Skin-to-Skin Contact: Why It's Gold for Newborns and Mums

Did you know? Newborns placed skin-to-skin immediately after birth are significantly more likely to successfully breastfeed in the first hour — and to continue breastfeeding for longer. For something so instinctive and simple, the evidence behind it is extraordinary.

If you've heard "skin-to-skin" or "kangaroo care" mentioned in your antenatal appointments and want to understand exactly what it means, why it matters, and how much your baby actually needs — you're in the right place. This article answers one specific question within our broader Breastfeeding Nutrition & Milk Supply: Evidence-Based Guide for Australian Mothers: how does skin-to-skin contact support breastfeeding initiation and milk supply? Everything that comes after — from lactation foods to feeding challenges — builds on this biological foundation.

At Nella Vosk, early feeding connection sits at the heart of our Milk & Feeding Support pathway — because the hours immediately after birth are one of the most powerful windows we have to set breastfeeding up for success, and every Australian mother deserves to walk into that moment feeling informed.

Skin-to-skin contact — also known as kangaroo care — involves placing your newborn, wearing only a nappy and possibly a small hat, directly against your bare chest. Your baby rests upright between your breasts, with a warm blanket draped over their back.

The World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Australian Breastfeeding Association, and The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne all recommend initiating skin-to-skin contact within the first minute after birth, continuing uninterrupted for at least 60 to 90 minutes. This first window is often called the "golden hour" — and its effects on breastfeeding, bonding, and newborn physiology are well-documented.

This is one of the most common questions Australian parents ask — and the answer is more reassuring than prescriptive.

The Golden Hour: Immediately After Birth

Aim for at least 60 to 90 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin immediately after delivery. During this window, your baby's temperature, heart rate, blood sugar, and breathing are being actively regulated by your body — in ways no warming cot can fully replicate. This is also when many babies will instinctively attempt to crawl toward the breast and self-latch, a behaviour researchers call the "breast crawl."

Routine checks — weighing, measuring, cord clamping — can wait. Unless there is a clinical reason to separate mother and baby, the golden hour should be protected.

At Home: The First Days and Weeks

Once you're home, most health organisations recommend aiming for at least 60 minutes of skin-to-skin per day during the first few months. This doesn't need to happen in one sitting — sessions of 20 to 30 minutes across the day count equally.

Regular skin-to-skin in the early weeks is particularly valuable for mothers managing milk supply concerns. Because your body reads skin contact and feeding cues as a direct signal to produce more milk, building skin-to-skin into your daily routine supports the same hormonal pathway as frequent feeding. If you're exploring strategies to increase your milk supply, skin-to-skin is consistently one of the most evidence-aligned recommendations.

For Premature or Low-Birthweight Babies

For babies admitted to NICU, the Australian Breastfeeding Association recommends kangaroo care for as many hours as possible — ideally 8 to 24 hours per day when clinically safe. Research consistently shows that extended kangaroo care for premature babies supports weight gain, reduces hospital stay duration, and significantly improves breastfeeding outcomes.

If your baby is in NICU, speak with your nursing team about when and how skin-to-skin can begin. Most NICUs actively support and encourage it.

Is There an Upper Age Limit?

No. There is no official cutoff age for skin-to-skin. Most parents naturally continue through the first three to six months, tapering as their baby becomes more mobile and wiggly. You'll know it's time to wind back when your baby starts pulling away or losing interest in close contact — this is a developmental milestone, not a failure.

Your body is not simply a warm surface. It is an active biological system that regulates your newborn across multiple physiological dimensions simultaneously.

Temperature Regulation

Your chest responds dynamically — warming to raise your baby's temperature if they're cold, cooling slightly if they overheat. This thermal synchrony is more precise and responsive than any blanket or warming device.

Heart Rate and Breathing

Research shows that skin-to-skin contact helps stabilise heart rate and breathing patterns. This effect is particularly significant for premature babies, where cardiac and respiratory stability can be life-changing.

Blood Sugar Stability

Newborns are vulnerable to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) in the hours after birth. Skin-to-skin contact is associated with more stable blood glucose levels, reducing the need for supplementary feeding interventions in otherwise healthy full-term babies.

Microbiome Transfer

When your baby rests on your skin, they're being colonised with your microbiome — the beneficial bacteria that form the early foundation of their immune system. This is especially relevant after a caesarean birth, when vaginal microbiome transfer doesn't occur. Early microbiome seeding has emerging links to infant skin health, including eczema risk reduction in breastfed babies.

Stress Hormone Reduction

Birth is physiologically stressful. Cortisol levels in newborns spike significantly during and immediately after delivery. Skin-to-skin contact measurably reduces cortisol within minutes, creating the calm physiological state that supports an early, relaxed feeding attempt.

The benefits are bidirectional. Skin-to-skin isn't just regulating your baby — it's triggering significant hormonal responses in your own body that directly support breastfeeding.

Prolactin and Milk Initiation

When your baby roots and attempts to latch during skin-to-skin, this stimulates prolactin — the hormone responsible for milk production. The earlier and more consistently this signal occurs, the stronger the message to your body to produce milk. Understanding how low milk supply develops — and how to prevent it begins here, in these first hours.

Oxytocin Release

Physical contact with your newborn triggers oxytocin — the "bonding hormone." Oxytocin promotes emotional attachment, supports milk let-down (the reflex that releases milk from the breast during feeding), and is associated with reduced maternal anxiety in the postpartum period.

Postpartum Recovery Support

Oxytocin also supports uterine contractions in the hours after birth, which may assist with placental delivery and help reduce postpartum blood loss. This is a small but meaningful physiological benefit for recovering mothers.

Reduced Risk of Postnatal Depression

Research suggests that the hormonal environment created during skin-to-skin — particularly sustained oxytocin release — may be associated with reduced symptoms of postnatal depression. While skin-to-skin is not a clinical treatment, it is one of the earliest opportunities to support maternal emotional wellbeing.

Skin-to-skin is not exclusive to the birthing parent. Partners, fathers, and non-birthing caregivers can and should provide skin-to-skin — particularly when the birthing parent is recovering from surgery or needs rest.

Partner skin-to-skin delivers the same physiological regulation benefits for the baby: temperature stability, heart rate regulation, stress reduction. It also triggers oxytocin in the partner, supporting bonding and emotional connection from the very first hours.

Research consistently shows that partners who engage in early skin-to-skin report stronger feelings of attachment and greater involvement in infant care in the weeks that follow. If you're the birthing parent reading this, this is worth sharing with your support person before birth.

Many parents assume skin-to-skin isn't possible after a caesarean. In most cases, with a healthy baby and a stable mother, it absolutely is — though it may look slightly different.

Many Australian hospitals now support immediate or early skin-to-skin in theatre, with your baby placed on your chest while the surgical team completes the procedure. If your arms are occupied or you're experiencing nausea from anaesthesia, your partner can hold your baby skin-to-skin in the recovery room until you're ready.

If you're planning a caesarean birth, include your skin-to-skin preferences in your birth plan and discuss them with your care team beforehand. Most hospitals will accommodate this when it is clinically safe to do so.