After birth, it is recommended to keep your baby in the room with you 24 hours per day. This is known as “rooming-in.” Rooming-in is safe for healthy babies and their mothers and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Benefits of rooming-in
- You can get to know your baby by holding, cuddling and responding to your baby’s cues.
- Your baby will cry less than babies who are away from their mothers.
- It will be easier to learn to breastfeed and your baby will gain weight faster.
- Mothers who keep their babies with them at night sleep better.
Making rooming-in successful
- It is important to have a support person stay with you to help with your baby at night. This is especially helpful if you had a Cesarean birth.
- While you are awake, you can hold your baby in your bed or in a chair.
- Keep your baby on your chest, skin-to-skin, as much as possible while in the hospital to make breastfeeding easier. This will also keep your baby warm and help him feel safe.
- Be aware that your baby may be very sleepy in the first 24 hours. This is the perfect time to keep your baby skin-to-skin.
- Feed your baby when she shows signs of hunger, such as sucking on fingers, rooting, rapid eye movement or making sucking noises.
- If your baby is not showing signs of hunger after 3-4 hours, place her skin-to-skin. At the first signs of hunger, express some milk to help your baby latch.
- Keep visitors to a minimum so you get as much rest as possible.
- Your baby should be placed in the crib next to your bed while you are sleeping. Another alert caregiver may hold your baby while you sleep.