Skin-to-Skin Contact with Your Baby

Skin-to-skin contact means holding your undressed baby against the bare skin on your chest. This simple closeness is good for both you and your baby.

If your baby was born premature or with very low birth weight, talk to your baby's health care provider before starting skin-to-skin bonding.

How to Do It

1. Dress your baby in just a diaper. You can add a soft hat for newborns.
2. Hold your baby upright against your bare chest.
3. Cover your baby lightly with a blanket.
4. Relax and enjoy. Try for at least one hour a day during the first 6 weeks.

Tips

• Partners can practice skin-to-skin, too.
• You can use a soft infant carrier to keep your hands free while holding your baby skin-to-skin.
• Make sure you're awake and alert. Don't do skin-to-skin after smoking, vaping, or drinking alcohol.

Benefits for Baby

Holding your baby skin-to-skin right after birth helps them adjust to life outside the womb. This bonding experience also helps babies:

• Have a stable heart rate and regular breathing
• Get better oxygen levels
• Stay warm and sleep better
• Gain weight faster
• Cry less
• Breastfeed more easily
• Feel comforted when fussy
• Feel less pain during routine procedures

For premature babies, regular skin-to-skin contact may mean a shorter hospital stay.

Keep doing skin-to-skin at home while you're awake. Babies who get skin-to-skin time are often more alert and start interacting earlier.

Benefits for Mom

Skin-to-skin contact in the first hour after birth may help with breastfeeding and bonding with your baby.

Skin-to-skin can

• Reduce feelings of postpartum depression
• Increase your milk supply if you’re breastfeeding

For all parents, skin-to-skin can help you

• Understand your baby's cues and needs better
• Feel closer to your baby
• Feel more confident caring for your baby

Take time to enjoy the closeness that skin-to-skin contact brings.