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Introduction The first exchanges between a newborn baby and its mother are essential. Any separation can have negative effects on the establishment of the first connections as well as breastfeeding. Objective To establish the current state of management of healthy newborn babies in the delivery room and assess the reasons for possible separation and the feelings of mothers facing this separation. Materials and methods Observational descriptive single-center study, made up of two parts: 1/a questionnaire given to the mothers, postpartum; 2/the collection of data concerning the transfer of healthy newborn babies to the nursery. Results The study took place over a period of 8 weeks. Eighty-five mothers were interviewed. Seventy-two percent of the newborn babies left the delivery room during the first 2 h of life. For 67 %, the duration of skin-to-skin contact was less than 1 h. For 49 %, the main reason was the performance of routine care. The mothers were satisfied with the care provided in the delivery room. Conclusion Too many healthy newborn babies are separated from their mothers during the first 2 h of life, mainly for routine care. Skin-to-skin contact must be part of the physiological reception of newborn babies in the delivery room. The medical staff and parents must be informed of this aspect and its beneficial effects. It is necessary to reconsider the organization of practices to propose a management system that promotes the establishment of a strong mother–child bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]