When your baby is born, as long as you and baby are well, they will be placed straight on your chest for skin to skin.
Skin to skin helps to:
- Keep baby warm
- Regulate baby’s heart and breathing
- Release oxytocin, the hormone that helps you feel calm
- Support you to bond with your baby and start to get to know them
- Build a healthy microbiome for baby which helps their immune system
Skin to skin is the perfect time to give a first feed. Skin to skin can help to initiate breastfeeding but If you choose to bottle feed then this first feed should be in skin to skin with mum too.
If you give birth in theatre then you can still have skin to skin, baby can be placed skin to skin with you straight after being born. If you aren't able to hold your baby immediately after birth, then begin when you can.
