If everything has gone smoothly, your baby will be lifted up onto your chest or abdomen for skin-to-skin contact and you'll both be covered with a warm blanket.
The way your baby is cared for and nurtured immediately after birth significantly impacts their transition from your uterus to life outside.
In a culture that commonly separates mothers and babies for routine procedures such as cleaning, weighing and measuring (thankfully not in New Zealand), some babies are missing that critical time of being skin to skin with their mothers, which has short and long-term consequences for all.
These procedures are not necessary to maintain or enhance the wellbeing of either mother or baby, and usually are delayed beyond the first hour or even longer if possible.
The first hour should be focused on your baby's first feed and mother-baby and family bonding. Unless mother or baby is in need of medical assistance, hospital guidelines and protocols should support this time of new beginnings for both vaginal and caesarean births.
What is an undisturbed first hour?
When your baby is born, they will be immediately placed tummy down on your stomach. A warm blanket should be placed over both of you to keep you warm. This slows the production of adrenaline hormone so as to not interfere with oxytocin and prolactin hormones being produced (essential for bonding and breastfeeding).
At this time, both your needs are simple — warmth and a quiet, calm environment. It is important to remember that you are still in labour – your placenta is still to be birthed.
Baby-led initiation of breastfeeding
It is quite common these days for LMCs to encourage you and your baby to begin breastfeeding within the first hour. In addition to the importance of early feeding for your attachment and bonding, it also helps to expel your placenta more quickly and easily, reducing the risk of postpartum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding after birth).
When babies who have not been exposed to medications are placed skin to skin with their mothers and left undisturbed they will instinctually crawl to their mother's breast and attach themselves to the nipple.
This is now known as the 'breast crawl' and was first observed by Swedish researchers in the 1980s. Further observation discovered that all babies are born with innate instincts that assist them in finding their mother's nipple, like all newborn mammals.
Body system regulation
Babies who are left skin to skin with their mothers for the first hours immediately after birth are better able to regulate their temperature and respiration.
Newborns aren't able to adjust their body temperature very well, skin-to-skin contact helps your baby regulate this. If your baby feels cold to the touch, your body heats up and if your baby feels hot, your body naturally cools down - nature's magic!
They have spent nine months in an environment that is perfectly temperature-controlled. If babies lose too much heat, they have to use more energy and oxygen than they can spare to try and keep their temperature stable
An undisturbed first hour with skin to skin also reduces the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). Newborn babies can produce glucose from their body stores of energy until they are breastfeeding well and are more likely to do so when they remain skin to skin with their mothers.
Delayed cord clamping
Leaving the umbilical cord intact while it is still pulsating allows your baby to receive oxygen via the placenta, while adjusting to breathing through their lungs. Being skin to skin with you helps your baby to stabilise respiration, gives them more chance to receive vital red blood cells, which reduces the risk of iron deficiency anaemia.
Just for a moment, imagine if we cut off a third of your oxygen and blood supply, you'd be struggling to breathe, tired and lethargic!
Even if you have a C-section, delayed cord clamping is possible, but not in all cases. Speak to your obstetrician to see if they support delayed clamping during straightforward C-sections.
Promotes mother-baby attachment and bonding
Prolonged skin to skin after birth allows you all to get to know each other. Mothers who have skin-to-skin contact after birth are more likely to feel confident and comfortable in meeting their babies' needs than those who had none.
Attachment is critical to newborn survival and mothers are hard wired to look after their young. Oxytocin receptors in a person's brain increase during pregnancy, so when your baby is born, you are more responsive to this hormone that promotes maternal behaviour.
Mums and dads who had early skin to skin with their babies are more likely to demonstrate bonding behaviours later in their child's life, such as kissing, holding, positive speaking and so on. Helps improve breastfeeding success rates
Breastfeeding initiation and duration are likely to be more successful with babies who have early skin to skin contact. Babies who are left to self-attach usually have a better chance of proper tongue positioning when latching. This can increase long-term breastfeeding as mothers experience more ease and fewer problems when latching is not an issue.
Protects against the effects of separation
Your baby is born ready to interact with you – a newborn baby who has not been exposed to excessive medication will be very alert and gaze intently at faces, they can recognise your smell, the sound of both your voices and the touch of your skin.
Like all mammals, babies are born with a primal instinct to stay within the safe habitat of their mother, where there is warmth, safety and nourishment. Remaining with their mother is key to a baby's survival and separation is life threatening.
Let's boost your baby's immunity naturally
When your baby emerges from a near-sterile environment in your uterus, they are 'seeded' by your bacteria. This essentially trains your baby's cells to understand what is 'good' and 'bad' bacteria. This kick-starts their immune system to fight off infections and protects from disease in the future.
Research indicates that if babies aren't given this opportunity to be exposed to their mother's bacteria, either because they are not born vaginally, held skin to skin or breastfed, then the baby's immune system may not reach its full potential and can increase the child's risk of disease in the future.
Tips For Planning An Undisturbed Hour After Birth
Making it possible for you to make informed choices about this critical period
● Spend some time choosing your LMC and birthing team and also where you are going to labour and birth - this may have a huge impact on your birthing journey.
● Have a chat with your LMC, partner and anyone else that may be there about an undisturbed first hour and leave all routine baby checks until you are ready.
● Create an optimal environment for your labour and birth (warm, dim lighting, quiet, private, supported). This boosts the right hormones that you will need.
● Ensure your LMC, partner and other support people understand the importance of leaving the umbilical cord intact until it has stopped pulsating.
● To promote the production of oxytocin and prolactin, make sure your environment after birth remains warm and calm, and relatively dim.
● Don't be in a rush to dress your baby either, they have no idea what clothes are and they only stop the skin-to-skin contact.
● Keep the labour room to yourself after your baby is born! This first hour or so is essential for your baby adjusting and the success of your breastfeeding experience.
● Ask your LMC to 'be the bad guy' — they will be happy to tell family and friends that you're having a shower, etc, and that someone will inform them when you're ready — like an hour or so later.
● After the first hour, let your partner hold, kiss, talk, smell your baby too, this time will help them bond and set up attachments that will remain throughout life.
The birth of a newborn is a miraculous event. It's just so astounding that we go from a liquid life, receiving oxygen from you, via the placenta, to breathing air within seconds. Have you ever sat down and pondered that fact? Take a second and mull that over.
Your experience is up to you, so let your labour and delivery team know that you want to do these things after birth, and then watch the miracle unfold before your eyes.
■ For information about antenatal classes near you, check out From Bellies to Babies www.hbantenatal-classes.co.nz or phone 022 637 0624.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians.
