Massaging and skin to skin cuddling between a mother and her new-born baby is highly beneficial to the baby.
I previously brought a report carried by experts at Stanford University School of Medicine which suggests that cuddling and skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her new-born baby is highly beneficial.
Ordinarily when a baby cries, once that child is picked up by the mother and is given a soothing touch, the baby feels more comfortable and eases on the cry. If just that touch can provide a soothing relief to the baby, how much more skin-to-skin cuddle?
Experts even suggest that the immediate separation between mother and child after birth is not ideal. Research suggests that babies experience stress after being removed front their natural habitat – which is the mother.
Below are important reasons why skin-to-skin cuddling and massaging is beneficial to a newly born baby:
1. Experts believe that skin-to-skin cuddling between mother and child creates an enabling environment for the baby similar to the womb. This would help maintain the baby’s temperature, breathing and heart rate.
2. MASSAGING HELPS MOTHER AND CHILD BOND
According to Claire Nonini of baby massage school: “The slow, firm strokes of baby massage are great for releasing oxytocin, the hormone responsible for helping us to bond with each other.”
3. IMPROVED HEART AND LUNG FUNCTION
Another important benefit that’s been associated with skin-to-skin cuddling of a new-born baby is an improved heart and lung function. After leaving their natural habitat, babies go through a transition as they adjust to breathing outside of the uterus while in the womb. Research has found that babies who were given skin-to-skin contact with their mother adjusted quicker than those who weren’t.
4. AID BREASTFEEDING
Skin-to-skin contact can also aid the baby to start sucking. A video posted by UNICEF showed how a new-born baby made his way to his mother’s breast and latched on immediately. Experts suggest that placing the new-born baby on the mother’s body would trigger the baby’s natural instincts to latch onto the breast.
5. REDUCES BABY’S CRYING
Various researches have shown that babies that are held skin-to-skin by their mothers’ cry lesser than babies that are distanced from their mother. The bond of skin-to-skin contact makes the baby feel better relaxed.
6. BETTER BRAIN ACTIVITY
Research has shown that massaging helps a baby’s brain development. Researchers suggest that premature babies who are massaged tend to have better brain development than those who weren’t.
7. BETTER ORGAN FUNCTIONS
Experts suggest that massaging improves parts of the nervous system that regulates our body organ. So massaging your baby would aid better organ functions.
8. Massaging your newly born baby can also help in muscle development as well as help provide calmer response to stress and pain.
Skin-to-skin cuddling and massaging your baby is extremely good for your baby’s emotional well-being, and it’s also good for the mother’s well-being too. Minus providing that mother and child bond, research has found that it can help boost a mother suffering from postnatal depression. The interaction between mother and child can help alleviate stress and depression on the mother’s part, making it a win-win situation for both mother and child.
ViV