The golden hour is the first 60 minutes after your baby has been born.

You’ve probably heard about skin to skin and how important it is after the birth but have you heard HOW important the first 60 minutes are of your baby’s life are when it comes to bonding?

Research shows that skin to skin with both parents, touching baby, breastfeeding, gazes between mother and baby, is actually key to baby’s growth and development.

During this bonding time chemicals change in the mum’s brain creating a deeper bond between mum and baby, making this time especially important.

This golden hour bonding also helps the uterus contract, stopping any bleeding, helps with hormone balance and regulates baby’s breathing and temperature.

Some things to consider for your golden hour:

🌟 let none urgent procedures wait such as weighing or cleaning baby
🌟 consider delayed cord clamping and your plan for this
🌟 how will you birth your placenta? Managed or natural and when/where
🌟 do you want privacy for this bonding time (healthcare teams can leave you for a while)
🌟 do you want to establish breast feeding (it’s shown to be more effective if done in first 60mins)
🌟 vitamin k injection – will your baby have it? Orally or injection? Did you know you can choose?
🌟 you body temperature may drop, because you’re no longer pregnant
🌟 are you having a c-section? You can still have a calm golden hour, with skin to skin and binding with your baby. It maybe just has to be planned a little with your care provider.

Golden hour may look different for different births. Different babies may need different care but speak to your health care team about how you can establish this bonding time ❤️