Critical 'Golden Hour' Post Birth: Promoting Bonding Through Skin to Skin Contact

The Golden Hour: Skin-to-Skin Contact Immediately Following Birth

The immediate moments following birth are known as the Golden Hour, a critical period for both mother and baby to bond, reduce stress, promote attachment, and support infant adaptation. For healthy mothers delivering babies at or after 37 weeks of pregnancy, the University of Kentucky HealthCare team supports Kangaroo Care - skin-to-skin contact between mother and child.

Step-by-Step Guide

Upon vaginal delivery, your baby will be cleaned and gently dried by a nurse before being placed in a nurturing embrace with you in skin-to-skin and belly-to-belly contact. Warm blankets will be draped over both of you to mntn body temperature during this precious time. Kangaroo Care benefits include stabilizing your infant's blood sugar levels, regulating heart rate and respiratory patterns, soothing them amidst the cacophony of unfamiliar noises and smells.

As you bond with your baby through skin-to-skin contact, the nurse will carry out routine checks on both mother and child. The moment that follows is when your baby, hearing her first heartbeat rhythmically matched to yours, begins her journey of breastfeeding - an experience that can be guided by the nurse if needed.

In the subsequent hour following birth, a second session of skin-to-skin contact lasts for another two hours with you or your partner. Only family members and essential medical staff are permitted during this time to ensure baby's temperature remns stable; swapping her around too frequently might cool her down.

If you've undergone a C-section delivery, skin-to-skin care begins immediately upon settling in the recovery room. A lactation consultant will also provide guidance for breastfeeding as your baby adjusts.

Kangaroo Care in the NICU

For babies born prematurely and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU, skin-to-skin contact remns a vital practice once their condition stabilizes. Certified Kangaroo Care nurses can help facilitate this bond, with sessions lasting as per your preference but ideally at least one hour dly.

The University of Kentucky HealthCare supports not only a healthy bonding period post-delivery but also ensures continuity of care through skin-to-skin contact even when infants are transferred to the NICU. The m is to provide parents and their babies with a gentle transition, promoting physical warmth, emotional connection, and optimal development.

Contact us at 1000 S. Limestone, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536 or toll-free at 800 333-8874 for further information or updates on our programs and services.

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