The Golden Hour✨

/ Health, Labor & Delivery, Postpartum / By

Dear Expectant Parents,

The moment your baby is born will be filled with so many emotions and activities. Amidst all the excitement, there is a window of time that is crucial for the health and relationship between baby and mama. This time is called “The Golden Hour”. 

The Golden Hour refers to the first 60 minutes immediately following birth. During this time, baby is placed skin-to-skin on his mother’s chest, and there is minimal to no medical interventions. This period of time has emotional and physical benefits for both mom and baby, and helps baby adjust to life outside the womb. The Golden Hour is often accompanied by delayed cord clamping and any shots or medications are preferably applied afterwards. 

Benefits for Mama: 

  1. Emotional Health: During the Golden Hour, the mother’s body becomes flooded with oxytocin, known as the “love hormone”. This hormone assists in the bonding between mom and baby, and decreases the chances of Postpartum Depression. 
  2. Breast Milk Production: Oxytocin also plays an important role in establishing your lactation cycle. The Golden Hour helps establish a successful breastfeeding cycle, and increases the chances of a deeper latch. 
  3. Birthing the Placenta: The hormone Oxytocin also encourages uterine contractions for the birth of your placenta. The Golden Hour also reduces your risk for Postpartum hemorrhage. 

Benefits for Baby:

  1. Emotional Health: Your baby has just been through birth! He is now in an unfamiliar place, and no longer surrounded by the loving and warm feelings of being in your womb. Skin-to-skin contact assures your baby that you are here, and that you love him. He recognizes your voice, your smell, and your touch. The Golden Hour will help to soothe and comfort your baby after birth.
  2. Temperature Regulation: Your newborn is unable to fully regulate his own temperature. Having skin-to-skin contact with his mother helps regulate his body temperature and reduces the risk of hypothermia. 
  3. Healthy Body: Immediate Skin-to-skin contact, early breastfeeding, and delayed cord clamping all benefit your baby’s health. The Golden Hour has shown to help stabilize your baby’s blood sugar levels, boost his immune system, and increase iron levels in his blood. 

The Breast Crawl

The Golden Hour is also the period of time when you also get to observe a phenomenon known as the Breast Crawl. The Breast Crawl is a natural instinct from your baby to find mama’s breast and begin breastfeeding on his own. It has nine stages:

  1. Birth Cry: This is the first cry your baby makes as he is born; his lungs will expand.
  2. Relaxation: As your baby is comforted my you, he will rest for a few minutes. 
  3. Awakening: Your baby will start to move his head, limbs, and shoulders, and his mouth.
  4. Activity: Your baby will move more actively, especially with his mouth and head; he is looking for your breast.
  5. Crawling: Your baby has a crawl reflex, and will push against your abdomen with his legs to find your breast. 
  6. Resting: Often your baby will pause and rest between a stages.
  7. Familiarizing: This stage happens when your baby finds your breast. After birth, your breast secretes an odor similar to amniotic fluid. Your baby will smell, touch, lick, and familiarize himself with your breast and nipple. He will then root and begin to such.
  8. Sucking: Your baby self-attaches and suckles for the first time! This often occurs 40-50 minutes around birth
  9. Sleeping: After this process your baby will fall asleep, often times for an hour or more. 

Please note, that these nine stages occur slowly, and are sometime hard to identify. It is important to remain calm and patient with your baby. Both mama and dad should use this time to rest and bond with their newborn. 

*It is important to know your hospital’s policies on The Golden Hour and Delayed Cord Clamping ahead of time. Some hospitals encourage it, while others don’t. Inform yourself on your hospital and doctor’s policies, and discuss your birth plan with your team. Be ready to make informed decisions for your baby. 

The Golden Hour and the Breast Crawl are two beautiful and extraordinary examples of God’s wonderful design. Both provide so many important benefits for both the mother and the newborn baby. May you be able to experience this in your upcoming birth!

With Love,

Pearl

Resources: