-By Bushra Hatahet, UK-Trained Clinical Midwife
“The moment your baby is born is often the moment parents have imagined throughout pregnancy. Although labour may be over, there are still a few important steps before your birth is complete. These moments are often calm, emotional and full of excitement as you begin getting to know your baby.”
If both you and your baby are well, your baby will usually be placed directly onto your chest immediately after birth.
This is known as skin-to-skin contact.
Your baby will be gently dried while lying on your chest and covered with warm blankets to help maintain their body temperature. A hat may also be placed on your baby’s head, as newborns lose heat quickly through the head.
Many parents imagine that their baby will cry immediately after birth. Some babies do, while others are quiet and simply look around. Both can be completely normal.
Your midwife will be assessing your baby’s breathing, colour, muscle tone and heart rate while allowing you to enjoy these first precious moments together.
Skin-to-skin contact is much more than a cuddle.
It is one of the most effective ways to help your baby adapt to life outside the womb.
Being held against your chest helps your baby to:
Your chest acts like a natural warmer, helping your baby’s temperature remain stable during the first few hours after birth.
Skin-to-skin is equally beneficial for you.
Holding your baby close stimulates the release of oxytocin, often called the “love hormone.”
Oxytocin helps your uterus continue to contract after birth, reducing bleeding and helping the placenta separate naturally.
Many mothers also describe feeling calmer and more relaxed once their baby is placed on their chest.
These first moments help strengthen the bond between you and your baby and encourage confidence as you begin your breastfeeding journey.
Whenever possible, skin-to-skin contact is encouraged following a caesarean section as well.
Many operating theatres now support immediate skin-to-skin while your surgery is being completed, provided both you and your baby are stable.
If this isn’t possible, your birth partner may be encouraged to provide skin-to-skin until you are able to hold your baby yourself.
Don’t worry if you don’t feel an overwhelming emotional connection the moment your baby is born.
Some parents experience love at first sight.
Others need a little more time.
Both are completely normal.
Bonding is a journey, not a race.
Throughout pregnancy, the umbilical cord has been your baby’s lifeline, carrying oxygen and nutrients from the placenta.
After birth, this circulation doesn’t stop immediately.
For a short time, blood continues to flow from the placenta through the umbilical cord to your baby.
This is why, whenever possible, we recommend delayed cord clamping.
Rather than clamping the cord straight away, we usually wait for at least one to three minutes, or until the cord has stopped pulsating.
This allows your baby to receive the remaining blood from the placenta before the cord is clamped and cut.
Delayed cord clamping has many proven benefits.
It allows your baby to receive additional blood, which contains:
This extra blood helps increase your baby’s iron stores, reducing the risk of iron deficiency during the first few months of life.
It also supports a smoother transition from life inside the womb to breathing independently.
Although delayed cord clamping is recommended whenever possible, there are occasions when your baby’s wellbeing or your own health means that earlier cord clamping is the safest option.
For example:
Your healthcare team will always explain the reason if early cord clamping becomes necessary.
Many birth partners choose to cut the umbilical cord after it has been clamped.
This is entirely optional.
If you or your partner would like to do this, simply let your midwife know.
The cord itself contains no nerves, so cutting it is painless for both you and your baby.
If you have arranged private cord blood or cord tissue banking, please let your maternity team know before labour.
Once the cord has been clamped, a specially trained member of staff will collect the remaining blood from the umbilical cord into a sterile collection bag.
The procedure is painless for both you and your baby and usually takes only a few minutes.
It does not interfere with your baby’s care or your opportunity for skin-to-skin contact.
“If you’re planning cord blood collection, remember to bring your collection kit with you to hospital and let your midwife know as soon as you arrive.
This helps ensure everything is ready when your baby is born.”
If you are looking for calm expertise and genuine continuity of care, let’s talk.
