The golden hour after birth is the time you’ve been dreaming of, as your wet, wriggly baby nestles into you for some genuinely beneficial skin-to-skin contact. The whole business of being born is pretty stressful, no matter how it happened, and numerous studies have shown that babies who have this kind of contact are calmer, less stressed, and cry less often in the following 24 hours than those who’ve had none. Their heartbeats are slower, and they’re more likely to breastfeed better. There are also multiple potential health benefits for you, including stress reduction and reduced bleeding.

You can specify your preferences for this time in your birth plan; we’re sure you’ll want as little disturbance as possible. If, for some reason, your baby can’t have skin-to-skin contact with you, the same proximity with dad is beneficial. If your baby needs special care at birth, you will normally be able and even encouraged to have skin to skin as soon as they’re medically stable. This can be known as kangaroo care within a NICU context, and has been shown to have huge benefits for these babies.

When does the first feed start?

Try to feed your baby as soon as possible. Some mothers even begin before their placenta has been delivered. An initial feed will soothe your baby while providing skin-to-skin contact, and helping their transition into the world. Being able to feed your baby is one of the most important things you’ll learn as a new mum and the midwives will be keen to help. If you’ve chosen to breastfeed, you will often be encouraged to stay in the hospital while your baby learns to latch well. Hospitals can be stressful environments and multiple shifts can occasionally lead to inconsistent support. We suggest you focus on the advice provided by Wendy Lever a lactation expert from Unii’s Baby Feeding Journey.

There are lots of different positions you can use to help latch your new baby (some with weird and wonderful names—rugby ball, anyone?). but they all have three things in common:

Baby needs to approach the breast 'chin up'
The baby's chin should be planted firmly into the breast.
Your nipple should be nose-height for them without having to move the breast out of its natural position.

This means that, from the neck up, your baby will always look the same as they approach the breast. What happens from the neck down is merely a way of getting you both comfortable.

This will all look a little complicated in written instructions, but when you practice it a few times in real life, it quickly becomes second nature. Think of it like riding a bike—wobbly at first, but awesome once you get the hang of it!

These general guidelines are a starting point, but you will find your own unique way of getting comfortable together.

Sit comfortably on the sofa or bed, with your body well supported and preferably with a slight recline back (kind of relaxing in front of the TV position).

Bring the baby in close to your body so that they are looking up at the breast. Try to have their tummy tucked close into yours.

Let the breast sit in its natural position (as long as you can see your nipple that way). and bring the baby in close so their chin is planted into the breast and the nipple is about nose height. The chin touching the breast will 'anchor' your baby in and encourage them to open their mouth wide. At this point,you can gently push the nipple into their mouth. When they are well latched, their lips will be sticking out, but often you won't see this as they are nice and close. If you can see lips tightly pursed around this nipple, this is likely a shallow latch.

How can you tell it’s a good latch?

There are lots of ways that you can reassure yourself that you are doing this right. Look out for as many of these things happening as possible:

It doesn’t hurt. Although your breasts can be hormonally tender in the early days, breastfeeding should not cause toe-curling pain. You should feel a tugging sensation, not anything you would describe as biting, scratching, or pinching.
The baby stays engaged. By this, I don’t mean they need to have their eyes open, but rather that they maintain sustained bursts of deep sucking at the breast. The deeper and slower the suck, the bigger the mouthful of milk.
Looks Satisfied After a Feed A well-fed baby will spontaneously unlatch from the breast and look visibly satisfied with the feed. They may even get the famous “milk drunk” look in their eyes! Do bear in mind, though, that breastmilk is the biologically normal food for your baby to eat, so they find it easy (and quick!) to digest. So don’t be surprised when they want another feed an hour or two later.
Poos (a lot!). Once your milk is “in'' and until your baby is about 8 weeks old, they will have frequent bowel movements. When well fed, most babies will make at least 3–4 poos per day of at least a £2 coin size. Of course, your baby may make many more than this or fewer than this but larger in volume. Whatever the pattern, you should be seeing plenty of poo!
Feeds Frequently. Your baby was fed a constant stream of nutrition in the womb and is now slowly getting used to the idea of a "meal." Their natural instinct is to take in small amounts of food at frequent intervals. They will slowly learn to eat larger amounts in one go, but initially, nearly all babies require 8–16 feeds every 24 hours.

You may feel menstrual like cramps during early feeds. This is the oxytocin released while breastfeeding prompting your uterus to contract. If you do not breastfeed or pump, your uterus will also shrink naturally, it will just take a bit longer.

For some women, breastfeeding isn’t the right choice for them and their family. If you choose to formula feed then you can still be baby-led in the feeding experience and make it a positive part of your parenting journey.

How do I choose the right formula and bottle for the first feed?

If you choose to formula feed from birth, your baby’s first feed will be the first infant formula, known as ‘Stage 1’. This is made from cow's milk that has been adapted to make it more suitable for babies. The formula contains both casein and whey milk proteins, but with a higher percentage of whey, to make it more digestible for infants.

Formula is a highly regulated product and there is very little difference between brands. There is no evidence that the market leaders provide better nutrition for your baby than the supermarket own brands. This formula can be used throughout your baby’s first year of life unless advised otherwise by your medical team.

When selecting a bottle, a slow flow teat is most appropriate for a newborn baby. This allows them to control their milk intake more easily. Be wary of the disposable teats that have 3 large holes in the teat - despite being marketed at newborns these teats are very fast flowing and can quickly overwhelm the baby with milk. In order to eat well, a baby has to coordinate their suck, swallow, and breathing. If the milk is flowing out of their control they can struggle to manage this process and start to show signs of stress. Stress signals include spillage of milk, a furrow in their eyebrows, and a frantic quality to the sucking. If you

How do I feed my baby from a bottle for the first time?

One perceived advantage of bottle feeding is that parents know how much milk their baby consumes. However, it is important to make sure that the baby controls their own intake and we don’t inadvertently overfeed them.

So now that we know that we want our babies to lead the way in eating, how can we set up a bottle-feeding environment to support this? Here are some dos and don'ts:

New babies have instinctive feeding behaviours, which we want to utilise during bottle feeds.

Do rest the bottle on a baby’s chin with the teat pointing towards their nose to encourage a wide gape and active latching. Don’t “screw” the bottle into a baby’s mouth (especially while they are sleeping).

Do have them suck on an empty teat for 5–6 sucks before allowing milk to flow (yes, they will swallow a little air, but not as much as traditional bottle feeding). Get the baby suck a few times to simulate a “let-down” (if you are exclusively bottle-feeding, you can skip this step).

Do fill the pointed part of the teat with milk, but ensure that the wider “reservoir” is not full. The correct angle is one in which no milk drips out without active sucking from the baby. This puts the baby in control of the flow, prevents spillages, and allows them to comfortably manage their “suck, swallow, breathe” cycle. Babies fed like this will appear relaxed and will swallow little to no air.

Don’t angle the bottle so that milk drips in “free flow." In traditional bottle feeding, most parents and caretakers have been taught to fill the whole teat and reservoir with milk so no air is sucked in during a feed. This often causes a milk flow so fast that the baby cannot manage their “suck, swallow, breathe” cycle appropriately. There is too much to swallow and not enough time to breathe. To accommodate this, the baby will allow some milk to spill out of their mouths by breaking the vacuum seal around the bottle. As soon as the vacuum seal is broken, air from the environment rushes in, and the baby swallows it along with the remaining milk in their mouth. This is one of the key causes of trapped wind in bottle-fed babies. Let there be an ebb and flow. Lower the angle of the bottle when a baby takes a natural pause in their drinking. They will start sucking again when they are ready for more milk, and the angle can be raised back up to the above feeding position.

Don’t shake and jiggle the bottle to encourage a baby back from their natural break and allow the baby to end the feed. Respect your baby’s natural instinctive appetite. Some babies like larger meals, while others prefer little and often; this is their natural pattern, and right to maintain it.

Don’t try to get your baby to take those last few millilitres of the bottle in the hope of a longer break; it’s more likely to result in spitting up and a sore tummy from eating beyond their natural appetite.

What happens after the golden hour and the first feed?

It is recommended that you let your baby lay on your chest for the full hour. After feeding, your baby will probably fall asleep, and you should try to rest yourself as soon as you can. A one off sleep at this point for up to 5 hours is fine (and very welcome!) From that point on, it’s important to be feeding at least every 3 hours (as measured from start of feed to the start of the next feed).

What if I develop postpartum mastitis?

Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue, sometimes triggered by a blocked milk duct. Warning signs include a red, tender area on the breast or a small lump or harder patches on the breast. You should continue to breastfeed from both breasts as normal with mastitis. It can also happen to mums who are not breastfeeding. Make sure your baby is latching correctly, and gently massage any hard areas where the milk isn’t draining from down towards the nipple to help drain any blocked ducts. Take painkillers if you need to, and drink plenty of water. Try massaging your breasts from the top when you're in the shower to relieve any tenderness. The “cabbage leaves in the bra” remedy you might remember Bridget Jones’ friend Magda trying isn’t an old wives tale; there is evidence this can reduce discomfort and inflammation. Severe mastitis may need to be treated with prescription antibiotics.

What happens during the golden hour and the first feed?

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