Skin to skin care (also called kangaroo mother care) is something mothers and fathers can do with their baby that has many benefits. It is good for brain development in the baby, along with increased milk production for a breastfeeding mother.
Skin to skin care has been recommended since 1979 and with its simplicity and many benefits, is one of the first decisions in your child’s health that you can greatly contribute to just by spending time holding your baby.
The advice on Unlimitedmama.com is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your health care professional.
What Is Skin To Skin Care
Skin to skin care is a way of holding your baby with their bare skin touching your bare skin. This benefits the parents and the baby and is great for full-term and premature babies.
It is often suggested you do skin to skin right after the baby is born and on up to three months of age. Feel free to do it even after three months if you feel it is beneficial for your baby.
Skin to skin care helps your baby grow stronger and healthier along with strengthening the bond between baby and parent.
How To Do Skin To Skin
-Your baby may be wearing a diaper and a knit hat.
-The mom or dad with a button up, open top, may be covered by a blanket if shirt must be removed.
-The mother or father places the baby in the upright position on their bare skin of their chest between the breasts. The baby and caregiver will be chest to chest.
-Cover the baby’s back with a soft blanket or your shirt.
-You can sit up at an incline or rock the baby in a rocking chair for comfort.
How Long To Do Skin To Skin Care
Skin-to-skin is most beneficial when done for an uninterrupted 60 minutes. You can do this as many times per day as you’d like. Do this for at least the first 12 weeks of a baby’s life.
When To Start Skin To Skin
Skin to skin can be started immediately after the baby’s birth. After the child has been evaluated by the doctor and/or nurse, and gets cleaned up, is when you will be able to do skin to skin as well as breastfeeding for the first time.
If the baby needs to be in the NICU, speak to the baby’s health care professional about when would be a good time for skin to skin with the baby.
Benefits For Baby
- Regulates their heartbeat and breathing rates
- Comforts them
- Healthy brain development
- Keeps them warm
- Helps them sleep better
- Lowers their oxygen requirements
- They cry less often
- Helps them to gain weight more quickly
- Promotes successful breastfeeding
- Improves the bond between baby and parent
Benefits For Mom
- Improves milk production in the mom
- Strengthens bond with baby
- A sense of comfort
- Heightened confidence in the ability to care for your baby
- Decreases maternal stress
- Reduces the chance of postpartum hemorrhage – A study done in 2009 and 2010, suggests skin to skin contact and the first breastfeeding done within 30 minutes of birth may reduce postpartum hemorrhage (blood loss of 500 ml or more estimated at birth). Women who did not have skin to skin and breastfeeding were almost twice as likely to have a postpartum hemorrhage compared to women who had both skin to skin contact and breastfeeding.
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Benefits For Dad
If the baby’s dad is willing to provide skin to skin contact, it has also been shown to provide substantial benefits for both father and baby.
For whatever reason the baby’s mother is not able to give skin to skin contact in the first 30 minutes after birth, the dad can step in and provide that for the baby. It will have the same benefits for the baby, but the benefits will be slightly different for the father.
Skin to skin contact benefits for dad:
- Stronger attachment is developed
- Increased paternal behavior (desire to care for the baby in every way other than breastfeeding)
- Lowered paternal stress and anxiety
Disadvantages Of Skin To Skin Care
There are no known disadvantages of skin to skin care. As long as the healthcare provider has checked the baby’s health and has approved to go ahead with skin to skin in that the baby does not need immediate care from the doctor, then the results from skin to skin care are all positive.
Speak With Your Doctor
To learn more, ask your healthcare provider to see what they typically do in the delivery room when it comes to skin to skin directly after birth.
You may want to let them know that you wish to do skin to skin care directly after birth to be sure you have the opportunity and get all the wonderful benefits for yourself, the baby, and the father.
