Research has shown that keeping a baby skin-to-skin with his or her mother immediately following birth has many benefits. Babies will typically self-attach and breastfeed within the first hour if left skin-to-skin. All of the following common practices interfere with this process, except:

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While bright lights in the birthing room may cause the baby to keep his eyes closed, the other interventions will disturb the baby's natural reflexes that support the start of feeding at the breast. A baby should only be removed to a warming table for medical necessity. Relatives should honor the mother-baby dyad and wait until the first breastfeeding has taken place before holding the baby. A baby whose mother had pain medications for her labor does not display the same breast-seeking behavior as a baby born to an unmedicated mother.

Research Has Shown That Keeping a Baby Skin-To-Skin with His