When it comes to child care, one of the best things you can do for your baby is to hold them skin-to-skin. This has been scientifically proven. Skin-to-skin contact with your newborn has been proven beneficial in numerous studies. It has numerous advantages for both parents and babies.
Skin-to-skin child care refers to placing your healthy, full-term baby on your chest immediately after birth, belly-down. Your baby is dried off, a hat is placed on him/her, a warm blanket is placed over the child, and he/she is placed on your chest. Your baby and you will get to know each other better during the first few hours of skin-to-skin cuddling, an important factor of childbirth. They are also beneficial in terms of the baby’s health.
Unwrapping and cuddling your baby as soon as possible after birth is ideal for babies who need to see a paediatrician right away, or who were born via C-section. Your partner can initiate the first skin-to-skin contact if necessary. Skin-to-skin contact is important for babies when it comes to child care. But for new mothers, it can be stressful. While getting to know your baby, it’s okay to start out slowly.
Breastfeeding
As part of a healthy child care routine, keep having skin-to-skin contact with your baby. Snuggling is the best way to prepare for breastfeeding for both you and your baby. Babies who are breastfed skin-to-skin are more likely to have a better latch on to solids. They also breastfeed for an additional six weeks on average. All newborns should spend time skin-to-skin with their mothers as soon as possible after birth. When your baby is skin-to-skin for the first few weeks, you’ll know exactly when to feed them, even if they are drowsy.
When it comes to child care, the effects of skin-to-skin contact on your relationship with your baby may be profound. Skin-to-skin moms are more likely to hold and cuddle their babies, according to a study that tracked mothers and infants in the first few days after birth. The skin-to-skin mothers still cuddled their babies more during a paediatrician visit, even a year after the study was conducted.
Thermoregulation and body temperature control
When a mother is pregnant, she keeps her baby’s temperature stable by sweating in hot weather and shivering and moving around in cold weather. She does this all the time. Babies are born without the ability to regulate their body temperature on their own. In fact, a mother’s body is superior to an electric warmer for keeping a young child warm during the first few weeks of life. It has been found that mother and father’s bodies are better than an electric warmer, with a mother’s body having a slight advantage.
Transfer of beneficial microorganisms
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of vaginal birth versus caesarean birth in transferring healthy bacteria from a mother to her newborn. The baby’s gut is colonised with the mother’s vaginal bacteria after it passes through the birth canal. After birth, skin-to-skin contact with the mother’s bacteria is another way for babies to be exposed and is beneficial for child care.
Babies benefit from early exposure to a variety of healthy bacteria because vaginal and skin bacteria differ from bacteria found in a hospital isolette. Healthy bacterias are also transferred during breastfeeding. A small subspecies of bacteria that coats the intestinal wall, increases digestion and protects against harmful bacteria feasts on some of the complex sugars in human milk that are indigestible to newborns (pathogens). Researchers believe that these healthy bacteria can guard against allergic diseases.
Reduction in the amount of crying
Skin-to-skin contact reduces crying in babies, according to research. This is especially true if the baby is held by the mother. When a baby is born, its first cry is often described as a “separation distress call,” because it’s an instinctive response designed to get the mother to return to her child. Once they are reunited with their mothers, most newborn babies stop crying.
From an anthropological perspective, it is understandable that a baby is less likely to cry when he/she feels protected and secure by his mother. This can help the mom be more responsive to her baby’s needs and provide more frequent skin-to-skin contact by having the baby “room-in” at the hospital with her.
Where does that leave us with regards to father?
Skin-to-skin child care is something that both parents should participate in. Hold your baby on your bare chest, if you’re the father. You’ll benefit emotionally from the experience, and you’ll feel closer to your newborn as a result. Knowing you’re doing something good for your child’s health is a wonderful feeling.
Do some skin-to-to-skin practice at your house.
Even after you have your baby at home, you should continue this practice as part of your daily routine. Snuggle your baby on your chest while they’re still in diapers. Enjoy how close you two are and how comfortable you both feel. If it’s chilly outside, drape a blanket over you both. Put your best effort into making these sessions as relaxing as possible. Before you begin, avoid tasks such as changing the baby’s diaper or making the child otherwise unhappy.
It’s best to incorporate it into your daily routine during times like breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, first thing in the morning, or right after a bath. Keep the baby in the same position for at least an hour to allow him/her to complete a sleep-wake cycle.
Being on your chest helps your baby get used to the rhythm more quickly. Skin-to-skin contact can have a long-term positive impact on babies. For full-term babies, some experts recommend it for three months; for premature babies, they recommend six months. So cuddle up with your child and relish the role of parenthood.
