After birth, you are encouraged to keep your baby in the room with you. This is known as "rooming in." This time spent together helps you to be more comfortable in caring for your baby's needs. You’ll more quickly learn your baby's cues and get to understand what he or she wants. Many new moms also sleep better when their baby is in the room.

Did you know?

Reseach has shown that rooming in also has these benefits:

• Being close to mom makes it easier for babies to get used to life outside the womb. 
  
• When babies feel their mom's warmth, hear her heart beat and smell her, they feel safe. 
  
• Babies get to know their mom by using their senses. They are able to tell the difference between their mother's smell and that of another woman by the time they are one to two days old.
  
• Baby's attachment instinct is highest during the first days of life. Early attachment has a positive effect on baby's brain development.
  
• Frequent breastfeeding will help to produce milk and keep up milk supply. 
  
• Rooming in helps babies regulate their body rhythms. This includes heart rate, body temperature and sleep cycle. Nurseries have lights, noise, and other distractions that can interfere with body rhythms.

If you have a cesarean birth

It may help to have someone with you during your hospital stay to help you care for your baby. This way, while you're recovering you'll still have the benefits of rooming in and spending time together.

Learning to care for your baby

If you feel nervous about caring for a newborn, you're not alone. We know that learning about your baby is an important part of your stay in the hospital. Our staff will gladly teach you about caring for a newborn.