Kangaroo care is skin to skin contact between mom or dad and their newborn baby.
The benefits are extraordinary, especially vital for premature babies.
Many studies have been done since the early eighties, some say there are no benefits but most show positive results for both mother and baby.
For comfort, your newborn will have a diaper on, have a little blanket at the ready then place your little one on to your bare chest with baby’s head turned to the side (ear to chest). Then put the blanket over his/her back. Both mom and dad can do this and at the same time with twins.
Regarding Premature Babies…
It will depend on how stable your little one(s) are whether or not the NICU staff will allow this and how long you can do this for. Basically the more skin to skin you get the better, ensuring physiological and psychological benefits.If you are unable to hold your baby then you may be able to touch their little hand or foot. This sort of touch is also important.
Physical Benefits for Babies
Babies stabilize faster than in an incubator especially in the first six hours of life, including:
With skin to skin care the mother’s chest automatically warms a cold baby. The amazing thing is if the baby has a temperature the mother’s core will drop to adjust to this. Only mommies can do this.
Research has also said it improves babies sleep patterns and can help with colic issues due to less crying.
Breastfeeding Benefits
Baby Development
Benefits for Mom
Described as “The Hug that Helped Change Medicine” this beautiful story about preemie twins and their survival. This story helped with the realization that skin to skin contact is truly healing.
This is a story of a miracle baby while a mother was holding her baby in kangaroo care.
David and Kate Ogg were told their little baby boy had died. He and his twin sister were born prematurely at 27 weeks in March 2010. Mom held her baby skin to skin talking to him, stroking him and holding him in the kangaroo care position. After two hours of skin to skin care their little boy, Jamie, started to breath and move, he then took breast milk from mom’s finger. Jamie survived!
Breast or bottle feeding for twins – whichever decision you take, read our indepth guide on Breastfeeding twins