Skin to Skin Cuddling
Today we’re going to discuss a simple yet POWERFUL therapy that is good for every single newborn and baby on the planet. It’s science-backed with over 40 years of research and countless benefits. And it’s absolutely primal and goes back to our basic instincts as humans. It’s called skin-to-skin and you’ve probably heard it mentioned before. Basically nature's way of saying, "Hey there, tiny human, let me warm you up with a hug."
Being skin-to-skin for baby is not just a nice-to-have—it's a biological craving, a primal urge that both you and baby can't resist. Forget about fancy gadgets and high-tech gizmos; this is Mother Nature's original masterpiece, and it's seriously underrated.
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Skin to skin satisfies all 5 senses for baby
Skin to skin cuddling perfectly acclimates them to life outside the womb.
Smell: They smell your skin and breast milk. Additionally, the intoxicating newborn baby smell, akin to bottled happiness, emanates from their scalp, triggering a flood of oxytocin for you.
Sound: They hear your heartbeat. It's encouraged for moms to advocate for dimming the lights and minimizing noise after birth to create a sanctuary for the baby.
Sight: Soon after birth, babies open their eyes and take in their surroundings. During quiet alertness, they seek your face and gaze into your eyes, creating a dreamy mama/baby connection. Dimming the lights after recovery, unless procedures are ongoing, is advisable.
Taste: All babies are born expecting to breastfeed and taste breast milk. If they're placed on your chest skin-to-skin, lunch is close by, ready whenever they're ready. This position also facilitates the breast crawl to your milk.
Touch: Babies feel warm and experience your skin. Placing your hand on their back can make them feel even cozier.
Skin-to-skin contact initiates numerous physiological processes in both their body and brain, connecting neurons and releasing hormones for a more positive postpartum experience, aiding milk production, uterus shrinking, and calming the baby. UK midwife and researcher Suzanne Colson suggests that the first week of life aims to promote a hormone-enhancing environment.
All babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact, regardless of their gestational age. It's essential for their well-being. Consider it your baby's hotline to happiness. If they're not in skin-to-skin contact, they might cry out of distress, signaling their need to be where they belong. Crying often serves as a separation distress call.
How did skin to skin not become the norm?
Enter the era of hospital births. Suddenly, routine procedures became the new normal—weighing, measuring, bathing, you name it. Babies were whisked away faster than you can say "hello world," leaving moms wondering where their tiny sidekicks went.
Instead of cozying up to mom for warmth, babies found themselves wrapped in swaddles and adorned with tiny hats like they were prepping for a baby fashion show.
It doesn’t need to be like this and that’s why you need to be your own advocate.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that healthy infants be placed skin to skin with their mothers immediately after birth and remain in direct contact w/ mothers until the first feeding occurs.
How to do skin to skin?
Lie your baby tummy-down on your bare chest with them only in a diaper, and cover both of you with a warm blanket. Ensure bare skin is against bare skin, leaning back to let gravity hold your baby against you; there's no need to lie on your back.
If you’ve had a vaginal birth and as long as there is no emergency, routine tasks can be delayed for a couple hours such as weighing the baby. As the saying goes, baby weight can WAIT! Other assessments and procedures can happen around you while baby is on your chest.
If you’re currently pregnant, add that to your birth plan that you want this as soon as possible.
If you and baby are separated, guess who can do skin to skin with them? Anyone! Your partner, grandma, grandpa, siblings, adopted parents… anyone!
The ONLY time baby should be separated from you or your partner after birth is if some emergency situation warrants it.
And if the skin-to-skin scene doesn't play out exactly as planned after birth, cut yourself some slack. We're all just doing our best in this wild ride. Plus, the beauty of skin-to-skin is that it's like the gift that keeps on giving—baby will crave those cuddles long after the infancy days.
Benefits of skin to skin
Skin-to-skin contact promotes feeding behaviors, and babies naturally open their eyes when placed upright. If your baby is too sleepy for breastfeeding, this can help stimulate them.
Early skin-to-skin contact exposes your baby to normal bacteria on your skin, which helps protect them from harmful, disease-causing bacteria in the hospital.
Skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the baby’s heart rate, regulates their breathing, and maintains their temperature. It's more efficient than an overhead heater; a mother's body can rise up to 2 degrees to keep the baby warm. The most elaborate hospital warmer can't warm a baby as quickly or as effectively as full-body skin contact with the mother.
Skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the baby's blood sugar levels, keeping their stress levels low and ensuring they receive what they need after birth.
Skin-to-skin contact mimics the womb environment, helping the baby relax and adjust. Cortisol levels decrease when they're in the "mama nest," benefiting both the baby and the mother.
Skin-to-skin contact regulates physiological processes, making it easier for the baby's body to function. This promotes better growth and development, as the body doesn't have to work as hard.
Skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin in both the mother and the baby, promoting nurturing behaviors and attachment. It also decreases the likelihood of postpartum depression in mothers.
Oxytocin, released during skin-to-skin contact, is responsible for milk production, thus enhancing breastfeeding success.
Skin-to-skin contact increases blood flow to the baby's brain, promotes weight gain, reduces crying, and decreases the baby's perception of pain.
Skin-to-skin contact helps parents learn the baby’s hunger cues, facilitating responsive feeding and ensuring the baby never misses a feeding opportunity.
For babies in the NICU, skin-to-skin contact can empower mothers who may feel helpless. Advocating for continuous skin-to-skin contact can provide comfort and support for both the baby and the mother.