The Golden Hour After Birth: What is it and Why Does it Matter?

If you’ve taken antenatal classes, chatted to your midwife about birth or are preparing your birth plan, you might have heard the term the “golden hour”. But what is this hour, when is it and why does it matter?

The golden hour after birth refers to the first hour of life immediately following your baby’s birth. It’s widely recognised by healthcare providers as a critical period for bonding, temperature regulation, and early feeding, and for a very good reason.

During this special time, your newborn baby is placed in immediate skin-to-skin contact with the birthing parent, usually resting on the mother’s breast with a warm blanket placed over them both. This gentle practice, sometimes referred to as kangaroo care, especially in premature babies, helps your baby make a calmer, safer transition from the womb to the outside world.

Rather than being taken away for weighing, bathing or routine procedures, your baby stays close to you, allowing their body systems and nervous system to stabilise naturally. The physical benefits are significant, but the emotional connection formed during this uninterrupted golden hour is just as powerful.

What Actually Happens During the Golden Hour?

Your baby arrives from a warm, dark, weightless environment into a bright, cooler world full of sound and movement. The golden hour supports your baby’s transition in so many ways.

When your baby lies directly on your chest, their heart rate and breathing begin to regulate, their body temperature stabilises against your own, and their stress levels naturally decrease. There is something so intelligent in the design of this first skin contact as your body adjusts its temperature slightly to warm or cool your newborn as needed, something that is very hard to replicate.

This early contact also triggers the release of oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the “love hormone.” Oxytocin plays a vital role in bonding, emotional connection, and physical recovery after birth. It helps the uterus contract, reducing the likelihood of heavy bleeding, while also supporting milk production and relaxation.

Many new parents describe this moment as surreal, emotional, or overwhelming, in the best possible way! It’s biological, instinctive, and deeply human.

Early Skin-to-Skin & Your Baby’s Physical Health

There is overwhelming evidence to support the physical benefits of early skin-to-skin contact. Babies placed skin-to-skin immediately after birth are more likely to maintain healthy oxygen levels and stable blood sugar, both of which are especially important during the first few hours of life.

Their breathing tends to be more regular, their circulation improves, and their ability to regulate body temperature is stronger. For babies with a low birth weight or those born prematurely, skin contact can be particularly impactful, helping support weight gain and overall stability.

This is one of the reasons hospitals and birth centres increasingly prioritise uninterrupted skin time as part of standard postnatal care.

The Breast Crawl & Early Feeding

Another incredible part of the golden hour is what is often called the “breast crawl”. This an instinct-driven process in which some babies begin to inch themselves towards the breast on their own. It’s absolutely amazing to see a tiny newborn making their way to their food source!

Your baby is born with an acute sense of smell, and the natural scent of the mother’s breast helps guide them. In some situations, this leads to the first latch without any assistance at all. While not every baby will perform the breast crawl, even attempting it can help stimulate early instinctive feeding behaviours.

Early initiation of breastfeeding during the first hour of life is strongly associated with:

• Longer breastfeeding duration
• Increased milk production
• Reduced difficulty breastfeeding
• Stronger infant immunity

Even if your baby does not feed straight away, the familiar smell, touch, and security of your body all contribute to their sense of safety, and will help you bond with your baby too!

The Emotional Bonding That Happens in the First Hour

There is something extraordinary about the emotional bonding that forms during the golden hour. Your baby has only ever known you from the inside, now they are finally seeing, hearing, and feeling you from the outside too.

This close contact helps establish what psychologists often describe as “secure attachment”, laying foundations for trust, emotional regulation, and confidence in later life.

Oxytocin doesn’t just surge for the birthing parent either. Partners and other family members who hold the baby skin-to-skin can experience similar emotional benefits. It can be a beautiful way to begin family bonding gently and calmly, rather than in a flurry of rushed activity.

What If Medical Care Is Needed?

Of course, safety always comes first.

Sometimes medical interventions are essential and immediate, whether for the baby, the birthing parent, or both. When this happens, your healthcare providers and care team will prioritise medical attention.

However, many non-urgent tasks such as weighing, measuring, dressing, and routine checks can often wait until after the first hour. You might be surprised by how much flexibility exists when you ask! If you’re interested in protecting the golden hour after birth, add it to your birth plan so the midwives and doctors know that these are your wishes.

If your baby needs neonatal intensive care, skin contact may be delayed, but it does not lose its value if it happens later. Kangaroo care in NICU settings is actively encouraged and can offer similar benefits even after the first hour of life has passed.

Can You Still Have a Golden Hour After a Caesarean Birth?

Yes, you can have a golden hour with a caesarean birth. In fact, many hospitals actively support it.

In the operating room, it is increasingly common for babies to be placed directly on the parent’s chest during surgical closure, assuming both are medically stable. Extra staff are often on hand to help reposition the baby safely and support early breastfeeding attempts.

Golden hour isn’t defined by how your baby is born, just like with hypnobirthing, it works with any type of birth.

Delayed Cord Clamping & Cord Blood Collection

Delayed cord clamping is often practised during the golden hour and allows additional blood to transfer from the placenta to your baby through the umbilical cord. This can support iron levels, circulation, and overall stability during your baby’s early hours. You can spend the golden hour with the cord still attached before or after the placenta is birthed, or you can have the cord clamped and cut while holding your baby close during the golden hour.

Crucially, delayed cord clamping and cord blood collection are fully compatible. Collecting cord blood does not interrupt skin-to-skin contact or feeding, and it does not change your golden hour experience in any meaningful way.

Cord Blood Collection: Non-Intrusive & Baby-Focused

Cord blood is collected only after the placenta has been delivered and the umbilical cord cut. While you’re holding your baby, feeding, or simply soaking in the moment, the collection happens quietly in the background.

There is:

• No pain
• No interference with bonding
• No effect on breastfeeding
• No disruption to routine care

It takes just a few minutes and requires no involvement from you or your baby while it’s happening.

Cord blood contains powerful stem cells that may one day help treat a wide range of serious conditions, including certain immune disorders, blood diseases, and cancers. Once discarded, cord blood cannot be reclaimed — which is why many families choose to store it as a form of future-proofing for their child and potentially their siblings too.

​You can find out more about cord blood collection here.

Creating Space for the Golden Hour in Your Birth Plan

If the golden hour matters to you, include it in your birth plan.

Speak to your care team ahead of time and ask how uninterrupted skin-to-skin is supported in your chosen birth setting. Asking about breastfeeding support, cord blood collection, and delayed cord clamping ensures everyone is aligned before labour begins.

Lactation consultants can also offer invaluable guidance in the first few hours, especially if you experience difficulty breastfeeding or would simply like reassurance as you begin feeding for the first time.

When the Golden Hour Isn’t Perfect

Sometimes birth doesn’t go to plan.

Whether your baby needs medical care, feeding is delayed, or emotions feel overwhelming, your bond is not lost. Attachment does not depend on one hour, it lasts a lifetime! Skin-to-skin time, closeness, and love matter whenever they happen.

The golden hour gives you connection in the present, and security for the future.

With good communication, an informed care team, and gentle planning, you can experience the first hour just as it’s meant to be, close, calm, and filled with love, while also making a decision that could one day protect your child’s health.