themselves on the breast and get familiar with their new world!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room sharing for the first 6 months of life, and this starts in the hospital. Rooming in with your baby allows you to respond to your baby's hunger cues and breastfeed on demand ensuring that breastfeeding is off to a good start.