Written by: Keri-Ann Berga, RN, BScN, IBCLC
Have you thought about whether you will put your baby skin-to-skin immediately after birth? It may be something you want to talk to your healthcare provider about...
Part of our mission at Bella Vida Baby is to provide evidence-based information so women and their families can make informed choices during their pregnancy, birth and beyond.
As a lactation consultant, I've seen the benefits of skin-to-skin, or Kangaroo care in my own clinical nursing practice. As an educator, I do my very best to communicate these benefits to both nurses & new families. It really is amazing what one small intervention can do to help facilitate bonding & breastfeeding!
Photo credit: Stanford Newborn Nursery
I figured that a blog post on the benefits might be helpful - as you read this post, you'll find there are SO many of them!
Skin to skin with a newborn & his or her mother helps maintain the baby’s temperature. Moms and babies are still physiologically connected long after birth. Maintaining skin-to-skin contact will keep baby at the perfect temperature. If a baby is "cold" after birth and we put a baby on mom's chest, there will be an increase mom’s temp for babe’s temp to increase. I have seen mothers become quickly FLUSHED when they are holding their babies - you can actually see her temperature increasing to warm up her baby. Aren't our bodies amazing?
Early skin to skin increases successful breastfeeding rates and current research show us that it increases milk supply (by day 4). Babies are kept close to the breast, have more access to the breast for feeding AND moms are better able to read the early cues of hunger (rather than waiting 'til baby is full-out crying). This of course promotes early suckling behaviour and we know that babies who do are skin to skin get MORE breast milk!
Breastfeeding is a learning experience for both mom & baby - if we can provide early learning opportunities, breastfeeding comes more easily to everyone! In keeping with the learning curve that comes with breastfeeding, current research also demonstrates that moms who do skin to skin are more confident in their ability to breastfeed.
There's more! Babies who do skin to skin return to birth weight more quickly than those who are swaddled (Makes sense doesn't it? These newborns have more contact, more learning and more access to milk!)
Skin to skin isn't just an art - as you probably already know, there's lots of science involved too: A baby who does skin-to-skin will be further colonized with mom’s normal flora (aka good bacteria). Did you know babies are born with a "sterile" gastrointestinal tract? Being colonized with familiar bacteria from mom allows for increased maturation of the newborn’s sterile gut which in simple terms = immune protection. (Baby should be colonized with mom’s normal flora if possible – not everyone else’s!)
The first few hours after birth, babies go through a "transitional" period. There is a major change in how blood circulates through a baby's body after the umbilical cord is cut and the baby takes its first breath. Skin to skin aids in this transition by stabilizing the baby's heart rate, respiration rate and temperature. It also helps to stabilize glucose (blood sugar levels) after birth.
Moms-to be?
Here's another benefit for you!
Suckling causes the release of a special hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin naturally causes the uterus to contract - so that once very large uterus can start to shrink down to its normal size. This can actually help decrease postpartum hemorrhages as well. Suckling & skin to skin also helps to lay down "prolactin receptors". Prolactin is the hormone that helps with your milk supply. Because of the hormones released, there is also a pain relieving effect for both infant and mom.
Want to know more?
It's not just in North America that skin-to-skin is promoted.
•The Canadian Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) has their own interpretation of the WHO BFHI and states to “provide immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin care following birth for at least ONE hour or until completion of the first feeding or as long as the mother wishes. Encourage mothers to recognize when their babies are ready to breastfeed and offer to help if needed”
•This is for babies born vaginally and by cesarean section without general anesthesia.
The goal is to do skin-to skin immediately postpartum. If baby is physiologically stable and at an appropriate gestational age, I.D Bracelets and physical exams can be done when baby is skin to skin, vitamin K can be given after an 1 hour of skin-to-skin and the newborn can be kept on mom during room transfers etc. For those having a hospital birth, ask your healthcare provider if they can facilitate skin-to-skin in the following areas:
•In a birthing room
•Recovery Room
•Following C-section
•High Risk or Intensive Care Nursery (for preterm and/or term infants)
For more information, visit these Canadian Websites:
Give us feedback or tell us your skin-to-skin stories by commenting below!
You can also book a lactation consultation or come to a breastfeeding drop-in with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant: Email us
