Learn the importance of safe skin-to-skin cuddling with your baby.

Safe skin-to-skin cuddling with your newborn has many benefits. Safe skin-to-skin is good for a baby and good for parents. In an ideal situation, skin-to-skin cuddling would not be interrupted for the first two hours after birth.

Helps with breastfeeding/chestfeeding

A baby's feeding instincts depend on being skin-to-skin with their birth parent. Guided by smell, a newborn can crawl up to the breast/chest and begin feeding.

If a parent and baby are separated, research shows it takes longer for babies to latch effectively.

Stabilizes the body systems

Benefits to baby

  • Regulates temperature. If a newborn is cool, a parent's skin temperature will rise by two degrees. If a newborn is too warm, a parent's skin will cool by one degree.
  • Regulates breathing
  • Regulates heart rate

Benefits to birth parent

  • Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
  • Lowers the stress hormone, Cortisol, and having lower stress hormones helps with wound healing, milk supply and bonding
  • Lowers chances to have baby blues and postnatal depression

Develops the brain

The first two hours after birth are a sensitive period where the brain is ready to make lots of connections.

At birth, smell and touch are important sensory needs. Skin-to-skin cuddling meets these needs and helps baby make good brain connections that have a lifelong effect on learning and behaviour.

When a baby is separated from their parents, they may have higher stress, lower temperature and heart rate.

Builds emotional bonds

Voice, touch and movement are all important for emotional development.

Skin-to-skin cuddling:

  • Promotes powerful attachment behaviour, which helps get parenting off to a good start
  • Causes hormonal changes and increased care-giving behaviours in both parents
  • Promotes self confidence and improved social relationships later in life

How to do skin-to-skin safely

  • Sit or lay slightly upright, in a comfortable position
  • Turn your baby's face to one side in a position that allows baby to breathe easily 
  • Make sure you can see your baby's nose and mouth
  • Tuck baby's legs up and bring their hands up near baby's face
  • Cover your baby's back with a thin blanket
  • Let your baby stay on your chest for as long as possible while you are awake

If you have any questions about safe skin-to-skin, ask your baby's nurse.

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