Why is skin-to-skin contact important for newborns?
The birth of a child is always a very special moment. At Juaneda Hospitals, we are well aware that from the very beginning it is a complex process that can sometimes be overwhelming for many women. The pregnancy, the waiting, the changes, the hormones and possibly the most feared and unknown moment: the birth.
At Juaneda Hospitals we have a team of midwives who excel in their professionalism, empathy and emotional intelligence.
And although the gynaecologist provides the essential care and monitoring of the patients throughout the pregnancy, from the 28th week onwards the midwives have a fundamental role, they begin the process of maternity preparation.
Supported by the rest of the team, they are responsible for humanising the birth. A process in which the women are always at the centre. We always put their needs first. We support our patients so that they have full decision-making power over the birth of their baby. We believe in respectful and dignified childbirth.
One of the most popular experiences of mothers and babies is the famous skin-to-skin contact. It is a WHO-recommended practice that is essential to create a bond between mother and baby, and makes breastfeeding easier for those who want it.
What a newborn baby needs after birth is contact with its mother, because she is the only thing it knows: her smell, her voice, her touch. It is recommended that the baby spends at least the first two hours on the mother's body or at her breast.
Apart from being a special moment after the hardship of birth, this contact has several advantages for the baby.
1. Regulates the respiratory and heart rate.
2. Regulates the baby's temperature and brings it in line with the mother's temperature.
3. Alleviates the fear of birth and calms the new arrival.
4. Facilitates the breastfeeding process, as the baby will instinctively seek the mother's nipple and start sucking, thanks to the warmth and smell of the mother.
5. Improves cognitive and executive skills.
6. Promotes physical development
7. Promotes psychological and emotional attachment that is likely to last a lifetime.
At Juaneda Hospitals, we are one of the few centres to advocate for skin-to-skin contact with the mother, even in caesarean deliveries, as long as the conditions are right. We defend the humanity of birth, that is why we will always be by your side.
Juaneda, close to you.
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