In the past, mother-child bonding often took a back seat to medical procedures immediately following a baby’s birth. A new mom would watch her baby be handed to a nurse who would examine and weigh the child, clean him up, give him his Vitamin K shot, put on a diaper and swaddle him in a blanket. After all the waiting, the new parents would finally get to hold their new baby.
Health care providers now know that immediate skin-to-skin contact is the best way for a newborn and mother to bond. The sooner after birth this can happen, the better experience the family will have. In fact, the American Association of Pediatricians now recommends the following guidelines.
Many hospitals now encourage families to wait at least an hour before introducing their new baby to family and friends. Instead, they encourage mother and baby to stay together and if desired, focus on giving the newborn a chance to breastfeed.
Even in cases where medical emergencies may change a family’s birth plan, it is still possible to take advantage of bonding time in the first few minutes. If a baby needs medical attention or extra stimulation to start breathing, the child can be moved from the exam table to the mother’s chest as soon as the baby is stabilized. Daddy 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. He can even remove his shirt and provide the skin to skin contact in the event that mom is not able.
Women who have a planned or unplanned cesarean section may need to wait a few moments to be able to hold the baby. In most cases, after a quick assessment, the baby can be moved to the mother’s chest while the obstetrician finishes any needed surgical work. The baby can stay at her mother’s side until she is settled into the recovery room and ready to nurse.
During labor and the minutes and hours afterward, the mother’s body experiences several amazing changes. Giving birth generates changes in a woman’s brain chemistry that increases desire to nurture.
Skin-to-skin contact and the baby’s suckling at the breast release hormones that help the mother to connect to her child and cause the uterus to contract and stop bleeding. Research has shown that nursing within the first hour of life improves infant survival rates and makes it more likely that a mother will continue to breastfeed longer.
Most hospitals and birthing centers encourage breastfeeding for the benefits to both mom and baby. Babies who breastfeed have lower rates of ear infections, asthma, diabetes, childhood leukemia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Mothers who nurse their babies have lower rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and diabetes.