International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day

There have been many studies over the years that show the benefits of mother and baby being together immediately after birth. When baby is put on mothers chest, skin to skin (baby naked, mom's chest bare) these studies have shown that babies are able to bring their body temperature to a stable level, that their heart and breathing rates are more steady, babies blood sugar is more elevated and with skin to skin babies are simply more happy. Skin to Skin or Kangaroo Care has been show to increase breastfeeding success rates in new born infants drastically.

Skin to skin and kangaroo care has been shown to be beneficial of course for a baby born term and in good health, but it has also been shown to be beneficial for premature babies, babies with health concerns (ie: babies requiring oxygen or feeding tubes) or for multiple births (twins and so on).

The time to initiate skin to skin for the first time is immediately after birth. Best practice is that immediately after the baby is born, baby is place directly on mother’s stomach area, just below or between her breasts. The baby can then be whipped or dried by the doctor or nursing staff, a dry towel is then placed over your babies back.  At this time, babies will do something AMAZING. They go through something called the 9 stages of skin to skin. This process typically takes up to 1 hour and by the end of these 9 stages, babies are typically self-latching and breastfeeding successful with no help from you.

Check out this video clip to see a new born baby in action: CLICK HERE

An important thing to keep in mind is that this process should not be interrupted. Necessary procedures and checks from the hospital staff can be done while baby is skin to skin with mother. (ie: vitamin K, Apgar, hospital bands, etc.)

More benefits of skin to skin:

· Is more likely to latch on well and in a comfortable position

· Maintains body temperature normal (better than an incubator)

· Maintains heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure

· Higher blood sugar

· Less likely to cry

· Is more likely to breastfeed exclusively and breastfeed longer

· Even Dad can do it!!

For more inforation about making Skin to Skin and Kangaroo care part of your birth and postpartum care place, please feel free to contact me, post a message, or share a story on our facebook page!