Let’s start with an overview that looks at what skin-to-skin is. According to the Oxford dictionary, skin-to-skin is “holding the naked or partially dressed child against the bare skin of a parent.” When a baby is born, in most cases as soon as the little one takes that first breath, he is placed naked or in a diaper on Mom’s bare chest. It’s the first moment when a mom and baby are reconnected heart-to-heart. After the umbilical cord is cut, two souls that were one for 9 months are separated. The separation is very emotional for Mom and Baby. When the baby is on the mom’s chest, the connection is renewed, and they are reunited, a reminder that the mother-child bond is strong.
Babies rely on their parents to keep them warm, keep them fed and keep them clean. There’s no better way to provide those needs than to keep baby skin-to-skin with Mom. According to Shourangiz Beiranvand, et al., in an International Journal of Pediatrics article, Mom’s hormones are highly in tune with her baby’s needs. As soon as Baby is on Mom’s breast, her body increases her temperature to provide warmth for her baby. Of course, dads and other loved ones can do skin-to-skin as well, but their bodies will not provide the same hormonal response as a mother.
Babies can burn their own calories to stay warm, but they don’t have to when on Mom’s chest. Mom’s body temperature will be regulating the baby’s temperature, and the baby will be burning many fewer calories than if separated. Those extra calories help infants to not lose too much weight and to grow adequately. Mom’s milk does not usually come in until a few days after birth. Baby relies on her colostrum, which comes in very small amounts and high concentration. When a baby burns fewer calories during skin-to-skin with Mom, it’s very possible that he will be less hungry and less demanding of a larger milk volume.
According to Dr. Nils Bergman, specialist in perinatal neuroscience and a promoter of skin-to-skin contact, skin-to-skin provides the optimal space for establishing and regulating all sensations needed for proper development. He says that when babies experience uninterrupted skin-to-skin with Mom after birth, they can smell her odor, hear her voice and can crawl from her abdomen to breast, initiating breastfeeding independently. Basically, all sensory skills and reflexes are activated naturally.
When Baby is skin-to-skin with Mom, the two will look into each other’s eyes, at the perfect distance that Baby can see Mom’s face and Mom can immediately fall in love with her little one. Mothers can feed their baby skin-to-skin, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s from a breast or a bottle. Love and connection are the important things!
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Petra Saidi, RN, IBCLC, works to empower moms to breastfeed with confidence. Check out MidwestLactation.com for quality lactation support with personalized care.