Care practice #6: no separation of mother and baby, with unlimited opportunities for breastfeeding.

This updated edition of Care Practice Paper #6 presents the evidence for the benefits of keeping mothers and babies together after birth. The normal physiology of the postpartum and early newborn periods is explained. The author reviews the influence of early and frequent skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in on breastfeeding and early attachment. Women are encouraged to choose a birth setting that does not routinely separate mothers and babies and to plan for early and frequent skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in.