I don't think I've ever experienced such pure, unadulterated happiness as I did the moment my newborn baby was placed on my chest. I immediately burst into tears because I was finally holding her, this beautiful creature I'd grown and nurtured in my own body. The joy utterly overwhelmed me.

There's nothing softer in this world than a baby's skin. Mine was covered in fine, downy hair known as lanugo. There was something primal about having her naked body pressed against my bare chest. It was as if I was connecting with my ancestors in the way that all human babies have entered and should enter the world.

My husband is not normally expressive when it comes to his feelings, but I could see that the moment he saw his wife hold his baby was different. He blinked back tears and placed his hand on his chest as if he could hold back the heart that might burst from it.

We often think of newborns as sleepy little fellows, and they are, but the golden hour is special in that they are alert and active. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and staring into the eyes of your brand-new baby is an incomparable experience that stirs the most ardent of loves.

Everything about your new baby is so perfect, even when it isn't. It doesn't matter if your baby has blotchy skin or milia or is covered in vernix. If you're anything like me, all you'll see is their perfect little nose, little cheeks, little mouth, and little chin, as yet unmarred by the outside world.

My husband knew from the get-go that he wanted to cut the cord. It's a time-honored tradition, I suppose, but I was surprised by what an emotional experience it was. The umbilical cord is, after all, the lifeline between mother and baby. I was inexplicably a part of my daughter's entrance into the world, so it was pretty special for her dad to physically participate in that way.

I felt instantly connected to my baby in a "love at first sight" kind of way. The warm fuzzy feelings I experienced during the golden hour actually have a scientific reason. There's a chemical connection that happens. According to Parenting, during childbirth mom's body releases oxytocin (the "feel good hormone), and baby responds to its calming effect. There are also some crazy pheromones going on, which attract mother and child to each other.

OK, so this wasn't a dream come true. My baby had trouble latching, but I still feel like my early attempts were important to establishing breastfeeding. She may not have fed, but the skin-to-skin contact helped my body produce more prolactin, and therefore more breast milk. All in all, it was worth it.

Babies are biologically programmed to interact with their mother. They don't want to be away from you because you represent warmth, nourishment, and safety. Basically, all they want to do is snuggle with you.

My daily life is so hectic, I don't always get the opportunity to cuddle my little girl for extended periods of time (she's also not too keen on sitting still these days). But I got to spend the first hour of her life holding her close to me, and that was pretty damn amazing.

Perhaps the best part of the golden hour is that people leave you alone. When my daughter was born, my partner and I became a family of three. We were this new little unit, and the time we spent together (just us) immediately after her birth solidified our union. I think we'll always look back at that golden hour as the moment our lives changed — for the better — forever.