The Importance of Skin-to-Skin Contact with a newborn baby and their Mum

Skin-to-skin contact, often referred to as "kangaroo care," involves placing a newborn directly on the your chest. This simple practice has profound effects on both you and the baby, fostering a special bond and providing numerous health benefits.

Historically, kangaroo care it was something that was encouraged within the neonatal baby units, but it is becoming more and more encourages and main stream for all parents to practice, no matter their prefered way of feeding their baby.

The benifits are numerous for both mum (or birthing parent) and baby, also known as dyad, and I cover just a few.

new born having skin to skin with his mum

Benefits for Baby

1. Regulates Body Temperature: Newborns have difficulty controlling their body temperature. Skin-to-skin contact helps regulate their temperature naturally by using the mother's body warmth.

2. Stabilises Heartbeat and Breathing: Direct contact can stabilise the infant's heartbeat and breathing patterns, which is crucial for their overall health and development.

3. Encourages Breastfeeding: Babies held skin-to-skin are more likely to latch on effectively, which can improve breastfeeding success. The close contact allows the baby to smell the mother's scent and hear her heartbeat, creating a comforting environment for feeding.

4. Promotes Sleep and Comfort: The warmth and familiarity of their mother's touch can help soothe a baby, promoting better sleep patterns and reducing crying.

5. Lowers stress levels: Skin to skin lowers cortisol levels for both of you. Babies who receive continuous skin to skin from birth have a lower stress base level.

6. Allows for easier transitioning from the womb to life outside,

7. The mothers skin colonises the baby's gut (along with vaginal birth and breastfeeding) with friendly bacteria, giving them their first immumisation

8. Supports growth especislly for babies in the neonatal unit, and can reduce the hospital stay

   
   

Benefits for Mother

1. Enhances Bonding: Touch releases oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," enhancing the emotional bond between mother and baby.

2. Increases Breast Milk Production: The physical closeness can stimulate milk production, making breastfeeding a smoother experience for both mother and child. The baby has easier access and the nother is able to respond to the baby quicker to the baby's needs,

3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Holding the baby close can help reduce stress and anxiety levels for the mother, promoting a sense of calm and well-being. Lower stess levels allows oxytocin to be relesed quicker.

4. Facilitates Postpartum Recovery: The release of oxytocin not only strengthens the maternal bond but also aids in shrinking the uterus back to its pre-pregnancy size, helping with recovery after birth.

   
   

Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact

Breastfeeding is more than just feeding; it's a critical component of the bonding process. When combined with skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding becomes an even more enriching experience for both mother and baby.

How to Practice Skin-to-Skin Breastfeeding

1. Create a Comfortable Environment: Find a quiet, warm and comfortable spot where you can relax and focus on each other without distractions.

2. Positioning: Lay your baby directly on your chest with their head to one side. Ensure both you and the baby are warm and comfortable, using a blanket if necessary.

3. Be Patient: Allow the baby to find the breast naturally. This may take some time, so patience and repeating is key.

4. Regular Practice: Incorporate skin-to-skin contact into your daily routine, especially during feedings to reinforce the bond and health benefits.

5. Listen to relaxing music or watch a funny programme: this will help you to relax

   
   

By embracing skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding, parents can foster a nurturing environment that supports the emotional and physical health of their newborns. This practice not only strengthens the mother-baby bond but also lays a foundation for a healthy and loving relationship.

Going back to our very first ancestors, they would have had skin to skin to keep their babies quiet, safe and warm. Keeping quiet would have been essential so not to attract preditors. Babies know they were safe in their parents arms, and so tend to cry less. Our babies today are much the same, unaware that we have locks, warm houses and mobile phones.

Skin to skin allows the baby's and parents brains to hardwire onto each other, encouraging bonding, breastfeeding and relaxation.

Moreover, is not just limited to mum and baby, anyone in the household will benifit with skin to skin with the baby, be this the other parent or siblings.