Parenting / 7 March, 2018 / My Baba

The Amazing Benefits and Importance of Skin to Skin: A Must-Watch Vid for New Mums

I’m Mouse, founder of Magnet Mouse, babywear without poppers.  My son was born via emergency caesarean in February and spent his first two weeks in the Neonatal ICU where I learnt the importance of Skin to Skin (SSC) from the lovely NICU nurses. The results were amazing, even more wonderful is that all parents everywhere can give their babies the magic of SSC.

Most of us know that skin to skin is recommended immediately after birth but sometimes that isn’t possible, with a difficult caesarean or unwell mother or baby. I discovered firsthand the importance of skin to skin from the lovely NICU nurses looking after my newborn son, and the results were transformative. Within two days of starting SSC, he had become responsive and was out of his incubator. It’s important to know that the benefits of SSC doesn’t stop there – we are encouraged to do it as often as possible, for as long as possible.

In this video, I discuss the magic of SSC with midwives Jenny Smith and Miranda Sykes and anaesthetist, Dr John Weissmann. Jenny, who has delivered over 1,000 babies, describes it beautifully as the ‘womb on the outside’.

The wonderful and vital effects of skin to skin include lowered stress levels (cortisol) in mother and baby, better milk production, quicker initiation of breast feeding, temperature, breathing and heartbeat regulation, natural pain relief and transfer of mother’s friendly bacteria providing protection against infection.  The additional emotional and psychological benefits cannot be overestimated – babies’ neural development, sense of security and the bonding effect on parents is profound.

For feeds, especially in the middle of the night, taking baby’s clothes off for skin to skin is a total pain, largely because of fiddly poppers – a huge deterrent.  Because you can rip open and fasten Magnet Mouse onesies in seconds, AND in the dark, the effort, tedium and reluctance are removed and skin to skin is increased.  Magnet Mouse rompers promote and expedite skin to skin – a vastly beneficial and irreplaceable act for small babies.

I have genuinely found my own rompers wonderful. Unless there is a nappy change required, you can fasten their sleep suit again in seconds and in pitch black. Even with a little vest on under the romper, the closer they are to your warmth and heartbeat the better.

Mouse Allen, by Mouse Magnet