The benefits of skin-to-skin contact after birth
There’s a reason that it’s common practice for newborns to be placed on their parent’s chest immediately after birth: it’s got profound benefits for everyone involved. Whether right after delivery, or in those first few weeks at home, skin-to-skin contact is one of the most effective ways to nurture calm, connection, and healing in the early postpartum period.
What is skin-to-skin contact?
Skin-to-skin contact, also called “kangaroo care” (cute, right?), happens when your baby is laying directly on your bare chest in only a diaper. You can place a light blanket over you both for comfort and warmth (all those swaddles you’ve acquired are perfect for this!).
What happens during this time is truly amazing: your own body temperature adjusts to regulate your baby’s, your heartbeats begin to sync, and oxytocin (the “love hormone”) is released in both of you. This remarkable exchange promotes bonding, breastfeeding, and emotional bonding for everyone involved.
Yes - even non-birthing parents!
Benefits of skin-to-skin for parents:
Research shows that regular skin-to-skin contact benefits parents in the following ways:
Lowers cortisol levels, helping calm your body’s stress response
Releases oxytocin, improving mood and emotional connection
Reduces the risk of postpartum depression and anxiety for both mom and non-birthing parents
Has anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) effects, supporting physical recovery
Encourages positive parent-infant interactions and helps build confidence in your ability to read and respond to your baby’s cues
It’s metabolic and hormonal effects may be protective against type 2 diabetes and obesity
For breastfeeding parents, it increases the likelihood and duration of exclusive breastfeeding, which carries its own long-term benefits for your physical and emotional health
Benefits of skin-to-skin for baby:
Research shows that babies who spend time skin-to-skin experience:
Better temperature regulation (as your body naturally adjusts to either warm or cool them as needed)
Less crying and more calm, settled behavior
Improved glucose levels, breathing, and heart rate stability
Reduced stress and an easier transition to life outside the womb
Earlier drowsy states, helping them rest and recover after the big event of birth
A stronger start to breastfeeding, as it encourages instinctive rooting and latching
Deeper bonding and attachment with their parent
How to practice skin-to-skin:
It’s incredibly simple, and both parents should take turns doing it whenever possible:
Undress your baby down to a diaper
Get comfortable and bare-chested: find a secure, reclined position where you and baby can rest safely
Place baby on your chest with their tummy touching you; their ear near your heart
Cover both of you with a light blanket
20 minutes is a good amount of time to shoot for, though you may find you both enjoy it for much longer and that’s great! Put on a movie or show, read, listen to a podcast or music, or simply bask in the incredibly beneficial, natural processes that are happening between you two in these quiet moments.
How postpartum support provides more time for skin-to-skin:
In the early days after birth it can be hard to find quiet, uninterrupted moments for bonding and rest, especially when you’re healing, adjusting, and trying to meet everyone’s needs at once. This is where postpartum support can make a huge difference.
Having an extra set of hands, whether it’s a family member, close friend, or postpartum doula, allows you to slow down, rest, and fully immerse yourself in the benefits of skin-to-skin with your new little one. When someone else is helping with meal preparations, tidying up, or offering emotional support as your hormones adjust, you’re freed up to focus on connection and recovery.
As a postpartum doula, one of my favorite parts of supporting families is creating the space for this kind of bonding: helping parents feel confident and present while they soak in those foundational moments that pass too quickly.
The takeaway:
Skin-to-skin contact is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to support postpartum recovery and newborn care. It regulates, soothes, and strengthens your bond with your baby in ways that last long beyond the fourth trimester. There’s no need to splurge on special products and no schedule to adhere to… just you and your baby, doing what nature has always intended for you to be doing in those early days together.
Resources:
Mehta, Rukshan. “Extended kangaroo mother care - Examining the utility of skin-to-skin contact over the first year of life.” Infant behavior & development vol. 79 (2025): 102055.
Buckley, Sarah J. “Executive Summary of Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing: Evidence and Implications for Women, Babies, and Maternity Care.” The Journal of perinatal education vol. 24,3 (2015): 145-53.
Erlandsson, Kerstin et al. “Skin-to-skin care with the father after cesarean birth and its effect on newborn crying and prefeeding behavior.” Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) vol. 34,2 (2007): 105-14.
Postpartum doesn't have to feel like survival mode.
My role as a postpartum doula is to help you feel grounded, capable, and fully present in those early days.