A simple hug from your mom almost made everything better. That’s the power of a mother’s embrace. Something you’ve been familiar with since you were a kid. In fact when the baby is in the womb They receive warmth, food, protection and oxygen from their mother’s body. after childbirth Newborns lack direct access to these basic necessities. The closest a baby can come back to the warmth and safety of the womb is when they are naked against their mother’s skin. This is called skin contact.
Several studies suggest that skin-to-skin contact offers many benefits for the child and the mother.
What happens after skin contact?
The skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her newborn brings the mother and baby closer. This allows the mother to engage with the baby by smelling, touching and talking to the baby. The child tries to open his eyes, trying to respond to his mother’s voice in some way. The baby becomes accustomed to the breast when the baby is held close to the mother’s breast. Also, the baby may begin to move and crawl towards the breast. Makes it easier to locate the breast and start suckling.
Read more: 10 reasons why breastfeeding is good for your baby
How does skin-to-skin contact help mother and baby?
Skin-to-skin contact has many benefits. Most of them have long-term benefits.
Benefits of SSC after birth for mother and baby:
- Helps to relax and soothe mothers and babies.
- Help reduce the anxiety of the mother.
- Reduce the number of times your baby cries.
- This stabilizes the baby’s breathing and heart rate.
- Higher blood oxygen levels for babies
- Improve cognitive development for babies
- The transmission of good bacteria from mother to child
- Stimulate hormone secretion to increase breastfeeding
- It improves the digestive system and its ability to digest nutrients.
- Helps to increase the rate of baby weight growth faster.
Things to keep in mind during skin-to-skin contact
- Keep your phone aside when caring for the kangaroo as it can distract the baby.
- Make sure to hold your baby skin-to-skin for at least 60 minutes throughout each session.
- Make sure you have clean and healthy skin. No skin rashes or open wounds on the skin
- Avoid perfumes and lotions. This is because the baby gets used to the breast by smelling and licking.
- Avoid smoking prior to skin contact.
It’s not just the physical contact between mother and baby that matters. In fact Being intimate with the father can also have a positive effect on the baby. But it’s different from the mother’s touch. Parents, it’s time to hold the little ones to feel skin-to-skin.
