The Benefits of Skin to Skin with Jade

So, Jade,

skin to skin then.

So, tell us a little bit about what skin to skin is, if you don't mind.

Cool.

So skin to skin is the practice of placing your baby on your skin.

So they could be initially after birth, they could be naked.

Going further down the line, they could be just in a nappy and it's placing them on your bare skin.

So your chest, for example, so that you've got that direct contact between you and your baby.

I've actually got a little example here.

So it's just literally holding the baby.

on

your skin

and the benefits I actually done a course on understanding newborns recently and that's where my passion for skin to skin has like really grown so the benefits for both mum and baby or even dad because dad can do skin to skin and that can be a really nice bonding experience for them as well are just phenomenal wow

Is this from birth then? This is like literally as soon as you've had your baby.

Because I remember with Olivia, they put Olivia on me straight away.

Is that where it all starts really, this skin-to-skin benefit? Yeah.

Yeah that's where it starts yeah so that kind of first hour is known as the golden hour so people typically think skin to skin is just kind of done in that hour and then you kind of forget about it but the benefits long term are so important too so it can start within that first golden hour of course but it can also go on as far as into toddlerhood like if my Noah's not feeling very well or got a temperature I'm quite happy to do skin to skin so if he's happy to lay on me without his top on and be on my chest, then I will happily do that now.

So if he's not well and he's got a temperature, skin to skin, for example, one of the benefits is it can help regulate your temperature because they get the feedback from your skin.

That's interesting.

So if you think your baby's coming from your nice, warm, cosy womb space here in your heartbeat... and that's the feedback they're getting constantly to then out into this big open world, your chest is going to be the closest they can be to hearing that heartbeat and feeling that connection with you.

So putting them straight on your skin gets them feeling that closeness and that bonding starts straight away.

But also if you want to try breastfeeding, for example, It can help them kind of find where the breast is and get into that sort of position.

Yeah, but it's generally just that bonding experience and it gives them that sort of sense of safety and comfort after coming out into this big open world because they've come from this little cocoon, haven't they? Big room with lights and all sorts probably.

Is there a certain time that you should, like after the birth, that you should be doing this as a minimum for? Or is it just ongoing?

It's just ongoing.