Skin to skin is one of the simplest things I recommend, and one of the most powerful. Time and again I see an unsettled baby calm, and a stalled feed start, the moment they are back on their parent's chest. Holding your baby against your bare chest is especially valuable in the first hour after birth, often called the golden hour, but its benefits carry on well beyond that first day. This guide explains why it matters and how to do it safely.

What the golden hour is

The golden hour is the first hour or so after birth, when your baby is placed straight onto your chest, skin to skin, and left there undisturbed. Weighing, measuring and other checks can nearly always wait. This quiet, unhurried time helps your baby make the enormous transition from the womb to the world in the calmest way possible.

Why skin to skin helps your baby

Resting skin to skin helps your baby in several ways at once. It:

  • Steadies their temperature, keeping them warm against your body.
  • Settles their heart rate and breathing.
  • Helps keep their blood sugar stable.
  • Calms them, so they cry less and use less energy.
  • Introduces them to your everyday friendly bacteria, which helps protect them.

Why it helps feeding

Skin to skin and feeding go hand in hand. Held against your chest, a newborn will often begin to root, move towards the breast and attempt their first feed in their own time, sometimes finding the breast themselves. This is sometimes called the breast crawl. Early, unhurried skin to skin supports a good first latch and helps get breastfeeding off to a strong start. The close contact also releases oxytocin, the hormone that helps your milk flow, which you can read about in How your baby and your body work together.

It is not just for birth

Skin to skin keeps helping long after the golden hour. In the early weeks it can:

  • Calm a fussy or unsettled baby.
  • Encourage a sleepy baby to wake and feed.
  • Help you spot your baby's early feeding cues.
  • Support your milk supply.
  • Deepen the bond between you.

Partners can do skin to skin too. It is a lovely way for the other parent to comfort and bond with the baby, and it gives you a chance to rest.

Doing skin to skin safely

Skin to skin is safe and beneficial when your baby stays in a good position and you are awake and aware. Keep in mind:

  • Place your baby upright or slightly to the side on your chest, with their face turned to one side so you can see it.
  • Keep their nose and mouth clear and uncovered, so their airway is never blocked.
  • Keep their head supported and their chin off their chest.
  • Cover your baby's back with a light blanket to keep them warm, leaving the face visible.
  • If you feel sleepy, ask your partner or midwife to take the baby and place them safely in their cot, on their back.

Ask your midwife for support if:

  • You did not get skin to skin at birth and would like to start now.
  • Your baby is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds.
  • You are finding it hard to get feeding started.

Call 999 or take your baby straight to A&E if your baby:

  • Is floppy or unresponsive
  • Will not wake for feeds
  • Is having trouble breathing, or their lips, tongue or gums look blue or grey
  • Has a sunken fontanelle
  • Is visibly jaundiced and unwell with it, for example floppy, hard to wake or not feeding. Yellowing shows most clearly in the whites of the eyes, the gums, and the palms and soles
  • Has dark urine or pale, chalky stools

How a consultation helps

If feeding has been slow to start, plenty of skin to skin is often part of turning things around, and I use it a lot when I visit. When I see you I help you use skin to skin to wake a sleepy baby, calm an unsettled one, and encourage that instinctive move to the breast, alongside a full assessment of positioning, latch and how your baby is feeding. It is a gentle, hands-off way to give feeding the best possible start.