Care Practice 6: Mothers and Babies Should Not Be Separated After Birth and Should Have Unlimited Opportunity for Breastfeeding
Adapted from The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence.

Experts now recommend that right after birth, a healthy newborn should be placed skin-to-skin on the mother’s abdomen or chest and should be dried and covered with warm blankets. Any care that needs to be done immediately after birth can be done with your baby skin-to-skin on your chest. As midwife Ina May Gaskin says, you’re entitled to "keep your prize."

• Read the Lamaze Care Practice Paper to learn what the research says about the importance of early, continuous contact with your baby after birth.
  • Also available as a PDF in English, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.
• Learn some tips for establishing breastfeeding in the early days and weeks.
• Visit the Baby-Friendly USA Web site to learn about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and to locate a Baby-Friendly hospital or birth center.