Abstract

MADERO NOGUERAS, Magdalena; CASTRO MENENDEZ, Angélica  and  RODRIGUEZ CASTILLA, Francisco. Skin to skin contact in the first hour of life: the nine instinctive stages. Ene. [online]. 2016, vol.10, n.2. ISSN 1988-348X.

Main objective: to provide a detailed analysis, by means of photographs, of the instinctual stages through which a baby passes when there is skin to skin contact with the mother at birth. Methodology: In order to capture these photos a woman was selected during a first no-risk pregnancy and the new-born baby after going to term. Main results: there is a short period of relaxation after the first cries of the new-born baby. Later there is a phase of activity. In the tracking phase the baby reaches the mother's breast, touching and licking the nipple (familiarization phase) and within minutes takes to the nipple (suction phase), falling asleep at the breast of the mother in the first hour of life (sleep phase). Main conclusion: This is a natural and safe method, with many benefits and, therefore, there is strong evidence for this practice to be implemented in our daily work routine.

Keywords : Infant; Newborn; Kangaroo-Mother Care Method; Breastfeeding; natural childbirth; mother-child relations.