Holding your newborn against your chest for the first time is one of the most powerful moments of parenthood. That closeness, known as skin-to-skin contact, does far more than create emotional warmth. A recent study found that a newborn’s smell can trigger strong bonding responses in mothers, activating the same reward centers as food or drugs.¹ This instinct to hold your baby close is nature’s way of helping both of you adjust after birth.

Immediately bringing baby to your bare chest, without a blanket or clothing between you, offers proven physical and emotional benefits.^4,10 Skin-to-skin time can wait if mom or baby needs medical care, but if everyone is healthy, it should begin right away. Checking the baby’s weight and doing measurements can wait; what matters most in those first moments is connection. Multiple studies show that mothers should practice skin-to-skin contact for at least an hour after birth.²

Here are seven science-backed benefits of skin-to-skin contact that make it one of the most meaningful things you can do with your newborn.

7 Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact With Newborns

Skin-to-skin contact isn’t just about cuddling — it’s a biological process that supports your baby’s transition from womb to world in amazing ways.

1. Keeps Baby Warm and Regulates Breathing and Blood Sugar

Did you know your breasts and abdomen can stabilize your baby’s vitals and keep them warmer than a baby warmer/incubator can?¹¹ It’s true! Mothers can naturally adjust “the warmth of their breasts to keep their infants at the optimal temperature,” says Midwifery Today. “Maternal breast temperature can rise rapidly, then fall off as baby is warmed. As the baby starts to cool, the breasts heat up again — as much as 2 degrees C in two minutes!”⁸ That’s 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Isn’t that incredible?!

Additionally, because newborn babies’ systems are immature, they may experience temporary breathing difficulties and/or slow heart rates.^12,13 Most of the time, they can begin breathing again on their own. However, their little bodies can learn more quickly from the cues you provide, such as breathing and your heart beating, to organize their essential systems. As you breathe, baby will synchronize their breath and heartbeat to yours.¹⁴ There isn’t a baby warmer in the world that can do that!

2. Improves Early Breastfeeding Success

Another considerable benefit is that babies are more likely to nurse sooner and for longer periods.^2,15 You don’t even have to force them to your breast! Have you heard of the breast crawl? Your baby can find your breasts and latch themself on.¹⁶ (Sometimes, they need a little assistance if you had a medicated birth or if they have lip tie- or tongue-tie.^17,18) The sooner you establish breastfeeding, the faster it can help establish mama’s milk supply.¹⁹

A 2011 review in the “Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews” demonstrated the benefits of skin-to-skin contact on breastfeeding.4 Lactation consultant Nancy Mohrbacher explains, “In a study of 21 babies after vaginal birth, three researchers divided them into two groups. One group was laid skin-to-skin on the mother’s body, examined briefly, then returned to skin-to-skin contact for two hours. The other group was shown to the mother, examined, and then swaddled with the baby’s hands free, before being returned to the mother. The swaddled group showed delayed feeding behaviors, suckled less competently at their first breastfeeding, and established effective breastfeeding later.”^3,4,9

3. Enhances Bonding

Many professionals in the birthing industry, including myself, refer to the first hour after birth as “The Golden Hour.”²⁰ This is when “mother and child are best primed to form an intense chemical connection with each other,” writes Patty Onderko, a mother of twin boys. What makes “The Golden Hour” so “golden” is the hormone oxytocin — the “love hormone.”^2,21 This helps the uterus contract during labor, plays a critical role in bonding, and helps with lactation.²¹ Patty had a cesarean, resulting in just a brief moment of contact after her boys arrived. I love that she says no one factor makes or breaks us as mothers. I couldn’t agree more! This isn’t to say women who have cesareans can’t practice skin-to-skin (kangaroo care). They often can!²²

Related: 8 Easy, No-Pressure Ways To Bond With Your Baby

4. Helps Baby Cry Less

The 2011 review mentioned earlier (a review of 34 randomized studies involving 2,177 mothers and their babies) showed that babies exposed to skin-to-skin contact interacted more with their mothers and cried less than babies receiving usual hospital care. This can lead to lower stress levels for a new mother who’s otherwise unsure how to calm her crying infant.⁴ It’s another reason I highly encourage skin-to-skin as well as babywearing. Dads can do it, too!

5. Makes Baby Sleep Better

Kangaroo care helps your baby have better, more quiet, and longer sleep.¹⁰ It also helps lower mom’s anxiety and lessen her postpartum pain.²³ This is huge! Mothers should rest with their babies on their chests and practice skin-to-skin contact, allowing both to sleep more soundly.

6. Improves Baby’s Gut Health and Immunity

It also helps baby’s digestive system mature.²⁴ One study reports that the contact “stimulates the vagal nerve, causing increased growth in the size of the villi in the newborn gut, which provides a larger surface area for the absorption of nutrition.” There’s also “less chance of infection because babies given kangaroo mother care become colonized with the bacteria on their mother’s skin. This causes her milk to produce antibodies in response, making it specifically protective against those bacteria. In other words, it strengthens their immune system. This is by far one of the main kangaroo care benefits in both poor and wealthy countries alike.” — Nurture Through Touch.⁵ It’s a great thing to do if your baby is experiencing colic, since this is sometimes linked to gut/digestive issues.²⁵

7. Reduces the Risk of Postpartum Depression

So many things can cause women to have postpartum depression. New research suggests that skin-to-skin contact immediately following birth may reduce PPD in moms.⁷ Holding, kissing, snuggling, smelling, and breastfeeding the baby right after birth stimulates intricate hormonal patterns within the mother that reinforce mothering behaviors and feelings of well-being.⁶ Some experts believe that if she can’t experience those things, the mother’s body interprets this as something wrong with the birth and/or baby. This can induce a stress/grief response that, in some cases, may create feelings of anxiety or depression.

According to a study in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecological, and Neonatal Nursing, “skin-to-skin contact between the mother and baby may be an alternative therapy for mothers trying to avoid taking medication. The study reveals that new mothers who had six hours of skin-to-skin contact during the first week, followed by at least two hours during the next month, reported fewer depressive symptoms. Saliva samples confirmed lower cortisol levels, a marker of stress, than their counterparts. For a baby, skin-to-skin contact helps fulfill the need for human contact and promotes bonding. The touching releases the hormone oxytocin in the mother, which encourages infant/mother attachment and increases the feeling of well-being and relaxation.”⁷

What’s also great is that it’s free and has no side effects. “Unlike other interventions to reduce depressive symptoms in the postpartum months, skin-to-skin care is easy to use, readily accessible, cost-effective, and without adverse effects,” said AWHONN’s Chief Executive Officer, Karen Peddicord, Ph.D., RN. “Therefore, women’s health professionals can encourage their patients to practice mother/infant skin-to-skin care as an intervention strategy to lessen depressive symptoms and anxiety while improving maternal mood.”

Who Can Do Skin-To-Skin?

Skin-to-skin isn’t just for moms. Dads and partners can also experience its benefits by helping baby feel safe, warm, and connected.

According to childbirth educator Robin Weiss, “Skin-to-skin with baby is good for all types of births, assuming your baby is stable, as most full-term babies are at birth. Even after a cesarean birth (C-section), mom can hold baby skin to skin or dad if mom is unavailable. Skin-to-skin care for preterm babies is also important, and many NICUs will direct you in how to use skin-to-skin care to help stabilize your new baby.” So, if you want to be skin-to-skin, let your practitioners know before you go into labor and have your baby!

Key Takeaways

Skin-to-skin contact right after birth and during the first weeks of life offers powerful benefits for both parent and baby.

For moms, it helps regulate hormones, supports milk production, and reduces the risk of postpartum depression. For babies, it:^{2,10,11,15,26,27}

• Helps maintain normal body temperature more effectively than an incubator
• Stabilizes heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure
• Supports healthy blood sugar levels
• Encourages feeding readiness and improves latch
• Promotes longer and exclusive breastfeeding
• Strengthens bonding with both parents
• Reduces crying and increases relaxation
• Improves sleep quality and duration
• Supports gut health and strengthens immunity

Skin-to-skin contact is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to nurture your baby’s health and your own well-being. From regulating temperature to building lifelong connection, every moment of closeness makes a difference. Whether you’re a mom, dad, or partner, that skin-to-skin time creates comfort, trust, and love that lasts long after those first newborn snuggles.