Not long ago, all U.S. babies were born at home. But by 1921, 30 to 50 percent were born in hospitals. This led to “separation” practices that soon dominated the way babies came into the world—from weighing them right away (instead of placing them on their mothers) to keeping them in the nursery and more. Launching the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in 1991, the World Health Organization delivered a strong message that such practices had no scientific basis. Still, in many places, they dominate hospital-based childbirth today.

Join Marie Biancuzzo to learn why “zero separation” is critical during the first hour. Find out how to address hospital-based and even legal barriers, and delve into the science that shows how zero-separation results in many physical and emotional short- and long-term benefits, far beyond just breastfeeding! Best of all, you’ll thrill at the almost magical nine-step progression that can happen when your baby stays with you skin-to-skin as nature intended.