The golden hour

What is it?

That moment your baby is born and placed skin to skin on your chest.

You can request for checks to your baby to be delayed, or done while your baby is on you.

Why is it so important?

Stimulates oxytocin, turbo charging the bonding process

Gives you the ‘want & need’ to protect and nurture your baby

Oxytocin not only helps with bonding, but stimulates uterine contractions to help birth the placenta

Triggers your milk ducts, and stimulates the relationship between oxytocin & prolactin so you can breastfeed

Warmth of your body starts to regulate baby’s body temp and reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone)

Starts to colonise with your friendly bacteria (as well as breastmilk), so you begin to protect your baby from unsavoury bugs and germs

Someone else can do skin to skin with baby if the birther is unable to do it

‘Kangaroo care’ is given to many premature babies and improves their health