Y
ou’ve probably already heard
about the importance of
maternal-infant bonding after
birth, but perhaps you haven’t
heard how quickly that bonding can
begin. Known as “the golden hour”,
experts now believe that what you, and
others around you, do in the first hour of
your baby’s life can have a major impact
on that bond.
During and immediately after
birth, chemical changes will take place
in your brain which will increase your
desire to nurture. Skin-to-skin contact
with your baby and letting him suckle
at your breast will release these natural
mothering hormones, whilst this physical
closeness will help your baby adapt to
his new world after nine months in your
womb hearing just your voice, heartbeat
and breathing. Dad can be involved
too, by gently placing his hands on the
baby, talking quietly, making eye contact
and holding the baby after the first
breastfeed.
Breastfeeding within the first hour
after birth offers many benefits to both
you and your baby. It will help your uterus
to contract, shrink and stop bleeding.
It has also been shown to improve
infant survival rates, particularly in cases
of traumatic or premature births, by
stabilising a baby’s heart rhythm, body
temperature and breathing.
Then there is the bacteriological
argument for immediate skin-to-skin
contact. When your baby is born, he is
germ-free; however, an hour later he
will be covered in millions of germs. Your
germs are already familiar because you
share the same antibodies, so the safest
place for your baby to be is with you. Add
to this the consumption of your colostrum,
which contains protective white cells to
destroy disease-causing bacteria and
helps to establish healthy gut flora, and I
think it’s clear that the hour following birth
can have lifelong benefits.
Hospital help
The latest research now calls into
question the procedures followed by
hospitals during the golden hour. Many
hospitals still focus first on the medical
aspects of a newborn’s health, with
nature and nurture coming second.
The newborn is often examined, given
vaccinations and cleaned up before
being handed over to the parents. But
the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) has created a new policy for
how newborns should be cared for in
the first hour after birth, and is working
with world-wide movement The Baby
Friendly Hospital Initiative (created by
the World Health Organization) to help to
implement these changes.
Their guidelines state that a healthy
baby should be placed immediately
onto the mother’s abdomen or chest
and remain in skin-to-skin contact until
after the first feed. The AAP believes that
Bonding in that first hour after birth can bring
long-term benefits, says
Liz Purnell-Webb.
The
golden
hour
medical staff should carry out the initial
physical assessment while the baby
remains on the mother’s chest, and that
weighing, measuring, bathing and any
injections or blood tests should wait until
after the first feed.
Not all births go to plan, however,
and some babies will need medical
help immediately after birth. As soon
as they are stable, skin-to-skin contact
should be encouraged to help the
baby thrive. And if you have a planned
or emergency C-section, there are
still ways for you to have skin-to-skin
contact. Ask the midwife or nurse
to bring your baby over and lay him
on your chest while the obstetrician
stitches you up. Your partner can sit
with you and put his hands on the
baby, too.
If you want to make the most of the
benefits of the golden hour, my advice
is to find out what your hospital’s routine
procedures are for the hour after birth.
If possible, make sure your obstetrician
knows about your preferences in
advance, and include them in your
birth plan.
Liz Purnell-Webb runs A Mother’s Touch
pregnancy and childbirth specialists.
Liz is a qualified childbirth educator,
birth coach/doula and placenta
encapsulation specialist. Learn more at
.
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