{"id":21956,"date":"2021-01-29T09:52:49","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T08:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/come-comincia-vita\/capitolo-13-la-prima-poppata\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:19:52","slug":"chapter-13-the-first-feeding","status":"publish","type":"come-comincia-vita","link":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/come-comincia-vita\/chapter-13-the-first-feeding\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 13 \u2013 The First Feeding"},"content":{"rendered":"

As soon as they come into the world, the newborn, placed on the mother\u2019s body, moves their little hands around to explore a somewhat unknown yet familiar territory. They grab onto whatever they can, push forward, slowly shift, press their open mouth here and there until they find the nipple \u2014 their target. They latch on, at first clumsily. Then, after a few adjustments, more securely. And finally, they suck with satisfaction and relax.
\nIt\u2019s an incredible scene in its tenderness and natural perfection \u2014 the so-called “breast crawl<\/strong>” (30), the climb toward the breast that every newborn instinctively attempts if placed on the mother\u2019s body and left undisturbed, guided by touch, smell, and taste. This is how the first feeding begins spontaneously, right after birth.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve seen, the sucking reflex is innate, and already in the fetal state, the baby is capable of feeding.<\/p>\n

The first half-hour after birth is the best moment to promote the start of breastfeeding because it coincides with a phase of wakefulness and activity in the baby, known as Quiet Alert<\/em> and Active Alert<\/em> states. Once that phase ends \u2014 usually about 30 to 60 minutes later \u2014 the newborn generally falls asleep.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges and supports the experience of skin-to-skin contact<\/strong> at birth and the early initiation of breastfeeding,<\/strong> which has many positive effects on the baby\u2019s development (31). Colostrum, the first milk produced by the new mother, is a concentrate of antibodies and proteins that stimulate the immune system, protecting the baby from the risk of respiratory and intestinal infections. It also has a laxative effect that helps the intestines eliminate meconium, the waste substance produced by the baby\u2019s digestive system during pregnancy, and promotes the maturation of the intestinal lining.<\/p>\n

Skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the baby\u2019s body temperature and promotes the transfer of the mother\u2019s bacterial flora to the baby\u2019s body before other, non-beneficial and potentially harmful microbes colonize the baby\u2019s mucous membranes.<\/strong> An initial bacterial transfer already occurs during birth, through the birth canal. If the baby is born via cesarean section and misses that passage, early skin-to-skin contact becomes even more important. That\u2019s why WHO recommends this practice even when the baby is born by surgery. It\u2019s an even more valuable resource in the case of premature birth. Thanks to Kangaroo Mother Care<\/strong>, the baby maintains proper body temperature even without an incubator, heart rate stabilizes, oxygenation improves, and the risk of hypoglycemia is reduced.
\nThis is confirmed by the results of a meta-analysis published in the journal Pediatrics (32). A team of researchers from Boston reviewed over 1,000 studies on mother\u2013baby skin-to-skin contact, selecting 124: the results showed that Kangaroo Mother Care reduces mortality risk by 36%, protects the baby from serious infections such as sepsis, and supports successful breastfeeding.
\nAccording to the meta-analysis, it increases the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge by 50%, with positive effects on feeding duration: when mothers and babies can stay close after birth, breastfeeding lasts longer.<\/p>\n\t\t

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