Today, we’re diving into an incredibly important aspect of childbirth – the golden hour after birth.
This magical period, often overlooked, is a time of immense significance for both the baby and the mother.
So, grab a cup of RRL tea, get cozy, and let’s explore why the golden hour is a precious time that should be cherished.
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Importance of the Golden Hour:
The term “golden hour” refers to the first hour after the baby is born.
However, I firmly believe that it should be extended to the entire day.
This special time allows the baby to transition smoothly from the protected cocoon of the womb to the outside world. Numerous studies and scientific research have highlighted the critical role this period plays in the baby’s development and well-being.
Immediate Skin-to-Skin Contact:
As soon as the baby is born, it is crucial to have immediate skin-to-skin contact with the mother. This means placing the baby directly on the mother’s bare chest.
By doing so, we create a nurturing environment that mimics the warmth and safety of the womb. This closeness helps regulate the baby’s body temperature, respiratory system, and blood sugar levels – three vital factors that contribute to a healthy start in life.
Engaging the Senses:
During the golden hour, the baby relies on all five senses to navigate this new world. Let’s take a closer look at each sense and how it contributes to the transition:
1. Smell: The baby has become familiar with the scent of the amniotic fluid and the mother’s unique fragrance during pregnancy. By keeping the baby unwashed and allowing their skin to make direct contact with the mother, we provide a comforting and recognizable smell that aids in acclimation.
2. Sound: The soothing sound of the mother’s voice is incredibly powerful. The baby has been listening to the mother’s voice throughout pregnancy and recognizes its comforting tone. Talking softly and sharing hopes, dreams, prayers, and reassurances with the baby strengthens the bond and helps them feel secure during this critical period.
3. Sight: Even a newborn baby has developed a remarkable ability to focus and see within a specific range. Placing the baby within 8 to 10 inches of the mother’s face allows them to lock eyes, creating a profound connection. This intimate gaze has been aptly called the “mother newborn gaze” and is a truly awe-inspiring moment to witness.
4. Touch: Skin-to-skin contact is not only essential for temperature regulation but also for making the baby feel safe. Encouraging the mother and her partner to have their hands on the baby’s body, gently caressing and providing tactile reassurance, furthers the sensation of security and fosters a smoother transition.
Creating an Optimal Environment:
To maximize the benefits of the golden hour, it is crucial to create a calm and peaceful environment. Dimming the lights after birth and minimizing external interruptions from staff and visitors helps protect the baby’s delicate senses. The focus should be on the mother and baby bonding, without unnecessary procedures or disturbances.
Birth Plan Considerations:
When constructing your birth plan, it is essential to advocate for the golden hour. Communicate your intentions to the medical team and request that unnecessary procedures be postponed until after this sacred time. Your birth partner can play an active role by ensuring a calm atmosphere and providing support.
Golden Hour After Cesarean Births:
Even if you are having a cesarean birth, the golden hour is still incredibly important. Requesting immediate skin-to-skin contact in the operating room allows for early bonding and facilitates the regulation of vital bodily functions for both the mother and baby. Advocacy for this precious time is vital, as it sets the foundation for a positive breastfeeding experience and overall post-birth well-being.
The golden hour is not just a passing moment; it is a profound transition that impacts both the baby and the mother.
By embracing this time and recognizing its significance, we can create an environment that supports the baby’s well-being and fosters a deep connection between mother and child.
Remember, you are the baby’s regulator, and your nurturing presence during this time sets the stage for a beautiful journey together.
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Remember, the golden hour is a time to treasure and protect. Embrace this sacred moment, for it is the start of a beautiful journey with your little one.
More From This Episode:
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Read the blog: The Golden Hour after Birth and Why You Should Protect it at all Costs
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Transcript
I'm here to help you take the guesswork out of childbirth so you can make the choices that are right for you and your baby. Quick note, this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not replace your medical advice. Check out our full disclaimer at the bottom of the show notes.
th, which is your first hour [:Should be that whole day and the baby should be right there with you. And so what I recommend to the mamas inside of my courses, inside of my virtual services, is that we protect that time, like we're going to put up barriers. And so the important part of that is you have to know what is necessary and what is not necessary, what is convenient for the staff.
little baby is going into a [:They haven't been using their lungs. They've been getting all of their sustenance from the cord. And now So now they've been like thrown into the new world, right? So as soon as the baby comes out of you, right after birth, as soon as the cord is clamped and cut and they're separated from you and they take that first breath, their system does this big change, this big switcheroo, right?
their first breath and they [:This is why in the olden days. Oh, I don't let's see I've got my props right here So that this is why in the old days they used to spank the baby's bottom to get them crying because they felt like they had To do that cry. They don't necessarily have to do that cry Like that, we don't want them spanking their bottoms.
But you remember back in the day in old movies and in real life, the doctor would smack them on the bottom. That's not a really good. Welcome to the new world. So what I want to talk about, let me get my notes. So I make sure I've got everything. When they're inside of you, they're getting all the oxygen from your placenta through the cord.
And once they come out, so when they're inside of you, they have a hole in their heart that bypasses what they're going to use once they're on the outside. So as soon as that pressure changes after birth, that, that hole closes or it should, right? And now their lungs are going to be doing their job. That is a big transition.
That is a big switch, [:It's you. It's mama. So all of their senses are gonna play a part in this transition during this And I'm gonna say golden hour, but I want you guys to hear me As long as you possibly can, keeping them skin to skin in those first couple days is like the best thing you can do for your baby and for you.
this. I'll link to them. Let [:The first thing that we want to happen when baby comes out is to be touching you. What I recommend is you don't have a gown on. You don't have a baby blanket between you and baby. It's literally skin to skin. Baby is right on your skin. Because, like I said, they're going to use all of their senses to acclimate and to transition.
And we want that to be as smooth and easy as possible for the baby. So do we want to let the nurse take the baby to get weighed? No. Do we want to let the nurse take the baby to do an assessment? No. Do they need to get their length and all the different things? No, that can all wait because really the most important thing is the baby has a smooth transition and all of that is centered around mama, all of it.
got myself notes, so I stay. [:Now, most of us experience something way different than that. And I'm going to. Take a little gander to say that it's because of us intervene, interrupting and doing all the things that we do. But if we didn't do all that and we left the baby to their mama, mom and baby alone, not touching, not moving, not re, rearranging, not interrupting, the baby's going to get to the breast.
hing or let me know you, you [:The more we can leave you alone and uninterrupted, the more smooth this natural process will go. So What I want you to put in your birth plan is to say that you want the lights dim right after baby comes out, repair is done, whatever the doctor needs to do, they need to dim the lights for you and baby.
y can see you So let's start [:I read this study about the breast crawl, what I was telling you about. And part of that newborn breast crawl is that the baby will come to the smell of the breast and to the smell of the amniotic fluid. When you reach down, you grab your baby, your newborn, you're getting that familiar smell all over your hands and then onto your chest and onto your breast.
So don't wipe it off. If it's meconium or something, that's fine. You can go ahead. But as far as what you've touched the baby as the baby comes out, it is actually part of that process for the baby to smell the environment they just came from, which is amniotic fluid. fluid and vernix and all the fun stuff that comes out on the baby.
ust rub it on you and that's [:of this process. So this is why we don't want a gown. You don't want the gown to absorb all that goodness. You want it to go straight to your skin. And as you move the baby around on your chest, you're getting more of it on your chest, which is helping your baby say, this is safe. This is a good place. This is where I need to be.
And the next thing we're going to talk about is their hearing, right? So as far as they're hearing their sense of sound, the soothing sound of your voice. They know that and they may know your partner's voice as well, or whoever was with you the most during your pregnancy. So talk to your baby. Sing to your baby.
Make sure that your [:And you're murmuring to your baby. Your baby knows that voice. The baby recognizes that voice, and it's soothing. So tell the baby all your hopes and dreams. Tell the baby all the prayers that you've prayed for the baby. Just remember to have everyone else should be talking quietly and not interrupting this process of the baby listening to you and hearing you.
that's playing as well. So a [:There's similarities and 1 of them is this mother newborn gaze. And so if your baby is 8 to 10 inches, they can see about 8 to 10 inches. If a baby is laying on its mother's chest, and this happens with so many births, you guys, it literally gives me the jails. The baby will find the mom's eyes and the mom and the baby will lock onto each other.
explain. But I remember one [:It literally just took my breath away because it's one of the most beautiful experiences to get to witness and what an honor that I've witnessed it so many times. But the way that a baby looks into its mother's eyes, it's like they know each other. It's just, it's crazy and it's really amazing to behold.
So don't let anyone take that from you. Don't. Alright, so the sense of sound we've talked about, the sense of sight, the sense of touch. So part of this transition is you touching the baby. I always recommend that your partner, your birth coach, wheels up a chair next to you. We put your bed down as low as possible.
op of the baby and make sure [:Not everyone else, because the touch is going to help the baby acclimate as well. What's really amazing about what happens on top of the mama, some of our biggest concerns when your babies are born are blood sugar control, them being warm, temperature control, and are they learning how to breathe properly?
The respirations, the temperature control, and the blood sugar, guess what regulates that? Anybody have a guess? You being skin to skin with mom actually regulates all the systems that were worried about. So what they've been working on and what we're leaning towards is even doing resuscitation on top of mom, because mom's breathing mom's temperature mom's voice, the sight of mom.
[:If if you go into your birth empowered and ready, then you're gonna know if it's appropriate for them to take the baby off of you. If it's a time that baby should leave you. I personally say the only reason babies should leave you is if the baby needs resuscitation. And like I said, some hospitals are doing resuscitation on top of mom because it makes sense.
ense of smell, sound, sight, [:Get the juices all over you. Let the baby be directly skin to skin. The sound you're going to ask the room and the staff and everyone to keep their voices down so baby can hear you and your partner. The sense of sight you want the baby within 8 to 10 inches of your face, so they can gaze into your face and have that beautiful connecting moment, the sense of touch you and your partner, keep your hands on baby skin to skin.
They're on you, so that's the touch and then you can put your hands on them, use a soothing voice and talk to them. Tell them how much you love them. You guys can tell this baby your hopes and dreams for this baby because your voice also regulates them. Wash off for a little while and just remember to keep the labor room calm because we don't want anything to interrupt any of those things.
t to be able to let the baby [:So the baby, those C section babies need that skin to skin. So badly. And you need it because it also regulates you and calms you down. So a lot of times when we're doing repairs or something, if we put the baby on mom, her vital signs will regulate as well. So you and baby should not be separated at all.
e you guys, I hope this sunk [: