Cuddling with your newborn baby is a sheer pleasure for the soul. Their closed eyes, soft smiling lips, and calm face are enough to make your heart dance. Fortunately, this skin contact with your baby is also an exceptional solution for improving their overall health.

Called Skin-to-Skin Contact or Kangaroo Care, the process has a long-proven history of nurturing your little ones.

This article delves into the depths of Kangaroo Care for your baby. It talks about the process, its advantages, and important tips for pursuing it. So, without much chit-chat, let’s start our exploration:

What is Kangaroo Care of baby?

Skin-to-skin contact, endearingly called Kangaroo Care, is the age-old practice of holding a newborn baby to one's bare chest. The baby is undressed and left only in their diaper, sometimes with a hat or socks. Moreover, a cloth is wrapped over you and the baby’s back for extra warmth.

As part of kangaroo care, you must hold your baby upright with their head resting on either of your sides. Plus, ensure to place one of your hands on the back of their head and the other on their bottom.

Once comfortable, you will feel your child relaxing against your body. They will open their eyes, move their hands, or even try to suckle on your breast if hungry. At its core, skin-to-skin contact is an affectionate bonding activity for both mother and father. It can be started right after birth and continued throughout infancy.

How to do Kangaroo Care?

Kangaroo Care is an easy-to-follow activity you can learn from your doctor or nurse. Below are a few primary tips for getting started:

• Comfortable dressing: You must wear clothes with an easy opening from the front, preferably a gown. This will help you easily rest your baby against your naked chest without any clothing restricting the process.
• Cover your baby: Throw a blanket over your baby’s back after resting your baby skin-to-skin. It will keep your child warm and comfortable.
• Relax: Ensure you are relaxed during the kangaroo care session. It is a parent-kid bonding activity, and bonds are formed when you are comfortable. Moreover, your relaxed self will make your baby feel safe and drift to a deep slumber.
• Track your health: Your newborn's immune system is developing until they are two to three months old. If you are giving them kangaroo care, ensure you are healthy. Also, avoid skin-to-skin contact if your skin has rashes, cuts, or cold sores. Keep your skin clean of perfumes or lotions before resting your baby on your chest.
• Maintain silence: It is important to focus on your baby when practicing kangaroo care. Try to avoid making noises, talking, or using your mobile.

What are the advantages of Kangaroo Care?

Parents love Kangaroo Care for its multiple benefits for newborn babies and themselves. The process is particularly effective for kids born prematurely and those with lower weight. Research suggests the following perks of using kangaroo care:

1. Stabilizes your baby’s heartbeat and breathing rates.
2. Regulates the body temperature of the parent per the needs of the little one.
3. Aids weight gain in babies.
4. Calms your baby so they can enjoy a peaceful sleep.
5. Encourages breastfeeding by the release of essential hormones in your baby’s body and yours.
6. Supports your baby’s physical growth and brain development.
7. Kangaroo care gives warmth to your kid while also helping them get accustomed to your presence, their surroundings, and other things.
8. Makes your baby feel secure while being away from the safety of the womb.
9. As it keeps the baby warm, kangaroo care reduces the risk of hypothermia and severe infections in babies. Kangaroo care paired with ayurvedic babycare products can bless your child with a beautiful gift of holistic health.

Besides the above-mentioned benefits, kangaroo care has some positive outcomes for kids as well. They are:

1. Skin-to-skin contact facilitates the release of hormones like oxytocin and endorphins. These happy hormones help build a strong emotional connection with your baby.
2. During kangaroo care, the mother’s body releases the prolactin hormone, which stimulates milk production.
3. This friendly exercise brings down the risk of postpartum depression, a common problem in new mothers.
4. With kangaroo care, parents can get closer to their young ones, thereby alleviating stress and anxiety.

Why is Kangaroo Care important for Dads?

Parenthood is one of the most special life phases for fathers, just like mothers. They feel happy, excited, and anxious about building a connection with their baby. This is when skin-to-skin contact comes into play. It offers a perfect bonding time with their little one, feeling closer to them.

Fathers can help regulate their newborn’s temperature and heartbeat during skin-on-skin contact. Plus, it gives a relaxation window to mothers who can rest from their motherhood duties for some time.

Wrapping up

Caring for your little human grows naturally in parents. Practices like Kangaroo Care help satiate this parental instinct with a soothing touch. It is natural, easy to follow, and has multiple benefits for your kid.

I hope this article will help you employ this friendly practice into your baby’s schedule easily. Let us know your childcare queries, suggestions, and thoughts in the comments section. We are waiting for your revert.