Lolli’s Lesson: Skin to Skin for the win!

Written By Stephanie Kaufman

If I could choose one thing that I have seen impact breastfeeding success in the hospital it would be the practice of skin to skin. When we say skin to skin, we mean just that. The baby is born and is placed skin to skin with the mother immediately. This is the best practice of a mom who plans to breastfeed OR not, because it is one of the most important things a mom and baby can do for each other. The benefits have been researched and studied and the answer is clear. Skin to skin is a best practice for moms and babies after a normal, healthy, full-term birth. And as soon as we can get mom and baby together when the baby is sick or premature is a goal for us as hospital care-givers as well.

Skin to skin immediately after birth until after the first feeding is the recommended best practice for normal, healthy full-term newborns.

The best thing about it? It’s so simple! In the lactation world, we encourage moms to keep the baby skin to skin continuously until after the first feeding. There are many physiological things taking place during this time that help both mom and baby in the initial postpartum period. This has been a theme in all of my classes in breastfeeding and lactation. Skin to skin is a priority. The benefits are overwhelming, but here are a few that as a breastfeeding educator, I like to highlight.

Skin to skin prior to each feeding will set you and your baby up for breastfeeding success!

The benefits of skin to skin with moms and their healthy, full-term newborns has been widely studied and researched. Many times I have walked into a room with either a crying baby, a sleepy baby, or a baby who is struggling to latch on and breastfeed…and my answer is almost always

“let’s start with skin to skin”.

For those who love the research articles see below

Stephanie Kaufman
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