What is the Golden Hour after Birth?
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The golden hour is the first hour or two after the baby is born that is essential for bonding between mom and baby. This time is important because labor is stressful for both mom and baby. Having an hour or more immediately after birth that is undisturbed allows for a calm environment for mom and baby to bond.
What happens during the golden hour after birth?
After the baby is born the baby should be placed on the mother’s chest. This allows for skin to skin time. Placing the baby on moms chest begins the golden hour and they should have uninterrupted time together.
Being on the moms chest is very calming to baby. They just spent nine months comfy cozy in the womb. They heard mom’s heartbeat all of the time, so being on the mom’s chest allows for baby to again hear moms heartbeat. This is very soothing for baby which is especially important as baby is adjusting to life outside the womb.
While laying on mom, the baby may begin to start rooting. Rooting is when the baby will start moving around looking for the nipple so they can breastfeed. This is an instinctive act that happens when they smell the nipple. Newborn babies have been known to “crawl” up the mother’s abdomen in order to get to the breast.
The benefits of the golden hour
There are many benefits to the golden hour. These benefits include:
Skin to skin time
Being skin to skin with a baby provides so many benefits to the baby. Regulating body functions like body temperature, breathing, stress levels and more. Being skin to skin is also associated with better breastfeeding outcomes. This is because babies are able to smell their mom’s skin and they are being comforted by mom. Skin to skin also helps the baby’s immune system.
Delayed cord clamping
The golden hour helps create an environment that allows for delayed cord clamping. Delayed cord clamping is beneficial because it allows all the blood from the placenta to enter the baby’s body. Delaying cord clamping can increase the baby’s blood volume by up to a third.
Promotes bonding
Having an hour or more of uninterrupted time with your baby allows for great bonding. Being skin to skin with baby immediately after birth makes your oxytocin (feel good hormone) levels increase. Great for bonding! The golden hour not only promotes bonding but also helps stabilize baby right out of the womb.
Benefits for mom
-helps produce hormones for breastfeeding
-reduces stress, anxiety and depression
-with the release of the oxytocin, the uterus starts to contract which decreases blood loss
How to implement the golden hour after birth?
It’s important to think about how you want to implement the golden hour ahead of time. Here are things to think about:
Create a Birth plan
It’s important to consider creating a birth plan and make sure that the golden hour is included. After you create a birth plan make sure you discuss your birth wishes with your midwife or doctor prior to giving birth. Let them know the kind of birth you want and that you want your wishes respected. The golden hour is starting to become standard of care in most hospitals but you will also want to make sure that if you are giving birth in the hospital that you also tell the labor and delivery staff when you arrive so they know this is a priority for you.
Thinking about giving birth at home? Read about reasons for home birth with this blog post called Why have a Home Birth?
Advocate for yourself and baby
If the baby appears to be immediately stable upon birth then you can ask that all routine cleaning and testing be done from your chest. You should also consider getting a doula as they are trained to help support you through birth and advocate for you. You are going to be tired and you shouldn’t have to fight to get the golden hour. Hiring a doula can help. Read more about the benefits of doula by reading the post What’s the Difference between a Midwife and a Doula?
You can ask for the room to be set up in a calming way during the golden hour. With the lights low and the room quiet. No visitors or family to come at this time. And if you’re wanting any of the newborn procedures (vax or eye goop) you can ask that they be done after you get time with your baby.
If baby is stable then medical procedures can wait.
Final thoughts
The golden hour has been shown to benefit both mom and baby in so many ways. This is a sacred time and should be treated as such. A mother’s brain has been shown to change once their baby is born to be more nurturing. Snuggling up on your newborn baby is thus instinctive and natural to do. So enjoy your time with your new baby❤️
More on Natural and Empowered Birth
I created Natural and Empowered Birth because I want to help women have a positive birth experience.
I’ve always been fascinated by birth and love hearing other mama’s birth stories. Learning about how women can have a beautiful and empowering birth set me on a path to have one myself and now I want to help women have a great birthing experience too.
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Wow so many great benefits for the golden hour!
Thank you for the kind comment!