Congratulations mama, you did it! You brought your beautiful baby into the world. Now, as you catch your breath and marvel at your little miracle, it’s time to embrace a truly magical moment: the Golden Hour.
Today I’m going to tell you about this special time right after birth and why it’s so incredibly important for both you and your newborn.
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What is the Golden Hour?
Whenever I’m helping mamas get educated and prepped for their upcoming births, I make a point to put the golden hour on their radar. This is because an uninterrupted first hour of life is actually filled with evidence-based benefits for both mama and baby!
Fortunately, more and more labor and delivery units around the country are making the golden hour after birth standard care when safe. But knowing more about how beneficial it is can help you advocate for it in your birth plan and after baby’s delivery, in the event that it doesn’t just happen.
In short, the golden hour is the first 1 to 2 hours of baby’s life! More elaborately, it’s a very distinct and informative time frame because this is your baby’s first experience in the outside world. This time frame, deemed the golden hour, when spent skin-to-skin with mama, without interruption, can lead to many evidence-based benefits!
The golden hour happens before you even deliver your placenta. Following a vaginal delivery, baby is normally placed on mama’s lower stomach area. This is where baby is dried and stimulated by the medical team. Once the placenta is birthed, the cord is cut, and you and baby are both deemed stable, true ‘un-interruption’ can begin. Now that the cord is cut, we can put baby further up, usually on your chest.
What are the benefits of the Golden Hour?
Those first 60 minutes are packed with so many benefits for both mom and baby! Here are some of the benefits:
- Reduces stress levels in mama and baby (source)
- Regulates baby’s body functions: can help stabilize baby’s heart rate, blood sugar, temperature, and stress
- Better breastfeeding outcomes
- Promotes bonding
- Boosts baby’s immune system
Stages of the golden hour
This first hour of your baby’s life has been highly studied. It’s fascinating that most babies will demonstrate the same 9 distinct stages!
Each stage can vary in length, but you’ll see estimations in each description below:
- The birth cry: This is the first scream baby makes after being born, is important because it fills baby’s lungs with air!
- Relaxation: Next, baby is placed on mama’s stomach/chest, skin-to-skin. Baby is usually in a period of total relaxation where no mouth or hand movements are taking place
- Awakening: around 3-5 minutes after birth, baby will start to move their head, open their eyes, and begin opening and closing their mouth
- Activity: Here, your newborn will be actively moving their mouth with suckling and rooting motions
- Rest: It’s typical to see periods of rest after any moments of activity during the first few hours after birth
- Breast crawl: You will see your baby ‘crawl’ toward your breast during periods of movement and activity to help them reach the nipple. It sounds crazy but I’ve seen it time and time again!
- Familiarization: During this stage, your baby will be taking in your smell, licking and mouthing your nipple and breast, and feeling your body to become familiar with you
- Suckling: Your baby will self-initiate latching onto your nipple and suckling. This will be baby’s first experience breastfeeding! When this happens, ask your nurse to come look at baby’s latch. Even though they’ll often initiate on their own, you may need to widen their latch or splay their lips out to help them a bit
- Sleep: After going through these stages, usually at 1-2 hours after birth, your baby will fall into a deep and restful sleep – and hopefully you can get some sleep too!
How to incorporate the Golden Hour into your birth plan
Implementing the golden hour is becoming standard of care. I do highly recommend making your wishes known on your birth plan though. And to take it one step further, you can even discuss it with your provider during one of your prenatal visits.
Here are some things you can put on your birth plan if getting that golden hour is important to you!
- Ask for drying, stimulation, and any suctioning be done on your chest if baby is stable upon delivery
- If possible, ask that 1 minute and 5 minute APGARs be assigned while baby is skin-to-skin
- Ask that all newborn care procedures be delayed for the first hour to avoid interruptions
- Ask that only vital members of your medical team are present for the first hour to help the room remain calm and quiet
- The golden hour can happen after C-sections too. It might look a little different but you can certain still get a version of it and benefits from it too
Related Reading: How to Make a Birth Plan from an L&D Nurse
Soak it up, mama!
I know that the golden hour isn’t always possible, but if it is for you – soak it up! You’ve been waiting 9 months for this. This hour is a precious gift for both you and baby. Cherish this special time, mama, and embrace the incredible bond you’re creating with your little one.
Additional MLN Resources:
- Pushing Out a Baby: What Happens Right After Giving Birth?
- The Hospital Stay After Birth: Everything You Need to Know!
- Preparing for Postpartum: What You Can Do Before Birth
