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OB/Gyn & Women's Health Services

Kangaroo Care (Skin-to-skin)

Your new baby is soothed by your loving touches. Skin-to-skin care provides many benefits to you and your baby right after your baby is born and even when you are at home. Your baby will be placed on your chest between your breasts or on a breast with only a diaper on. You may turn your gown around with the opening to the front and then close the gown around your baby along with a sheet and blanket over both of you.

At delivery, baby will be first dried and then four layers of dry blankets will be used. Some of the benefits to you and your baby are listed below.

Bonding

  • This provides bonding time between you and your baby, in the hospital and after you go home.
  • You and your baby will feel calmer, more comfortable, and more secure.
  • You will have more time to rest/sleep when you’re not feeding and caring for your baby.
  • Your partner, baby’s grandparents, older siblings and others will feel involved when they can provide kangaroo /skin-to-skin care also.

Crying

  • Your baby will cry less from birth and up to six months old and will feel more secure with you.
  • With less crying, your baby burns less calories and has more energy for growth and weight gain.
  • Less crying will help your baby’s heart rate and breathing becomes even.

Body temperature

  • Your body temperature will go up and down to help your new baby maintain normal body temperature.
  • Your baby’s body temperature may go down a little bit after the first bath. Skin-to-skin care will help to bring it back to normal range.

Illness/infections

  • Babies who have skin-to-skin care don’t get sick as often during the first 6 months after birth as babies who don’t have it.

Breastfeeding:

  • Your baby will get used to your scent, the sight of your breast/chest and face, and use the reflexes which help the baby to root, lick, taste, and finally latch on with active sucking and swallowing.
  • You will produce more breast milk.

Safe Positioning for Skin-to-skin Contact

Check List for Baby

  • Baby’s face can be seen, with head in a “sniffing position.”
  • Neck is straight, not bent.
  • Baby is chest-to-chest, with shoulders flat against you.
  • Legs flexed.
  • You are a little upright, not flat on bed/chair.
  • Cover the back of baby with blankets.
  • Both you and baby are watched when sleeping or baby is being monitored.

If no one can watch you and baby after feedings and when sleep is likely, put your baby on his or her back in the baby’s own firm bed/ safe sleep space.

Works Cited

Lawrence, Ruth A. & Lawrence, Robert M. “Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Professional”, Ninth edition, ELSEVIER, 2022.

Ludington-Hoe, S.M., Morgan, K. (2014). Infant assessment and reduction of sudden unexpected postnatal collapse risk during skin-to-skin contact. Newborn & Infant Nursing Reviews, 14, 28-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.nainr.2013.12.009

Ludington-Hoe, S.M., Morgan, K., Morrison, B., Anderson, G.C. “Skin-To-Skin Certified Kangaroo Caregiver Learner’s Program Manual. 9th edition, 2015.

Wambach, Karen and Spencer, Becky “Breastfeeding and Human Lactation”, Sixth edition, Jones & Bartlett, 2021.