The Miracle Hour

At the hospital where Ainsley was born, they have a fairly new program called

The Miracle Hour.

As soon as the baby is born, she is placed skin-to-skin on the mother's chest.  The nurse puts a beanie on her head and wraps the mommy and baby with a warm blanket.  The doctor finishes up what he needs to do and then only the post-partum and nursery nurses stay.  I guess Christine and Patti and I were being quiet enough so we were able to stay too.  The lights are dimmed and for the next hour mom, dad, and baby quietly get to know each other outside the womb by talking, touch, and introduction to the breast.  It was such a beautiful thing.  Only after this hour is the baby weighed, measured, and bathed and other people can come in the room.

Why Skin-to-Skin Contact

There are many benefits to both mom and baby:

• Provides a gentle transition to life outside the womb immediately after delivery.
• Stabilizes infant respirations and oxygenation.
• Maintains infant temperature better than an incubator.
• Stabilizes glucose levels, preventing hypoglycemia.
• Reduces stress hormones from crying and separation from mother.
• Stabilizes infant's blood pressure.
• Increases early breastfeeding initiaion.
• Enhances infant brain development by verbal and tactile input provided during skin-to-skin contact.
• Decreases pain perception during injections and heel sticks.
• Triggers release of oxytocin which has a calming effect promoting bonding between mother and infant.
• Increases breastfeeding duration.
• Ehances the birth experience.

Skin-to-Skin Contact can be done as often as mothers and infants desire druing the early hours, days, and weeks following birth.  the benefits are numerous and far reaching.

I was so impressed with the Miracle Hour that I think everyone having a baby should do this.  I love how much we keep learning and the progress made to enhance our lives.