I remember thinking, “Is everything really OK?”
It was a long and anxious road to my perfect birth story, but there she was at 12:21 lying on my chest, fingers and toes accounted for. And it felt so good. But given my prior delivery experiences, I didn’t want to take any chances, so I continued to question why my nurse midwife wasn’t bringing my baby to the warmer. Every time I asked, she said, “Look at your baby. This is where she needs to be.” And despite myself, I found the worry and fear fading away… and it was just the two of us, skin to skin. My name is Hope. I’m a mom. I’m a healthcare provider. And that was my introduction to Skin-to-Skin Contact (Kangaroo Care).
I held my daughter skin-to-skin immediately after birth, and we remained that way until she was ready to nurse and completed her first feeding. Shortly after, we moved to the post partum floor where we were greeted by family. I had no idea what to do when the nurse ushered my parents out of the room because my newborn’s temperature was dropping.
Lucky for me, she knew what was best. The nurse unswaddled her down to her diaper, told me to open my shirt, and placed baby on my chest. It was then that she told me the benefits of skin-to-skin beyond bonding. Within minutes, my daughter was warm, and I was hooked on the practice.
My name is Daniela. I’m a mom. I’m an Advertising Director. And that was my introduction to Skin-to-Skin Contact (Kangaroo Care).
When our paths crossed months later, we were two moms who wanted to do what was best for our babies. And now, two years later, as co-founders of NüRoo, we’ve spent a good deal of time studying the benefits of Kangaroo Care (KC), or what many call Skin-to-Skin contact.
And there’s a lot to know. For instance…
What Is Skin-to-Skin Contact / Kangaroo Care?
Skin-to-Skin Contact, or Kangaroo Care (KC), is when you hold your infant, who is only wearing a diaper, in a vertical position against your bare chest, for an uninterrupted period of time.
What Does Skin-to-Skin contact Do?
There’s a long list of benefits, but in a nutshell, being chest to chest activates a nerve that is postitioned along the front of both your chests, when stimulated triggers a natural hormone release that delivers strong physiologic and emotional benefits for BOTH OF YOU. This includes bonding and attachment, of course, but goes much, much further than that.Who Is Kangaroo Care For?
Lots of moms we’ve met think Kangaroo Care is only for preemies, but in fact, it has tremendous benefits for both pre- and full-term infants. And, by the way, not only mom’s can provide Kangaroo Care – dads, siblings, and grandparents can deliver benefits to baby too!
When Do You Practice Skin-to-Skin?
The benefits don’t end when you leave the hospital. In fact, done properly — multiple times a day for a suggested 60 minutes, over the first three months of life — Kangaroo Care has important and lasting advantages for your baby’s health and development.
We’ve developed a product that’s intended to help you fit Skin-to-Skin into your daily routine. It will be available inn January and we’ll tell you more about it as we go along. But for now, we’re starting this blog in hopes of sharing our story and hearing yours.
Because as it turns out, nature (and nurses) have it right… The best place for both of you is when nothing comes between you.
Welcome to NüRoo.