Give your baby the very best start!

What is Skin to Skin?

• Skin to Skin means holding your infant in only a diaper and a hat against mother’s bare chest with blankets covering baby’s back
• Skin to Skin is a way of using a mothers body to help regulate the temperature, heart rate and respirations of the infant after birth; therefore making the transition easier on the baby

How do you do Skin to Skin?

• Immediately following delivery of infant, or at any time after delivery we place the infant upright on mother’s bare chest, between breasts.  No clothing can be between mother and infant. 
• Infant’s chest needs to be against mother’s chest and legs extended out.
• Infant’s head needs to be positioned to the side
• Blankets are placed over infant’s back
• Dads are able to do Skin to Skin also

Skin to Skin and safe sleep:

• Infant’s nose and mouth need to remain free from obstruction
• Please no Skin to Skin when mother is sleepy-this is due to the possibility of improper positioning which puts infant at risk of airway obstruction

Advantages:

• Regulates temperature, heart rate and respirations
• Increases amount of restful sleep for infant which helps stimulate brain development
• Provides time for bonding and mother and baby feel less pain when Skin to Skin
• Decreases mother’s anxiety and decreases chances of postpartum depression
• Enhances breastfeeding success and infants have better weight gain

Concerns: There are sometimes concerns that infants will get cold.

Actually when positioned correctly, even very low birth weight babies are able to maintain their temperature while skin to skin.

Skin to Skin Care will be
beneficial to your baby!

Ease your baby’s transition from Delivery to a peaceful beginning with Kangaroo Care or Skin To Skin Care

Skin to Skin Care is encouraged for all deliveries the Knox Community Hospital Birthing Center. Whatever nutrition you have chosen for your baby, Skin to Skin Care will be the best choice of first choices you make as parents. Have your baby placed upright on mother’s bare chest for that first hour or two after birth or anytime in the first months of life. 

Skin to Skin Care