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After birth, the baby is immediately dried, covered with a warm diaper and placed in skin to skin with her mom. The midwife puts a small cap on him so that he does not get cold. Because it is through the head that there is the greatest risk of heat loss. Then the dad can – if he wishes – cut the umbilical cord. The family can now get to know each other. “The baby’s place is skin to skin against his mother and we interrupt this moment only if there is a good reason to do so. It is no longer the reverse that prevails, ”explains Véronique Grandin, midwife manager at the maternity hospital of Lons-le-Saunier (Jura). Nevertheless, this early contact can only take place for term deliveries and when the child is in satisfactory condition at birth. Likewise, if there is a medical indication to practice, special care, skin to skin is then postponed.
Namely
In the case of a cesarean section, the dad can take over if the mother is not available. “We did not necessarily think about it, but fathers are very demanding,” recognizes Sophie Pasquier, midwife manager in the birth room at the maternity hospital in Valenciennes. And then, “It’s a good way to compensate for the mother-child separation. “This practice, which was initially implemented in maternity hospitals with the” “label, is developing more and more.
Close monitoring after birth
If everything is going well at the birth and the baby is healthy, there is no reason not to let the family enjoy these first moments together undisturbed. But at no time will parents be left alone with their child. ” Clinical monitoring is mandatory during skin-to-skin », Explains Professor Bernard Guillois, head of the neonatal department at the CHU de Caen. “The mother does not necessarily see the color of her child, nor does she perceive whether he is breathing well.” One must be there to be able to react to the slightest doubt ”.
The benefits of skin to skin after birth
Skin-to-skin skin after birth is recommended by the High Authority for Health (HAS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). All newborns, even premature babies, should be able to benefit from it. But not all maternity hospitals still leave the possibility for parents to make this moment last. Yet it is only if it is uninterrupted and lasts at least 1 hour that it really improves the well-being of the newborn. Under these conditions the benefits of skin to skin are multiple. The heat given off by the mother regulates the baby’s temperature, which heats up more quickly and therefore spends less energy. Skin to skin from birth also promotes colonization of the newborn by the bacterial flora of its mother, which is very beneficial. Several studies have also shown that this first contact reassured the baby.. Snuggled up against his mom, his adrenaline levels drop. The stress due to birth gradually recedes. Skin-to-skin newborns cry less, and for less time. Finally, this early contact will allow the baby to start feeding in the best possible conditions.
Getting started with breastfeeding
Carried out for at least 1 hour, skin-to-skin contact promotes the baby’s “self-advancement” process to the breast. From birth, the newborn is indeed able to recognize his mother’s voice, her warmth, the smell of her skin. He will instinctively crawl towards the breast. Occasionally, after just a few minutes, he begins to suck on his own. But generally, this start-up takes longer. One hour is the average time it takes for newborns to suckle successfully. The earlier and spontaneously the first breastfeeding, the easier it is to put on. Lactation is also better stimulated if breastfeeding starts right after birth.
If the mother does not wish to breastfeed, the medical team may suggest that she do a ” welcome feed », That is to say a early breastfeeding in the delivery room so that the baby can absorb the colostrum. This milk, secreted at the end of pregnancy and during the first days after birth, is rich in proteins and antibodies essential for the immunization of the baby. Once installed in her room, the mother can then go to the bottle.