These Celebs Believe In Skin-To-Skin Contact With Newborns: Here’s Why

The World Health Organization recommends newborns be breastfed within the first hour of birth and also, for the first six months. Breastfeeding is also one of the best ways to have skin-to-skin contact with your infant. That’s why many celebrities believe in skin-to-skin contact with their newborns and have been actively voicing it.

From Kajal Agarwal, Lisa Haydon Lalvani and Neha Dhupia to Sonam Kapoor celebrities are maintaining skin-to-skin contact with their newborns. Earlier too actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Lara Dutta etc. have spoken about the importance of breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact with their newborns. 

Not only for mums but it’s important for dads too to spend at least 15-20 minutes doing skin-to-skin contact with their newborns on the day of their birth as well as the next few days after birth. Dads who do this have a stronger attachment to their babies.

What Is Skin-To-Skin Contact? 

Skin-to-skin contact, also known as ‘kangaroo care’ is the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on the mother’s bare chest after birth, covered in a warm blanket. The mother and baby stay that way for at least an hour. It’s an important practice in neonatal units.

It can also be done whenever a baby needs to be comforted or calmed. It helps boost a mother’s milk supply as well. 

Why Is Skin-To-Skin Contact Important? 

It helps parents bond with their baby and it’s a great way to support a baby’s development. In the neonatal unit, skin-to-skin contact provides benefits like improving oxygen saturation reducing stress levels, encouraging pre-feeding behaviour, and improving milk volume.

Some of the other benefits of skin-to-skin contact are:

• Regulates temperature.
• Stimulates the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and mothering
• Calms and relaxes both the baby and the mother.
• It regulates the baby’s heart rate and breathing and helps them to adapt to life outside the womb.
• Stimulates digestion and interest in feeding.

A mother holding her baby in skin-to-skin contact after birth initiates strong instinctive behaviours in both. The mother will experience a surge of maternal hormones and begin to smell, stroke and engage with her baby. 

As for fathers, holding their infant skin-to-skin helps them to understand the baby’s needs. Like mums, It also helps them to relax and reduce their stress levels as the release of the love hormone (oxytocin) is associated with skin-to-skin contact. It also helps dads to bond better with their newborns.

Cover Image source: Lisa Lalvani Instagram