Skin to skin but not really

[Anonymous]

Do some of the benefits still apply if the newborn is clothed? I’m fearful of removing all of his clothes after feeding as it might wake him up. And it’s difficult to feed him naked without making him cold. I’m not able to juggle boppy + blanket + latch (he’s a week old). So he’s lying, fully clothed, on my bare chest.

[Anonymous]

Congrats on the new baby! There are many, many things you can try to do to help improve your baby's outcome in life. You don't have to do them all, every day. You can't do them all, every day!

I have teens, and when they were born, I remember skin-to-skin contact being promoted for just after birth. It's not something we did every day, and my kids still turned out great.

Make sure you got easy on yourself during your child's infancy--your comfort and state of mind will also have an impact on your newborn, along with all the possibly beneficial activities.

[Anonymous]

Agree with 12:39! Also, right after a bath is great for a few minutes of skin to skin, because baby is already naked (dry him off, then get a fresh warm towel and use that to keep both of you warm).

You don't have to do skin to skin every day for it to be a good thing. And if dad does bath time, dad can also do skin to skin afterward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 12:39! Also, right after a bath is great for a few minutes of skin to skin, because baby is already naked (dry him off, then get a fresh warm towel and use that to keep both of you warm).

You don't have to do skin to skin every day for it to be a good thing. And if dad does bath time, dad can also do skin to skin afterward.

NP here - I love this idea. Thanks for sharing it.

OP, thanks for this post. I'm also a FTM who is / was worried that I wasn't doing enough skin to skin (my DS is 4 months old now).

One thing I did from time to time was put him in a carrier in his diaper or just pants (mini bjorn or k'tan) while doing stuff around the house. This was the summer/fall though, so weather was more cooperative.

[Anonymous]

Your baby benefits from snuggling with you every day. It doesn’t matter if you’re both fully clothed. Baby can smell you and feel your heartbeat. Baby can feel the skin of your cheek caress his head. All of that matters and is important.

[Anonymous]

How would you guys define snuggling and cuddling? Like would holding the baby while reading to him count? Or while he's asleep? (Sorry to be so literal minded...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would you guys define snuggling and cuddling? Like would holding the baby while reading to him count? Or while he's asleep? (Sorry to be so literal minded...)

Yes those count! It also counts if baby naps on you (this is not required though and not everyone holds babies while they nap), or if you're babywearing while doing chores, or holding baby while talking on the phone...

You don't have to hold the baby all day, but it is good for them to be held.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty crunchy and I think this is way overblown. Maybe if you have a nicu baby clinging to life. I was annoyed when they handed my daughter to me after the C section. She shoved her on my shoulder like a parrot while my blood pressure cuff was going off. With DS they handed him to me with an apgar score of 3 (blue and limp, not breathing). Not a fun memory. Pregnant now and I'm telling my doula I don't want this baby until I ask for him.

It was chilly when my first was born so he got very little (naked) skin to skin. EBF both my babies over 18 months and they are both securely attached.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’ve only had winter babies so we don’t really do skin to skin except right after birth and in the bath because I don’t want them to get cold. I wear flannel button downs so it’s easier to nurse while keeping my arms warm; baby is pretty much always in footie pjs. It’s worked out well for me so far. Congratulations on the new baby!

[Anonymous]

I have a 6 week old and it’s cold in my house. We spend all day snuggling- either nursing, napping, being carried, or worn in a baby carrier. She’s usually in a pajama suit one piece and I’m considering that just fine

[Anonymous]

Skin to skin can help the baby maintain his temperature, so if he has a hat and a blanket, don’t worry about cold. We only did it during the day though because the redressing will wake him up.

[Anonymous]

You can snuggle when your baby wakes up, and after a bath slap a diaper on and then snuggle. You don't have to do skin to skin after eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am pretty crunchy and I think this is way overblown. Maybe if you have a nicu baby clinging to life. I was annoyed when they handed my daughter to me after the C section. She shoved her on my shoulder like a parrot while my blood pressure cuff was going off. With DS they handed him to me with an apgar score of 3 (blue and limp, not breathing). Not a fun memory. Pregnant now and I'm telling my doula I don't want this baby until I ask for him.

It was chilly when my first was born so he got very little (naked) skin to skin. EBF both my babies over 18 months and they are both securely attached.

Same as PP, I'm a pretty crunchy mama, and I don't get this for a healthy newborn and in a comfortable environment. Pretty sure baby regulates temperature and bonds just as well with a thin layer or two of cotton between you.
I have a feeling the emphasis is just to encourage holding in general. Like, there are people who will stick a newborn in a lounger/car seat/swing for hours and never spend that time with them close to their chest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am pretty crunchy and I think this is way overblown. Maybe if you have a nicu baby clinging to life. I was annoyed when they handed my daughter to me after the C section. She shoved her on my shoulder like a parrot while my blood pressure cuff was going off. With DS they handed him to me with an apgar score of 3 (blue and limp, not breathing). Not a fun memory. Pregnant now and I'm telling my doula I don't want this baby until I ask for him.

It was chilly when my first was born so he got very little (naked) skin to skin. EBF both my babies over 18 months and they are both securely attached.

Same as PP, I'm a pretty crunchy mama, and I don't get this for a healthy newborn and in a comfortable environment. Pretty sure baby regulates temperature and bonds just as well with a thin layer or two of cotton between you.
I have a feeling the emphasis is just to encourage holding in general. Like, there are people who will stick a newborn in a lounger/car seat/swing for hours and never spend that time with them close to their chest.

Childbirth seems to suffer extreme trends. Used to kick dad out of the delivery room and whisk baby off to a nursery, now they're handing you the baby when you still have a 6in open gash in your abdomen

[Anonymous]

I mean, my baby would always rest his head on my bare breast after he fed and we would lay like that for a while. A warm, squishy pillow.

Otherwise, no. My breasts are large and I wasn’t comfortable squeezing a newborn between there.