There’s a sacred window of time just after birth that can have lifelong benefits for both mother and baby. It’s often referred to as “The Golden Hour,” the uninterrupted first hour (or more) following delivery when your baby is placed skin-to-skin on your chest. As a midwife and a mother, I’ve seen the magic of this hour firsthand. It’s not just emotional. It’s biological, hormonal, and deeply healing. Let’s talk about why it matters so much and how you can protect and prepare for this powerful ritual.
What Is the Golden Hour?
The Golden Hour refers to the first hour after birth when your baby is placed directly on your chest, skin to skin. It’s a quiet, unhurried time meant for bonding, breastfeeding initiation, and regulating your baby’s vital signs. Hospitals and birth centers increasingly recognize the value of this time, but it can still be interrupted by routine procedures, visitors, or unnecessary stimulation. That’s why planning ahead can help you protect this moment.
The Science Behind the Golden Hour
Stabilization of Baby’s Vital Signs
Skin-to-skin contact helps regulate your baby’s heart rate, breathing, and temperature. One study found that infants held skin-to-skin were significantly more stable than those placed in warmers immediately after birth (Moore et al., 2016).
Brain Development and Bonding
Close contact triggers the release of oxytocin, the “love hormone,” in both mom and baby. This not only strengthens your bond, but lays the foundation for baby’s neurological development.
Improved Breastfeeding Outcomes
Babies placed skin-to-skin are more likely to latch on and breastfeed successfully within the first hour. The WHO and UNICEF both recommend initiating breastfeeding during this time to support long-term success and milk production.
How to Prepare for the Golden Hour
Include It in Your Birth Plan
Make sure your provider and support team know that you’d like uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth (barring emergencies). Ask that procedures like weighing, bathing, or medications be delayed.
Create a Calming Environment
Dim the lights, lower the noise, and focus on making the space feel peaceful and safe. Simple, natural elements can help support a calm transition for you and your baby.
Support Your Recovery Gently
After birth, your body begins the healing process. The first few hours are an ideal time to rest, connect, and listen to your body’s needs.
Making Space for the Sacred
The Golden Hour is more than a trend or checklist item. It’s a chance to fully arrive into motherhood and welcome your baby with softness, warmth, and peace. Whether you’re birthing at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital, this time is yours to claim. You don’t need a perfect room or elaborate setup. Just a quiet space, bare skin, and a moment to simply be.
You Deserve This Moment
There will be plenty of time for photos, weighing, and swaddling. But those first few moments only happen once. Slow down, hold your baby close, and soak in the start of something extraordinary.
Use this script as a guide to advocate for The Golden Hour with your provider or to serve as a gentle reminder to your nursing staff:
“Hi, I just wanted to let you know that it’s really important to us to have uninterrupted skin-to-skin time right after birth. As long as baby and I are stable, we’d like to delay any non-urgent procedures like weighing, bathing, or medications until after that first hour together. We’re hoping to use that time to bond, start breastfeeding, and help our baby transition gently. Thank you so much for supporting that plan.”
Looking for gentle, natural tools to support your postpartum journey?
Explore my curated postpartum collection at www.carehaandco.com, including Relaxing Bath Salts, Lavender Essential Oil, and Mama & Baby Salve, made with care to support your body and baby through this sacred beginning.
Cheers,
Carley
References:
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Moore, E. R., Bergman, N., Anderson, G. C., & Medley, N. (2016)
Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. -
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative -
UNICEF – Early Moments Matter for Every Child
UNICEF Breastfeeding and Early Bonding