Why Skin-to-Skin?

No matter how you choose to feed your baby, Skin-to-Skin has benefits for baby, mom, and dad.

THE BENEFITS OF SKIN-TO-SKIN

Babies need lots of skin-to-skin time with mom and dad in the hospital and at home.

Skin-to-skin time:

• Calms you and baby.
• Helps baby cry less
• Babies held skin-to-skin are 12x less likely to cry!
• Releases hormones that relieve stress and stabilize baby's temperature, breathing rate, heart rate, and blood sugar.
• Releases a hormone that lowers mom's stress and promotes healing.
• Helps your colostrum (the first milk that is full of nutrients that protect baby) to flow more easily.
• Boosts baby's immune system and protects against illness and disease.
• Builds a strong brain through the smells, textures, and sounds the baby experiences while he's on mom or dad's chest.
• Helps baby gain weight faster.
• Helps mom breastfeed longer by building her milk supply and making her bond with baby stronger.
• Lowers mom's risk of postpartum mood disorder.
• Creates connections between mom, dad, and baby that last a lifetime.
• Gives mom a chance to rest or take a break.
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