Most people focus so much on labour and birth that they forget about what happens immediately after baby arrives.

💡 But the first 60 minutes after birth—often called “The Golden Hour”—are just as important.

✔ Your baby isn’t just “born.” They are transitioning into the outside world.

✔ Their instincts in this first hour are hardwired for survival.

✔ What happens in these moments affects bonding, breastfeeding, and long-term well-being.

Today, we’re breaking down:

✔ What The Golden Hour is & why it matters.

✔ How baby’s instinctive behaviours set the stage for feeding & connection.

✔ Why hospital routines often disrupt this crucial time.

✔ What you can do to protect these first sacred moments.

Because this isn’t just about bonding—it’s about biology.

⏳ What is The Golden Hour?

The Golden Hour is the first 60 minutes after birth, when your baby is biologically programmed to:

✔ Find their way to the breast & begin feeding.

✔ Regulate their body temperature & heart rate.

✔ Receive crucial microbiome-building bacteria from skin-to-skin contact.

✔ Bond with you & feel safe in the outside world.

💡 These instincts are so strong that, when undisturbed, newborns will literally crawl up to the breast on their own.

🚀 This is called the "breast crawl"—and it’s amazing to watch.

👶 What Happens in Baby’s Body During The Golden Hour?

Immediately after birth, your baby goes through a series of instinctive, biologically driven behaviours:

1️⃣ Minutes 1-2: Adjustment to the Outside World

✔ Baby is placed on your chest, skin-to-skin.

✔ Their breathing & heart rate stabilise by syncing with yours.

✔ Their cortisol (stress hormone) drops significantly.

💡 Skin-to-skin contact is the single most effective way to regulate a newborn’s vital signs.

2️⃣ Minutes 3-10: Awakening & Sensory Processing

✔ Baby begins to move, open their eyes, and look around.

✔ They recognise your voice—it’s their favourite sound.

✔ They start rooting (searching for the breast).

🚀 Babies are born expecting to find food and safety at their mother’s chest.

3️⃣ Minutes 10-30: The Breast Crawl Begins

✔ Baby starts to move their head, bob, and use their arms to push toward the breast.

✔ Their saliva interacts with your skin to signal what antibodies they need.

✔ They find the nipple by smell—your body produces a scent similar to amniotic fluid.

💡 Undisturbed, baby will latch all on their own—no one needs to "force" breastfeeding.

4️⃣ Minutes 30-60: The First Feed & Deep Connection

✔ Baby self-latches for their first feed.

✔ Oxytocin (the bonding hormone) floods both of you, strengthening attachment.

✔ Prolactin (the milk-making hormone) surges—kickstarting milk production.

🚀 This first feed sets the stage for future breastfeeding success.

🚨 How Hospitals Often Disrupt The Golden Hour

Despite the science, many hospitals rush through The Golden Hour by:

❌ Weighing, measuring, or wiping down baby too soon.

❌ Taking baby away for "routine checks."

❌ Handing baby to others instead of placing them on your chest.

❌ Interrupting the first feed with unnecessary procedures.

💡 None of these things are urgent.

✔ Weighing & measuring can wait.

✔ Routine checks can be done with baby on your chest.

✔ Wiping baby down removes valuable vernix & microbiome-building bacteria.

🚀 If your baby is well, there is NO medical reason to separate you.

⚠️ What If You Have a C-Section? Can You Still Have a Golden Hour?

YES! Even with a C-section, you can request:

✔ Immediate skin-to-skin in the OR.

✔ Delaying newborn checks until after the first feed.

✔ Partner-assisted skin-to-skin if you’re unable to hold baby right away.

💡 Even in surgical births, early skin-to-skin improves bonding, stabilises baby’s vitals, and supports breastfeeding.

🚀 You may need to advocate for this—but it’s your right to ask.

🛡 How to Protect The Golden Hour & Advocate for Baby

To ensure your first hour isn’t rushed or interrupted, consider:

✔ Putting it in your birth plan – Clearly state that you want uninterrupted skin-to-skin & delayed newborn checks.

✔ Talking to your care provider in advance – Make sure they support The Golden Hour.

✔ Asking your birth partner to advocate – They can step in if hospital staff try to intervene unnecessarily.

✔ Using firm but kind language – “We’d like to delay all non-urgent procedures until after the first feed.”

🚀 This is YOUR baby, YOUR body, and YOUR choice.

💡 What This Means for You

✔ The Golden Hour is biologically designed to support baby’s transition to life.

✔ Undisturbed skin-to-skin contact regulates baby’s vitals & supports breastfeeding.

✔ Hospital routines often disrupt this process unnecessarily.

✔ You have the right to protect these first sacred moments with your baby.

So today, ask yourself:

💡 Does my birth plan include protecting The Golden Hour?

💡 Have I discussed this with my birth team to ensure they support it?

💡 What small steps can I take to make sure my baby’s first hour is calm, connected, and undisturbed?

🚀 Because this first hour shapes more than just bonding—it shapes lifelong health & attachment.

29. The Golden Hour: Why the First 60 Minutes After Birth Matter More Than You Think

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