When you have your infant in your arms, you will find yourself examining every detail of their face, devouring their scent, and comforting them with your words and love. The first time you hold your little bundle of joy in your arms is one of the most beautiful experiences you will ever have.
Even if all of these actions come naturally to you, they are critical for forming a bond with your newborn after birth. During this time, you should maintain a lot of skin-to-skin contact with the infant because it can help with bonding and breastfeeding support for mothers. Cetaphil experts discuss the importance of skin-to-skin touch and how it can strengthen relationships.
After birth, skin-to-skin contact is the practice of drying and placing a baby directly on the mother’s naked chest while both are wrapped in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour, or until after the first feed. Skin-to-skin contact can help babies for months after they are born. Some experts also recommend a three-month wait for full-term newborns and a six-month wait for preterm babies. So, cuddle up with your newborn and enjoy the joy of becoming a parent.
It has an instant effect on the mother-infant relationship. Moreover, giving your baby a soothing massage is critical; the massage should always focus on bonding, loving, and respecting your child. Furthermore, doing their skincare after a bath and allocating a specific time for it will allow you to focus on your baby in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, as well as soothe the baby. Bonding is also beneficial to your baby’s mental and physical development. Touching, cuddling, talking, singing, and staring into each other’s eyes, for example, can stimulate the brain of your newborn. These hormones help your baby’s brain development overall.
Skin-to-skin contact advantages:
- Aside from bonding, skin-to-skin contact has a number of other benefits for both the mother and the baby. Here are some of the benefits:
- Calms and relaxes mother and baby by stimulating the release of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone” in the mother.
- It promotes uterine contraction, which reduces bleeding, as well as warming the mother’s body.
- Regulates the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and body temperature, allowing them to better adapt to life outside the womb and stimulating digestion and feeding interest.
The benefits of skin-to-skin contact are not limited to mothers. Bonding with their infant, feeling more confident as a father, and experiencing a rush of protectiveness towards their child are all benefits of skin-to-skin contact for fathers. In terms of regulating their baby’s temperature and heartbeat, fathers can provide the same benefits as mothers while also developing an emotional bond with their child.
