The Golden Hour is the very first hour following the delivery of a baby. It is a bit magical, since this is your baby’s first impression outside the womb. Many studies have looked into the importance of using The Golden Hour for skin to skin time with the mother. It is known that it impacts you and your baby forever. What are the benefits of doing skin to skin in that first hour? How do different settings affect The Golden Hour? How can you effectively protect that golden hour?
The benefits are extensive and the ramifications not even fully known. Firstly it will impact bonding in a major way. Your baby smelling you, being skin to skin, you smelling your baby and your baby then can become bonded to you without ever even knowing what you look like. You also will become bonded further by smelling that bare newborn head. Hearing the cry and feeling the baby on your skin releases the hormone oxytocin which is known as the bonding hormone. This hormone was responsible for your whole labor, and plays a huge part in your breastfeeding and healing journey. Once the hormone is released the uterus can start cramping again and let go of your placenta to be delivered. Your baby is COMPLETELY regulated on you. Being skin to skin your baby’s blood sugars balance, their temperature is regulated (they’re unable to thermoregulate for the first 72 hours on their own) Your baby’s chance of being able to successfully breastfeed skyrocket when that first hour they’re left alone skin to skin on mom to discover breastfeeding (and maybe even to do the breast crawl!). The nipple smells familiar to them, like the amniotic fluid they just came out of, and so will propel themselves to head towards it and begin feeding within the first hour. “Breastfeeding is great. Current research shows 13 weeks of breastfeeding protects against gastroenteritis for approximately seven years. Four months of breastfeeding protects against ear infections for three years. Fifteen weeks of breastfeeding protects against respiratory infections for seven years, and six months of breastfeeding can protect against Hodgkin’s disease,” – Choal, Sanford Health
So how does your setting affect how the golden hour happens?
98% of mom’s give birth in the hospital, so let’s address what is normal there first. Not all hospitals are created the same. Different hospital, different policy. This is also true with the providers and the nurses. Most of the time, baby’s are immediately put on mom’s skin put a hat and warm blanket on the baby – they say something like “Say hi to your baby” then 2 minutes later someone comes and takes the newborns temperature and finds it a little lower than what they want to see. “We are just taking your baby to the warmer for a moment” they say. Only to continually keep the baby there due to low blood sugar, that they now are introducing formula for. Then your breastmilk doesn’t regulate or come in soon enough, and the baby gets stuck formula feeding then possibly dealing with lifelong issues. This is known as the cascade of interventions.
At home with a midwife, like Glory Birth based out of Kansas City, or at a good birth center, they know that the mom is the best NICU the baby could have. They make sure that early latch is established and skin to skin is kept as long as the baby is safe. It is important to a good midwife that the family is bonding in this time, and it’s to remain undisturbed, “No hatting, no patting, no chatting” as quoted from the wonderful Carla Hartley.
So, how can you insure that the golden hour be honored?
1. Talk with your care provider about minimizing all interventions, and letting labor begin naturally.
2. Go over protocol for skin to skin if you were to need an emergent cesarean. They can let you have the baby on your chest as you’re getting repaired if you request it.
3. Avoid medications if possible. The use of medications impairs your hormone’s flow and can disrupt bonding.
4. Have a home birth.
Tips for maximizing this Golden Hour:
1. Ask for low lights, a warm room, and quiet after you give birth to enhance the bonding.
2. Call your baby by name and speak love over him/her.
3. Smell your baby.
4. Let the baby initiate breastfeeding.
Allow yourself to slow down after the intensity of birth and cherish this time, the first hour of bonding is irreplaceable. You’re doing great mama, you’ve got this. If you have any questions regarding home birth or would like to learn more about the “Golden Hour” reach out to glorybirth.com. They are one of the leaders in midwifery and in informed care for home birth.