Kangaroo care simply means giving your newborn more skin-to-skin contact right after birth . Pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and baby care are terms that have always been correlated with mothers. In the center of all the pleasures and triumphs of labor and childbirth, we often tend to sidestep the father.
But dads, did you know that you have a significant part to play right after your baby is born? Yes, this action will not only help you bond better with your baby but also benefit to make your baby’s transition from the womb to the world much more lenient. Even if you don’t take this piece of evidence extremely, know that you expect to be an active parent during those initial moments, after the birth just to establish the father-baby bonding.
What is kangaroo care?
Kangaroo care simply means giving your newborn more skin-to-skin contact right after birth. Initially, it was acknowledged that kangaroo care improves in stabilizing a premature baby or a low birth weight baby to make the birthing experience more restful and natural. But full-term babies can also benefit from the practice.
When can dads practice Kangaroo care?
Kangaroo care can be practiced at any time during the day. Practicing kangaroo care is simply a minuscule part of newborn care. But dads, keep in mind that this act can do wonders for your newborn.
- What are the benefits of kangaroo care by dad?
There are several benefits of skin-to-skin contact, for dads who practice this, it helps:
- Stimulates Brain Development:
Skin to skin contact is a multi-sensory happening. Carrying a baby on Dad’s skin heightens the development of fundamental neural pathways, which stimulates brain maturation. In addition, research indicates that kangarooed newborns spend more time in peaceful sleep, which strengthens organizational patterns in the brain and weakens the baby’s stress responses. It also helps you understand your baby’s signals for hunger or stress adequately.
- Calms, Soothes & Reduces Stress:
To make your baby feel more peace to help sleep better and restrain the circadian cycle. The direct connection with Dad’s skin during Kangaroo Care caresses the baby so much that babies’ cortisol levels (stress hormone) are measurably reduced after only 20 minutes of being carried skin to skin. Also, their pain is exceptionally reduced when carried skin to skin. As a result, babies who experience regular Kangaroo Care often cry less and seem less anxious.
- Improves Quality of Sleep:
Development of mature brain function in newborns counts on the characteristics of their sleep cycling. During skin to skin, most infants fall asleep effortlessly and obtain what is called “Quiet Sleep”, a natural deep sleep for 60 minutes or more.
- Enhances Immune System:
Baby’s immune system is facilitated when placed skin to skin. Dad’s mature immune system enacts antibodies through his skin to the newborn. Being on Dad’s skin also intensifies the baby’s skin hydration, which nourishes a protective barrier from harmful bacteria entering the baby’s skin.
- Stimulates Digestion & Weight Gain:
Kangaroo Care decreases cortisol and somatostatin in infants, qualifying for adequate absorption and digestion of nutrients while lessening gastrointestinal difficulties. With a reduction of these hormones, baby’s bodies conserve brown fat (the healthy fat babies are born with), supporting to maintain birth weight and maintain a warm body temperature. As a result, the baby’s body does not have to burn its fat stores to remain warm, resulting in better weight gain. After precisely one hour of skin to skin, the infant’s digestive system is rehabilitated to the proper balance for optimal GI function.
- Synchronizes Heart Rate Breathing
Just put, through time spent skin to skin with Dad, the baby’s body comprehends to self-regulate, resulting in a normal and stable heartbeat and breathing pattern. 75% of sporadic breathing and slow heart rate episodes are curtailed through skin-to-skin contact.
- Promotes Psychological Well-Being
To initiate better bonding with the baby that makes you feel less nervous about baby care and to empower you as a primary caregiver making you feel less helpless. It makes you calmer and helps you deal with the postpartum struggles better. As Dad sits with baby skin to skin on his chest, oxytocin (natural “feel good” hormone) levels in his body upgrade. With boosted oxytocin levels, Dad’s testosterone levels decrease.
This change in hormones creates a “relaxation and well-being” acknowledgment. This assistance in Dad responding with nurturing and affectionate
