More often than not, you’ll see birth announcement photos featuring a gorgeous little freshly born baby, swaddled in a hospital blanket, with a cute little hat covering his or her head. Hats on newborn babies seem to be the normal thing to do. Depending on where you gave birth, the notion of ‘hatting’ a newly born baby will either seem like a normal part of the post-birth process, or a non-issue. The use of hats seems to vary between hospitals. In the past, it was considered standard practice to put hats on the heads of all newborn babies, though many hospitals now only offer hats to premature or low birth weight babies. At some hospitals, babies born via c-section, or after an induction, may also be offered hats as they recover from the birth. For healthy mothers and babies who’ve had a normal birth, many healthcare professionals are now not bothering with recommending hats immediately after birth, and here’s why: Hmmm, newborn baby smell, also known as the best smell, ever.
That smell, though beautiful, is also pretty important in terms of biology. From the moment your baby is born, she recognises your smell. You are also biologically primed to recognise the scent of your baby. A study in 2003 discovered what new mothers already knew: that delightful new baby smell creates a pleasurable response in a new mother’s brain. It’s mother nature’s simple, and oh so clever tool to help mothers bond with their newborn babies. So instead of breathing in the fresh scent of laundry washing powder, choose at least a full hour of undisturbed skin-to-skin contact after the birth. Nuzzle into your baby’s head and soak up some more of that delicious scent. It’s not just bonding that gets a helping hand from that newborn smell. The third stage of labour is also triggered by a big sniff. After the birth, one of the cues that tells your body that it’s time to expel the placenta, is a noseful of your baby’s scent. Once that happens, you will experience a rush of oxytocin, which will cause your uterus to contract and helps to safely expel the placenta.
Mother nature has perfectly effective mechanisms in place to make sure birth works well. For more information about the importance of an undisturbed hour after birth, see our article here. It’s a common misconception that newborn babies need to wear hats to stay warm (right after the birth). In fact, there is no need to rely on hats to keep your baby warm, because you will be keeping your baby warm. Your body temperature helps to regulate your baby’s body temperature, which is why skin-to-skin contact is so important in the hours following the birth. During skin-to-skin contact, if your baby feels too hot, your body will cool down, and if your baby feels too cold, your body will heat up. It’s possible for babies to overheat wearing hats while indoors — experts advise removing hats as soon as you are indoors. This should apply to hospitals too, where temperatures are often higher than in some homes. This myth was debunked in a study which was published in the British Medical Journal in 2008 and by another study in 2006 (Pretorius).
Besides, research has shown skin-to-skin contact is effective in regulating a baby’s body temperature and has many more benefits. A study in 2010 found skin-to-skin contact after childbirth leads to better thermal regulation, a faster third stage of labour (placenta separating), and improved rates of exclusive breastfeeding. A more recent study published in 2015 found, “women who did not have skin to skin and breast feeding were almost twice as likely to have a PPH [post partum haemorrhage] compared to women who had both skin to skin contact and breast feeding.” Of course, it’s not possible in all cases to experience skin to skin and immediate breastfeeding. If you are separated from your baby, have a sick or premature baby or perhaps he or she is having a few troubles after the birth, putting clothes and a hat on, or using a warmer, would be the best option. Uninterrupted skin to skin time is for well mothers and babies. If all is well and you are offered a hat in the hospital, explain instead that you would rather hold your baby skin-to-skin, and let your body help regulate your baby’s temperature and prevent PPH.
Your baby should be placed directly on your chest, skin-to-skin, with a warm blanket placed over the two of you to help you maintain body heat. Now, lie back, relax, and enjoy that gorgeous new baby smell whilst nature takes care of the rest. Some birth professionals have adopted the saying: “No hatting, patting, or chatting!” immediately after the birth. This was coined by a passionate women’s and baby’s advocate, Carla Hartley. Any patting or chatting should only be done by the mother, with the father right there too. The precious moments right after birth are very important, and should be an undisturbed as possible. It’s the beginning of an attachment, a momentous and important moment that you will never, ever get back. Baby Einstein My First Library Stack & Count Cups (8 Pack) Sassy® Ring O' Links Bright Starts™ Grab & Spin™ In the Water In My First Noisy Bath Book Vital Baby® Play N' Splash 3-Pack Ducks Sassy® Terry Teether in Strawberry
Bright Starts™ Rattle & Shake Barbell™ Infantino® Foot Rattles™ in Tiger/Zebra Nuby™ 5-Pack Splish Splash Stackable Bath Cups Mega Bloks Big Building Bag 80-Piece Building Set in Classic SKIP*HOP® Treetop Friends Activity Gym Nuby™ Octopus Bath Time Toss VTech® Light & Move Learning Ball VTech Super Star Learning Table Disney® Mickey Mouse and Friends Wooden Alphabet Magnets Infantino® Press and Stay Sensory Blocks Infantino® Pat & Play Water Mat™ Lamaze Cheery Chirper Ostrich LeapFrog® Phone & Count Fisher-Price® Classics See n' Say® Farmer Says Kids Preferred Disney Princess® Keys to the Kingdom Teether Nickelodeon™ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles My Busy Book Disney® Pixar Fantastic Friends My Busy Book Play-a-Song® Little Music Note Book: "Trolls: Get Back Up Again" Play-a-Song® Little Music Note Board Book: Shimmer and Shine Disney® Minnie Mouse Wooden Chunky Puzzle
Tickle Time!: A book by Sandra Boynton Play-a-Song® Baby's First Words & Songs Look, Sing and Play! Board Book: Disney Baby Disney® Mickey Mouse Wooden Basic Skills BoardUnder The Sea" Board Book Fisher Price® Listen And Learn Board Book: Little People Let's Go! Barron's Educational Series "Guess Who's On The Farm" by Sarah Mumme Disney® Minnie Mouse Wooden Basic Skills Board Disney Baby® Winnie the Pooh Activity Toy Wonderlworld Posting House Shape Sorter Fisher Price® Children's Board Book Set: Baby's First Library The Tale Peter Rabbit Book by Beatrix Potter Brain Quest My First Question and Answer Game Barron's Educational Series "Twisters: Numbers" by Anton Poitier Fisher-Price® Laugh and Learn™ Smart Stages™ Puppy "Frozen" Little Golden Book by Victoria Saxon Goodnight Moon Book by Margaret Wise Brown Disney Baby® Dumbo Activity Toy Melissa & Doug® Time to Eat 8-Piece Feeding Set Bright Starts™ Pretty in Pink™ License to Drool™