BONDING WITH YOUR baby
A newborn’s sense of touch is extremely important to development – baby is happier and healthier when she spends time bonding with her parents through skin-to-skin contact. So what’s the science behind these snuggles?
GROWING EVIDENCE SHOWS there’s power in a hug. “There are many studies that show that when mothers and babies are together with skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, the baby is more content and calm, and his temperature, heart and breathing rates as well as blood sugar levels are more stable than a baby who is not skin-to-skin with mom,” says Erica Neser, an international boardcertified lactation consultant, trained counsellor and author of How Babies and Toddlers Really Sleep. Erica explains that it’s baby’s sensory perception of his mom – the familiar sound of her voice and heartbeat, the rhythm of her breathing and, most importantly, her smell that he knows well from the amniotic fluid – that reassures baby he is in a safe environment, which in turn calms him down and helps him stabilise more easily. Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth also allows babies to be colonised with the same “family germs”, which increases a newborn’s immunity, explains registered nurse and midwife Hettie Grove. This healthy bacteria from a mother’s skin helps protect her baby from unhealthy bacteria later on in life. Skin-to-skin contact is also beneficial for moms, says Grove, as it triggers the release of the feel-good “love hormone” oxytocin, which in turn lowers stress levels. Studies show moms who practised skin-to-skin straight after birth also suffered less from breast engorgement.
THE GOLDEN HOUR
Whenever possible, mothers and/or fathers and baby should be in direct skinto-skin contact for at least the first hour after birth, if not more. Michelle Walton, a therapeutic reflexologist specialising in pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, a doula and owner of Johannesburg-based Birthrite, explains that the “golden hour” after birth is crucial because newborns go through nine distinct stages during this time. “Therefore what happens in this first hour can have a lifetime effect on the baby, both negative and positive.” Grove adds that this golden hour can have a hugely beneficial impact on breastfeeding: “The baby is in the ‘breastaurant’ and can feed as often as he likes. This increases the amount of feedings, which calibrates the milk supply for later on.”
TAKE A BABYMOON
Grove suggests parents take a babymoon: stay home with your newborn and fall in love! “That’s what the first six weeks are about,” she says. “It’s about falling in love and figuring out what your baby’s cues are, in terms of when to feed, sleep and play.” BABY WEARING Carrying a newborn in a sling or carrier, close to one’s body – can also be good bonding tools for parents, says Grove. “Baby wearing is one of the best inventions! Baby is close to mom’s heart, cocooned on her body. There’s rhythmic movement and both the newborn and mother are in touch with each other’s needs.” THE GOLDEN TOUCH Infant massage is another powerful tool in the baby/parent bonding box, according to Lisa Townend, a certified infant massage instructor with the International Association of Baby Massage. “You are breathing in the scent of each other, you are locked in eye contact, you are providing a nurturing touch, you can hear each other’s voices, and imitation occurs between parent and baby,” explains Lisa, who runs a practice called Holistic Baby in Cape Town, which teaches parents how to connect with their newborns through massage. She adds that the benefits of massage go well beyond emotional ones: “You can relieve conditions like colic, reflux, wind, constipation, poor sleeping habits, over- or underproduction of hormones, imbalanced secretions, teething or touch sensitivities.” And all this has a positive impact on your baby’s health and well-being, according to researchers from Warwick University, who found that babies who were massaged were likely to cry less, and sleep better due to heightened melatonin levels. They also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, compared with other babies. While stressing that treatments for specific health conditions should be carried out by a licensed healthcare professional such as a chiropractor or registered massage therapist, Lisa says bonding massage is best performed by a newborn’s own parents. “I would steer away from any service that will massage your baby for you – massage builds a bond between you and your baby.”