Kangaroo Care

What if I told you there was a pill a new mother could take to help her bond with her baby, help her successfully breastfeed, and the pill would offer numerous advantages for her newborn as well?   Would you take this magic pill?  Would you tell all your friends about it?  I would.  So, here is the "magic pill," it's called kangaroo care and it isn't a pill but instead it is when you place baby in only a diaper and hold him/her upright, and on your bare chest.

According to Liza Cooper, LMSW in The Perfect Pouch: The Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Case for Kangaroo Care  "studies show that Kangaroo Care increases intimacy and attachment between baby and parent."  

"If a baby can be transferred to a scale for weighing, a baby can be transferred to a parent for kangaroo care," Robert White M.D. Neonatologist, Memorial Hospital, South Bend, Indiana.  Even if your baby is in the NICU, she will most likely benefit from kangaroo care.  The March of Dimes supports kangaroo care and offers tips for parents and professionals in the NICU.

Listed below are just a few of the numerous benefits to mothers and infants whether full term or born prematurely. 

- Babies who spend time skin-to skin have better breastfeeding outcomes, and the mother's milk production increases. 

- Babies who are held skin-to-skin sleep better.

- A mother's chest can help to regulate her infant's temperature by heating and cooling to keep her baby at the optimal temperature.  Even more incredible?  Twins placed on a mother's chest will both be kept at the optimal temperature because the mother's chest will warm or cool each infant.

- Kangaroo care can decrease the amount of pain an infant feels during painful procedures. 

- Kangaroo care reduces postpartum depression and anxiety.

Fathers also benefit from bonding with their babies during kangaroo care.  Most new dads don't feel much of a connection with their baby until after the baby is born.  Holding their newborn, using skin-to-skin is an invaluable way to begin the process of bonding.  Another common concern for many new fathers is that they could break their fragile new baby.  Learning how to gently hold a baby using kangaroo care helps dads feel confident in their abilities to take care of their newborn.

Spread the word, share this easy, affordable, and evidence-based information with all the pregnant ladies you know! 

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You can e-mail me with questions/comments at theafterbabylady@gmail.com