Skin-to-Skin Contact: Why It Matters for You and Your Baby

You’ve probably heard about the importance of skin-to-skin contact after your baby is born. It’s often talked about as a lovely way to bond with your newborn, but there’s actually much more going on during those first cuddles than you might realise.

That simple act of placing your baby against your bare chest can help them adjust to life outside the womb, regulate their temperature and breathing, support feeding and, of course, feel safe and close to you.

And skin-to-skin isn’t just for those first moments after birth. It can continue to be a wonderful way to comfort and settle your baby in the days and weeks that follow.

So, what exactly is skin-to-skin contact, why is it so beneficial, and what happens if birth doesn’t quite go to plan?

What is skin-to-skin contact?

Skin-to-skin contact is exactly what it sounds like: your baby is placed directly against your bare skin, usually on your chest.

Immediately after birth, your newborn will usually be dried and placed tummy-down on your bare chest, with a blanket or towel over you both to keep you warm. Their head will be turned to one side so that their airway remains clear and they can snuggle into you.

Ideally, this uninterrupted skin-to-skin time continues throughout the first hour after birth, often known as the ‘golden hour’, and through your baby’s first feed if possible.

Although it is usually the mother who has skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, dads, partners and other caregivers can do it too. If you’re unwell or unable to hold your baby straight away, your partner may be able to provide those reassuring cuddles instead.

Why is skin-to-skin so important?

Think about the enormous transition your baby has just made.

One moment they are warm, protected and surrounded by the familiar sounds of your heartbeat and body. The next, they are experiencing light, noise, air, temperature changes and a whole new world.

Being placed against you gives them something wonderfully familiar.

They can hear your heartbeat and your voice. They can smell you. They can feel your warmth and the rhythm of your breathing. All of this helps reassure your baby that they are safe.

Skin-to-skin contact can also:

• help regulate your baby’s heart rate and breathing as they adjust to life outside the womb
• help stabilise their body temperature
• lower cortisol (stress) levels and help both you and your baby feel calmer
• stimulate digestion and encourage early feeding cues
• support the hormones involved in breastfeeding and milk production
• expose your baby to the friendly bacteria naturally present on your skin
• support bonding and attachment through touch, smell, warmth and closeness

It might look like a simple cuddle, but your baby’s body is doing an extraordinary amount of adjusting during this time.

What if my baby needs to go to the neonatal unit?

Sometimes babies need extra medical support after birth and immediate skin-to-skin contact simply isn’t possible.

If that happens, please don’t feel that you have ‘missed’ your opportunity to bond with your baby.

If your baby needs to be cared for in a neonatal unit, you may still be able to gently touch them or hold their hand until they are well enough to be held. Your neonatal team will guide you on what is safe and appropriate for your baby.

As soon as your baby is well enough, you can begin enjoying skin-to-skin together.

What is kangaroo care?

You may hear skin-to-skin contact with premature or low-birth-weight babies referred to as ‘kangaroo care’.

The approach was pioneered in Colombia in the late 1970s as a way of caring for premature babies when incubators were in short supply. It has since become an important part of neonatal care around the world.

For premature and poorly babies, skin-to-skin contact can be particularly valuable. Depending on your baby’s medical needs, it may help to:

• support more stable breathing and oxygen levels
• reduce stress, including around uncomfortable or painful procedures
• encourage early feeding behaviours
• support growth
• support milk production when breastfeeding or expressing
• help parents feel more connected and involved in their baby’s care

If your baby is in a neonatal unit, ask the team caring for them when you might be able to start kangaroo care.

What if I have a caesarean birth?

Having a caesarean doesn’t necessarily mean missing out on those first skin-to-skin cuddles.

If you and your baby are both medically well, it may be possible for your baby to be brought to you while you are still in theatre. They can usually be positioned high on your chest, away from the area where the operation is taking place.

You may need some help from your birth partner or the medical team to hold your baby safely, but they can still hear your voice, feel your warmth and be close to you.

If skin-to-skin isn’t possible immediately, you can begin as soon as you and your baby are well enough, perhaps once you are in the recovery room.

And remember, your partner can have skin-to-skin contact with your baby too.

What if skin-to-skin isn’t offered straight away?

In hospital there are various routine checks that need to happen after a baby is born, including weighing and measuring. But when you and your baby are both well, many routine procedures can usually wait until you’ve had some uninterrupted time together.

If skin-to-skin is important to you, talk about it with your birth partner before labour and include it in your birth preferences.

You can also ask your birth partner to advocate for you if you are tired, unwell or unable to ask yourself.

And if your baby does need immediate medical attention, the priority will of course be making sure they are safe and stable. Skin-to-skin can begin when the team caring for your baby feels it is safe to do so.

Is skin-to-skin only important after birth?

Not at all.

Skin-to-skin can be lovely long after the ‘golden hour’ has passed.

During those first days and weeks at home, try it when your baby is unsettled, struggling to feed or simply seems to need a little extra reassurance.

Strip your baby down to their nappy, place them against your bare chest and cover you both with a blanket, making sure their face remains visible and their airway is clear.

That familiar combination of your warmth, smell, heartbeat and voice can be incredibly comforting.

Skin-to-skin can also be particularly helpful when establishing breastfeeding and may help encourage your baby’s natural feeding instincts.

One simple thing that can make a big difference

There is something quite extraordinary about the fact that one of the most helpful things you can offer your newborn requires no equipment at all.

Just you.

Skin-to-skin gives your baby warmth, familiarity, reassurance and closeness at a moment when everything else in their world has suddenly changed.

If you and your baby are medically well, ask for that first cuddle to be protected and unhurried. The weighing and measuring can usually wait.

And if circumstances mean you don’t get the skin-to-skin experience you hoped for immediately after birth, remember that it isn’t a one-off opportunity. There will be many more chances to hold your baby close.

For those first few minutes, hours, days and weeks, sometimes the place your baby needs most is simply right there on your chest.