skin to skin

Did you hear about the Australian mother who was told her son was dead after his birth only for the mother to realise he was still alive two hours later? This clever woman took off her baby's top and held him skin to skin, when she thought he was gasping for air the doctors told her it was just a reflex thing. She decided to offer him some breastmilk from her finger and low and behold they discovered he was still alive!!!!!!!!Holey moley!!! How amazing!

Our culture seems to be gradually coming around to the idea of how important skin to skin contact is between a mother and her new baby but I think this story says it all. A recent study published in The Lancet showed that 90 % of premature babies core temperature rose to 37C after being held by their mother for 4 hours compared to only 60% of prem babies who were put in incubators. Interesting.......It makes so much sense to me that a baby who has just been inside you would want to be held pretty close for a while especially when it is has suddenly been turfed out of its comfy womb into the big bad world. More cuddles please!!!! The world would be a better place for it!

skin to skin