The Golden Hour by Danielle Ioizou

The golden hour is an undisturbed first hour with baby being placed straight onto mummas chest. A nice warm blanket is placed over bubs to keep baby and mother warm together.

Some of the amazing benefits of the golden hour are

- Baby led initiation of breastfeeding. If babies are left undisturbed, babies usually do a breastfeeding crawl and attach themselves to mummas breast. This is the first initiation to their breastfeeding journey together.

- Body system regulation. As newborns are unable to adjust their body temperature as well as older babies, this first hour of skin to skin is important to help baby regulate their body temperature and respiration

- Promotes delayed cord clamping. This will help bubs receive vital red blood cells that are still in the umbilical cord, and can help reduce the risk of iron deficiency.

- Promotes mother - baby attachment. Skin to skin allows mother and baby to get to know each other on the outside world. Oxytocin receptors increase during pregnancy, so when their baby is born they are more responsive to this hormone that promotes maternal behaviour. This can help mummas become more confident and comfortable with their babies.

- Improves breastfeeding success rates. Babies who are able to self latch have a higher success rate of tongue positioning when latching.

- Boosts baby's immunity. When babies are born they are seeded by their mothers bacteria. This helps the baby's cells to understand what is good and bad bacteria. This kick-starts their immune system. Skin to skin contact and breastfeeding is an excellent way to help increase your baby's exposure to bacteria if mumma was to need a caesarean section.

I'm Danielle loizou AKA Dani the doula (@danithedoula_) I am a full spectrum doula, I love to support and nurture people from fertility, pregnancy, birth through to postpartum. I am also a co-founder of The Adelaide Birth Hub, where we strive to connect mothers with an array of local Adelaide businesses that can help them through their birth, pregnancy or postpartum experience. After a long road of fertility struggles, I finally birthed my first baby. I was a ball of anxiety my whole pregnancy and when she was finally here, postpartum hit me like a ton of bricks. I had support from family and friends but felt lost, uneducated and confused. I barely managed to get through the first few months or so, second guessing everything and really not knowing what I was doing. It was rough, but it is what brought me here today. I googled "support person" for fertility, pregnancy, birth and postpartum and I came across a doula. It was then that I knew deep within my core that this was my life's calling. My journey all had a reason and that was to bring me to this work. To educate, empower and give mothers the tools to advocate for their own needs in any given situation.

If I can change one birthing persons journey for the better, than I am making a difference and that is my ultimate goal.