Skin to Skin
We recommend that all babies, where possible, have skin to skin contact with their mother immediately after birth. This should last at least an hour and until your baby has had their first feed and should not be interrupted. Skin to skin contact helps your baby keep warm, regulates their heartbeat and breathing and awakens their natural instinct to feed.
Your midwife will support you to have skin to skin with your baby and to look for cues that your baby is ready to feed. She will show you what to look for to know that your baby is safe and well while skin to skin.
If you are unable to have skin to skin immediately, your partner can do this instead, until you are ready to do it yourself. Skin to skin is not just for birth, it can be calming and relaxing for you and your baby at any time.
If your baby has to be admitted to special care, you will be supported to have skin to skin as soon as possible.
Useful Links
Please see the following video for more information regarding skin to skin:
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skin to skin is good for all babies we
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recommend the baby has their first feed
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in skin to skin no matter what method of
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feeding is chosen having an hour of skin
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to skin after the birth will give your
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baby time to adjust to life outside the
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womb being in skin- to- skin contact
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will help stabilize baby's temperature
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and heartbeat your baby's instincts to
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feed will be really strong at this time
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and after a little while they will
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probably start looking for the breast
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even if you were not planning to
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breastfeed your baby or if you feelings
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sure about it you could still consider
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giving them one or two feeds at the
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start and see how it goes babies go
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through nine stages after
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birth baby's Journey usually begins with
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a loud cry announcing their
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arrival when play skin to skin baby will
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relax and there will be no mouth or hand
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movement about 3 minutes after birth
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your baby will begin to make small head
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and mouth movements and may open their
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eyes as soon as 8 minutes after birth
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your baby will have increased mouthing
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suckling and rooting
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movements anytime between other stages
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your baby will have moments of resting
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and will resume their Journey when they
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are
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ready at around 35 minutes of age your
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baby starts to seek out your breast by
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making short pushing movements with
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their feet lifting their aoso and
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bobbing their
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head after reaching your breast your
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baby will spend time exploring the
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nipple by licking touching and
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massaging about an hour after birth your
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baby opens your mouth wide latches onto
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your nipple and begins suckling
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after the first breastfeed your baby is
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often ready for a sleep remember
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skin-to-skin contact can help set your
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baby at any age it's not just for the
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first hours after birth
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