Skin-to-skin, also known as kangaroo care, is an activity that usually takes place right after birth and promotes many positive outcomes for mom and baby. Evidence reports that skin-to-skin has a calming effect on both parties. It helps to regulate the baby’s heart rate, temperature, and breathing. It stimulates the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and bonding. Ten to fifteen minutes a day can benefit you and your baby.
Skin-to-skin was an intervention people had to put on their birth plans; now, after tons of evidence-based research, it has become a standard of care. It is the time when the baby is bare-chested with mom or dad. In the perfect world, the baby is placed skin-to-skin with the mom immediately after birth. All immediate assessments take place while on mom’s chest. However, in some situations, skin-to-skin contact at birth is not feasible, and the baby needs to be placed on the radiant warmer for assessment. These situations can be categorized by who’s unavailable: mom or baby.
The most common reason that renders mom unavailable is a cesarean section. Some providers have made strides in decreasing this by allowing skin-to-skin while the cesarean section is in progress. In general, any situation that causes the baby to be assessed right away deems the baby unavailable. Some examples include significant decelerations during pushing, apnea (not breathing), low Apgar scores, preterm delivery, or meconium-stained fluid.
I encourage you to keep an open mind and be fluid and “flexible” in your birth plans. I would like to reiterate that skin-to-skin is the standard of care now, so that’s the goal for everyone.
To prepare for skin-to-skin dress comfortably. I recommend something that opens to the front quickly, with no bra. Immediately after birth, during the “golden hour,” the baby will be placed upright on your chest. The baby could only wear a diaper and a hat or hat or be naked. The cap should stay on as it will help keep your baby warm. Once you are skin-to-skin, cover your baby with a blanket.
If the mom or anyone in the room with her notices a change in the baby’s color or anything of concern, they need to alert the staff as soon as possible.
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