Skin-to-skin contact

Having skin-to-skin contact with your baby straight after giving birth will help to keep them warm and calm and steady their breathing.

Skin-to-skin means holding your baby without clothes or dressed only in a nappy against your skin, usually under your top or under a blanket.
Skin-to-skin time can be a special bonding experience for you and your baby. It’s also an ideal great time to have your first breastfeed. If you need any help, your midwife will support you with positioning and breast attachment.
Skin-to-skin contact is good at any time. It will help you and your baby relax over the first few days and weeks as you get to know each other. It also helps your baby attach to your breast using their natural crawling and latching-on reflexes.
You’ll still be able to bond with and breastfeed your baby if skin-to-skin contact is delayed for some reason, for example, if your baby needs to spend some time in special care or warm up in an incubator is they are cold.
If necessary, the midwife or nursery staff will show you how to express your breast milk until your baby is ready to breastfeed. They can also help you have skin-to-skin contact with your baby as soon as it’s possible.

If your baby is delivered by caesarean, you should still be able to have skin-to-skin contact with your baby straight after delivery