Skin-to-Skin Contact and Lavender Aromatherapy After Elective Cesarean: Effects on Cortisol and Early Breastfeeding

This single-center randomized controlled clinical trial will evaluate the effects of structured early postpartum mother-infant skin-to-skin contact, with or without maternal lavender aromatherapy, after elective cesarean section on maternal stress biomarkers and early breastfeeding outcomes. The study will enroll 150 term pregnant women scheduled for elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia at Ataturk University Research Hospital. Participants will be randomized into three groups: routine postoperative care, structured skin-to-skin contact, and structured skin-to-skin contact combined with inhalational lavender aromatherapy. The primary outcome is the change in maternal salivary cortisol level from immediately after birth to 60 minutes postpartum. Secondary outcomes include maternal salivary IgA levels, state anxiety scores, postoperative pain and nausea, time to first analgesic requirement, early breastfeeding initiation and success, LATCH scores, neonatal axillary temperature, cumulative duration and continuity of skin-to-skin contact, maternal satisfaction, and the need for mother-infant separation within the first 2 hours postpartum.

NCT Number	NCT07612059
Lead Sponsor	Ataturk University
Conditions	Breastfeeding, Cesarean Section, Postpartum Period, Maternal Stress
Enrollment	150 participants
Start Date	2026-06-01
Primary Completion	2026-06-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-28