Pregnancy Over 40, After Delivery Skin Contact
When my daughter was born, the plan was to have her put on my chest immediately after delivery. However, since her breathing was slightly labored, she was put on a nearby table where they blew a little oxygen in her face.See www.getpregnantover40.com for more pregnancy, fertility articles
She was fine, but I didn't get to hold her right away. Of course, I wanted what was best for her, but I do regret not being able to have that initial contact. The following article discusses the importance of skin to skin contact with your baby:Researchers at University Hospital in Linköping, Sweden studied stress levels of seventeen mother-infant pairs, with all infants being preterm - between 25 to 33 weeks old. In mothers, stress was measured using salivary cortisol levels, heart rate, mood scale, and a visual analog scale (VAS). In infants, stress was measured using salivary cortisol levels and heart rate. Infants were also measured for pain levels using two separate scales.
Mothers and their babies showed signs of significant stress before physical contact. Also before physical contact, mothers reported experiencing low mood, especially low levels of calmness, control, and pleasantness.
Following pre-contact, initial stress tests, mothers changed into gowns with the front side open. Each baby was taken from an incubator and placed gently on his or her mother's chest in an upright position while wearing only a cap and a diaper. Each baby was then placed inside his or her mother's gown. Extra blankets were placed on top. While babies laid in this position, mothers were given mirrors with which they could watch their babies while they laid together. In all cases, fathers were very close, sitting on a chair.
What were the results?
Upon beginning skin-to-skin contact with their mothers, babies experienced decreased heart rates and pain scores. Mothers experienced decreased salivary cortisol levels (by 32 percent), decreased heart rate (by 7 percent), decreased VAS score (by 89 percent), and increased mood (by 6 percent).
from:
(www.drbenkim.com)
