The First Moments Together: Why Skin-to-Skin Matters

After birth, one of the simplest ways to welcome a baby is to place them directly against a parent’s bare chest. This is called skin-to-skin contact. A blanket over the baby’s back helps keep them warm as they rest close enough to hear a heartbeat and become familiar with their parent’s voice and scent.

Skin-to-skin contact helps a newborn stay warm and settle into life outside the womb. It also gives parent and baby time to get to know each other. Bonding does not depend on one perfect moment, but this closeness can be a comforting place to begin.

It can also support the first feeding. Researchers Ann-Marie Widström, Kajsa Brimdyr, Kristin Svensson, Karin Cadwell, and Eva Nissen describe a series of behaviors that newborns may show during uninterrupted skin-to-skin time: resting, awakening, becoming more active, moving toward the breast, and eventually suckling. Brimdyr and Cadwell are affiliated with the Healthy Children Project’s Center for Breastfeeding. Every baby has their own pace, and families do not need to watch the clock or expect each stage to look exactly the same. Read their paper on newborn behavior.

The World Health Organization recommends supporting immediate, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact. For families who choose to breastfeed or chestfeed, this time together can also help them begin feeding as soon as possible after birth.

Sometimes a baby or parent needs medical care first, or feeding takes more time and support. That does not mean an opportunity has been lost. Skin-to-skin time can happen later, too, and bonding grows through many ordinary moments of holding, feeding, and responding to your baby.

As a doula and Certified Lactation Counselor, I value helping families enjoy these early moments when possible and find support when their start looks different from what they expected.

Photo courtesy of Magnific.