01/01/2026
Let’s talk about the part of birth that often gets rushed.
Right after your baby arrives, there can be a flood of movement — questions, blood pressure cuffs, hands on you, hands on your baby, checklists kicking in. It can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re meeting your baby for the very first time and haven’t yet had a moment to breathe, soften, and take them in.
This isn’t about blame.
It’s about awareness.
When birth unfolds safely, there is often more space than we realize to slow things down and protect those first moments with intention.
That might look like keeping the cord intact a little longer — not as a checkbox, but as a way to allow your baby to stay supported during their transition earthside.
It might mean bringing your baby directly to your chest, letting them hear your voice, feel your warmth, and be welcomed by familiar hands. Talking to your baby, touching them, and letting them transition with you can often reduce the need for rushed stimulation from others.
It can mean allowing skin-to-skin to happen without interruption — supporting bonding, hormone regulation, lactation, and postpartum recovery. And if that isn’t possible, skin-to-skin with a partner can be just as meaningful and regulating.
It can also mean delaying routine newborn procedures — not because they aren’t important, but because they usually don’t need to happen immediately. Babies don’t need to be weighed right away. They need time to regulate, to rest, to be held. Checklists can wait when baby is well.
Visitors, too — as exciting as they are — don’t need to arrive immediately. The golden hour is for your intimate family. Hormones are shifting. Bodies are healing. Big feelings are moving through. Giving yourself time to honor what you just did matters.
And when it comes to feeding — babies aren’t starving in those first moments. They benefit from being allowed to explore, root, and find their way in their own time. Support is absolutely there when you want it — but it should be offered, not forced.
None of this is about doing birth “right.”
Not every option is available in every situation.
And if this part of your birth felt rushed — or didn’t happen this way — nothing is lost. There is no missed window. Connection can be rebuilt again and again. Your relationship with your baby is not defined by a single hour.
This is simply about remembering that your experience matters.
That birth deserves reverence.
And that the moments after birth can be held with care, education, and gentleness — when families are supported and informed.
If this resonates, save it.
If you know someone preparing for birth, share it.
And if you’re holding a story that didn’t go the way you hoped — you’re not alone 🤍
