The Benefits of Skin to Skin Contact - Whether You're Breastfeeding or Not
One of the most frustrating topics for new mothers is often breastfeeding.
New mothers are encouraged to breastfeed, but some feel that it isn’t the right choice for them or they have tried and then find that they are not able to. This is often an emotional and challenging process.
It’s widely known that breastfeeding offers many benefits but the good news is that even if you are not able to breastfeed, all babies and parents can reap many of the breastfeeding benefits through nothing more than simple skin-to-skin contact. AMAZING, RIGHT? Skin-to-skin contact is the powerful partner of breastfeeding that anyone can access! Study after study supports the efficacy of skin-to-skin contact.
Skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, is when baby, wearing only a diaper and possibly a hat for added warmth, cuddles on mom’s or dad’s bare chest. The baby’s back is covered with a blanket to keep them warm. This simple act benefits baby by improved growth, weight gain and cognitive development as well as stabilized heart rate and respiratory rates (Cleveland clinic) . Moreover, mothers who practice skin-to-skin contact with baby have been shown to suffer less from postpartum depression! (Feldman)
We all know actually how good skin-to-skin contact feels- think how wonderful a massage or an intimate embrace from a loved one feels. According to Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, “there are studies showing that touch signals safety and trust, it soothes. Basic warm touch calms cardiovascular stress. It activates the body’s vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, and a simple touch can trigger release of oxytocin, aka ‘the love hormone.’”
If your little one is not quite a newborn anymore, you can create skin-to-skin contact by rubbing your child’s back. Try taking some deep breaths to relax and center yourself, and then rub your child’s upper back, behind their heart, in slow circles. I find this a wonderful stress relief and to be grounding for both the child and parent. Everyone in the family will benefit from these practices.
So please talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife if you have more questions about skin-to-skin contact or concerns about not being able to breastfeed. Happy cuddling to all!
Sources:
Feldman R, Eidelman AI, Sirota L, Weller A. Comparison of skin-to-skin (kangaroo) and traditional care: Parenting outcomes and preterm infant development. Pediatrics. 2002;110:16–26.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/12578-kangaroo-care
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/hands_on_research
