To Hat or Not to Hat? A Gentle Look at Newborn Head wear
It’s one of those quiet moments that sticks in your memory forever: your baby’s first breath, that soft cry, the overwhelming love and a midwife gently placing a tiny hat on your newborn’s head.
For many, the newborn hat is a staple in those first few hours of life. Hospitals often encourage it, baby shower gifts include it, and photos are filled with them. But do babies really need hats right after birth? Or could this small act be interfering with something bigger like bonding and breastfeeding?
Let’s take a look at both sides of the debate.
Why Hats Are Common in the First Place?
Newborns lose heat more quickly than adults especially through their heads and for decades, hospitals have used little cotton or woolly hats to help babies stay warm. It makes sense, especially in colder birth environments or for babies who are small or born early.
In fact, the World Health Organisation has included hats in basic thermal care for newborns in some settings, especially where incubators or heating are limited.
So yes, hats can help. Especially if your baby is premature, the room is chilly, or you’re not able to do immediate skin-to-skin for medical reasons.
What Happens When We Leave the Hat Off?
When your baby is born, they don’t just need warmth they need you. Your smell, your heartbeat, your skin.
Placing your baby directly on your chest skin-to-skin helps regulate their temperature naturally. In fact, studies have shown that skin-to-skin care can stabilise breathing, improve heart rate, and regulate blood sugar better than some traditional warming methods.
Even more powerful than the physical benefits? The emotional and hormonal connection.
“During skin-to-skin, you’ll release a powerful cocktail of calming hormones, including oxytocin… enhancing your ‘mothering behaviours’… anti‑anxiety and anti‑depressive properties.”
— Medela Research Team
Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” is released in both you and your baby during skin-to-skin contact. It helps your baby feel safe. It helps your milk start to flow. It even helps reduce stress for both of you.
And here’s where hats come in: the smell of your baby’s head is one of the strongest triggers for Oxytocin. Covering their head with a hat may slightly reduce that scent exchange. It may also lessen the contact between your skin and theirs, two small but important pieces of the bonding puzzle.
What Research Tells Us
Here’s a gentle summary of what we know:
A Cochrane review found that newborns who had skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth were more likely to breastfeed successfully, and for longer.
In some studies, adding a hat provided no extra thermal benefit when babies were already being held skin-to-skin.
The Real Birth Company shares:
“There is no evidence that using a hat is the best way of keeping them warm, and much evidence about the importance of skin-to-skin.”
In other words, your chest is a natural warmer, calmer, and safer place than we often realise.
So… Should You Hat or Not?
This isn’t about rules, it’s about options. And the good news is, you get to choose.
If your baby is full-term, healthy, and you’re in a warm room with them skin-to-skin, you probably don’t need a hat right away. Let their beautiful head rest against your chest. Let their smell drift into your nose. Let them root, crawl, and snuggle in.
But if your baby needs extra support or the room is cold, then a hat might be helpful. Especially if skin-to-skin isn’t happening yet.
And always if you’re unsure, ask your midwife or birth team. They’re there to support your baby’s unique needs.
Final Thoughts for Mamas-to-Be
This isn’t about being “right.” It’s about being connected, informed, and confident in your choices.
A tiny cotton hat isn’t dangerous, but it’s okay to wonder if it’s necessary. Your body was made to welcome your baby. To hold, to warm, to feed, to calm. And in many cases, that’s more than enough.
So whether you choose to hat or not to hat, know this:
The most important thing your baby needs... is you.
You’ve got this, mama. 🧡