The Golden Hour

Have you ever heard of the phrase "The Golden Hour" regarding birth? It's that sweet hour right after birth where mom and baby bond skin to skin, completely undisturbed. This time period allows baby to move through a series of natural steps untill they latch onto their mother's breast to nurse without force or complication.

It's hands down the simplest way to set baby up for success this side of her existence.

And often one of the most disrupted.

So let's talk about it!

If you've ever had a baby or watched somone give birth, you know the intensity of those final moments as mom pushes her baby out. She could be roaring, she could be inwardly focused, but she's intently working. She's most likely doing the hardest work of her life when out slides the most beautiful, slippery blob, otherwise known as her brand new baby. She sits back, amazed she completed this extreme endurance event, and gets handed her precious child. Cue the water works- moms are incredible!

In this special moment, her body is overflowing with signal changes- the hormones explaining to the body what happens next. The coolest part is, mom isn't in control of this. It's a divine biological system which falls into place perfectly when given the opportunity. One of the best ways to help this system thrive is "The Golden Hour."

It's a really simple way to allow the body to move through the last stage of labor (delivering of the placenta) and strongly bond with her brand new baby.

Let's dig in more to what a successful postpartum "Golden Hour" can look like:

Mom just had her beautiful, squishy baby and it was brought to her chest as she reclines onto a bed or cozy space. She's still overwhelmed by this incredible thing her body just did! It made, and delivered, a perfect little human-her human! Her top, bra, or gown is displaced, allowing her chest full contact with her moments old, naked littly squashy babe. A cozy blanket or sheet is placed over the top of mom and baby. Baby has already released it's birth cry and her lungs are functioning well on their own. She's deeply breathing in her mom's scent, her favorite scent in fact. It brings her tremendous comfort as she starts to familiarize herself with her brand new life outside of her watery bubble. During this time she takes a rest, pausing to gaze up at her mom who is perfectly enamored with her. Eventually she continues moving, tasting, and touching this special place she will find comfort in for the foreseeable future. After a couple of rests, some squawking, and wiggling, she gives a big head bob with a wide open mouth and lands on her mom's breast. She's been practicing sucking and swallowing for months now, and knows exactly what to do. She nurses deeply for some moments, maybe gives it a go on the other side, then contentedly falls deeply asleep in her mother's arms.

Doesn't that sound beautiful? Holy? Natural?

During this time, both a mixture of hormones, deep chemical bonding, and even the kicks and movements of baby help the placenta fully detach and be expelled naturally. The baby is allowed to receive all of the umbilical cord blood with delayed clamping.

The care team carefully monitors baby without interrupting the dyad, looking at respiratory rates, color, and activity.

Dad gets to look on in wonder at his new baby and his incredible partner.

This stellar Chochrane Review published in late 2025 looks at thousands of mom and baby dyads and shows the power of the "Golden Hour." Case after case reinforces the natural temperature control and blood sugar regulation of a baby skin-to-skin immediately postpartum. This helps baby adjust gently and efficiently to its new outside world.

Breastfeeding outcomes are dramatically improved, showing higher likelihoods of exclusively breastfeeding at one month, six weeks, and six months later. And, study after study after study after study demonstrate breastfeeding has endless amounts of positive effects on both baby and mother.

This beautiful "Golden Hour" ethically should be the standard of care.

But like I mentioned above, it is also easily disrupted:

• Erythromycin eye ointment is slathered on baby's eyes keeping them from clearly seeing their mother clearly and a hat plunked on their head for "warmth".

• Baby is removed from mother after a short period of time and before baby begins to nurse to be weighed, measured, cleaned, and swaddled.

• Perhaps they get placed in a warmer to bring up baby's temperature instead of on mom's chest.

• Maybe mom has a c-section and hospital policy says baby must be separated until after the surgery is complete.

So, if you're currently pregnant, how can you protect this special time postpartum? It's pretty straightforward:

• Talk to your care providers. Is this standard procedure postpartum or are there other policies in place preventing it?

• Birthing with less interventions, like Pitocin, pain medications, and epidural provide the best opportunity for you and your baby to function optimally postpartum. Get knowledgeable on natural birth and prepare your body, soul, and spirit for one.

• If you do opt for interventions (and that's totally ok!), know how it can effect your baby or your body postpartum. Knowledge is power!

• Prepare your spouse or other birth team members to help you protect the space and make your wishes known, even in a pro "Golden Hour" setting.

I've said the word "golden" plenty, but seriously. This is the gold standard of postpartum care. Families deserve to know about this incredibly natural and divine process of peaceful adjustment for mom and baby. It's worth planning for and protecting! Approach it with great expectation and joy! You only get one try at your first moments with your baby, and my prayer for you is it is an absolutely holy time.

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If you're looking for more education about labor & delivery, postpartum, or breastfeeding, I'd love to help you become more educated. Education is a part of some of my doula packages or can be added on for a fee. And if you're local, ask me about free group classes being hosted at First Choice Pregnancy Resource Center in Wisconsin Rapids quarterly! I'd love to see you there!