The First Hour After Birth : Why It's Important For You And Your BabySeptember 15, 2018

No matter what mode of birth you have, there is not a word to describe the feeling when you hold your baby for the first time. Many studies conducted globally have shown these are moments of joy are not only for the mother but also for the baby. Till upto about a month after birth, babies can only see what is about 5-15 cm from their face. So it’s your touch and your heart beat that helps them recognize you. Which is why skin to skin contact is important immediately upon birth. Also known as kangaroo mother care or simply kangaroo care, helps the new born’s transmission from the womb to the outside world less stressful. Research has shown that what happens during the first 60 minutes of a baby’s life can maximize that bonding experience between mother and child. That uninterrupted contact between mother and baby during the “golden hour” after birth is critical to the child’s growth and development. Even if it’s a medical emergency, moving the new born from the nurses to the mother has shown better response to in breathing. Women who have a planned or unplanned cesarean section may need to wait a few moments to be able to hold the baby. In most cases, after a quick assessment, the baby can be moved to the mother’s chest while the obstetrician finishes any needed surgical work. The baby can stay at her mother’s side until she is settled into the recovery room and ready to feed. Every mother and baby should have a chance to experience their "golden hour."

How is skin to skin or Kangaroo care done?

Babies are born and immediately placed tummy down on their mother’s stomach. A warm blanket should be placed over both mother and baby, to keep mother warm. This slows the production of adrenaline hormone in her so as to not interfere with oxytocin and prolactin hormones being produced (essential for bonding and breastfeeding). At this time, the mother’s needs are simple: warmth and a quiet, calm environment. This technique also works for premature babies. Once the preliminary checks are done, the new born should be with the mother as soon as possible. Premature babies who were breastfed exclusively and kept warm through continuous skin-to-skin contact have become young adults with larger brains, higher salaries and less stressful lives than babies who received conventional incubator care, according to a recent study.

Why should you your gynaecologist ask for Kangaroo care?

In India, typically, the mother is barely shown her baby after labour/birth. The baby is taken away to be weighed and measured and shown to the father and the rest of the family, before the mother sees her baby again. The positive effect of the hormones released immediately after birth is lost in this rush. In essence, both mother and baby should be given the better part after birth to be with each other for their own health. Not just for the immediate benefits, for the long term as well.

1. Baby-Led Initiation of Breastfeeding:

It is quite common these days for hospital staff to want baby to begin breastfeeding within the first hour. In addition to the importance of early feeding for mother-baby attachment and bonding, it also helps to expel the placenta more quickly and easily, reducing the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Read more about the benefits of a natural third stage here. It's common for caregivers to assist baby to latch onto the nipple, which is unnecessary in most cases. When babies who have not been exposed to medications are placed skin to skin with their mothers and left undisturbed, they will instinctually crawl to their mother’s breast and attach themselves to the nipple. This is now known as the ‘breast crawl’ and was first observed by Swedish researchers in the 1980s. Further observation discovered that babies are born with innate instincts that assist them in finding their mother’s nipple, like all newborn mammals.

2. Body System Regulation

Babies who are left skin to skin with their mothers for the first hours immediately after birth are better able to regulate their temperature and respiration. Newborns aren’t able to adjust their body temperature as well as older children and adults as they don’t have the same insulating fat levels. They have spent nine months in an environment that is perfectly temperature controlled. If babies lose too much heat, they have to use more energy and oxygen than they can spare to try and keep their temperature stable - An undisturbed first hour with skin to skin also reduces the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). Newborn babies can produce glucose from their body stores of energy until they are breastfeeding well and are more likely to do so when they remain skin to skin with their mothers.

3. Promotes Mother-Baby Attachment:

Prolonged skin to skin after birth allows mother and baby to get to know each other. Mothers who have skin to skin contact after birth are more likely to feel confident and comfortable in meeting their babies’ needs than those who had none. Attachment is critical to newborn survival and mothers are hard wired to look after their young. Oxytocin receptors in a woman’s brain increase during pregnancy, so when her baby is born, she is more responsive to this hormone that promotes maternal behaviour. Oxytocin is produced in large amounts when breastfeeding and holding babies close skin to skin. Mothers who had early skin to skin with their babies are more likely to demonstrate bonding behaviours later in their child’s life, such as kissing, holding, positive speaking and so on. Skin-to-skin is becoming a reality for more c-section mothers – find out more here.

4. Improves Breastfeeding Success Rates

Breastfeeding initiation and duration is likely to be more successful with babies who have early skin to skin contact. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for babies in the first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Creating the right conditions for the initiation of breastfeeding would help promote longer durations of breastfeeding for many women. Babies who are left to self attach usually have a better chance of proper tongue positioning when latching. This can increase long term breastfeeding as mothers experience more ease and fewer problems when latching is not an issue.

5. Protects Against The Effects of Separation:

Babies are born ready to interact with their mothers – a newborn baby who has not been exposed to excessive medication will be very alert and gaze intently into their mother’s face, recognising her smell, sound of her voice and the touch of her skin. Remaining with their mother is key to a baby’s survival and separation is life threatening. Babies are born with a mammal’s primal instinct to stay within the safe habitat of mother, where there is warmth, safety and nourishment. When babies are separated from their mother they will protest loudly, drawing their mother’s attention to their distress. Babies undergo what is literally a cold turkey withdrawal from the sensory stimulation of their mother’s body. If they are not reunited with their mother despite their protests, they will go into a despair state – essentially giving up and becoming quiet and still. This is partly a survival instinct to avoid attracting predators, and their body systems slow down to preserve energy and heat.

6. Boost Your Baby’s Immunity Naturally:  

When babies are born, they emerge from a near-sterile environment in the uterus and are seeded by their mother’s bacteria. This essentially trains the baby’s cells to understand what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria. This kickstarts their immune system to fight off infections and protects from disease in the future. Research indicates that if babies aren’t given this opportunity to be exposed to their mother’s bacteria, either because they are not born vaginally, held skin to skin or breastfed, then the baby’s immune system may not reach its full potential and can increase the child’s risk of disease in the future. Skin to skin contact and early breastfeeding is an excellent way to help increase your baby’s exposure to bacteria if you need a caesarean section for medical reasons.

We at Life Maid Easy know being a new mother is not easy. It is in fact a huge challenge. And we assure you, we are with you in every step of the way.