Skin to skin for Dad’s - weird or evidence based?

Skin to skin… genuinely beneficial thing or excuse for Dad to take his shirt off? I certainly wondered when I had my first baby all those years ago. Let’s get to the bottom of it.

I remember finding it so funny when the midwives suggested for my husband Ben to take his shift off. I thought it was sweet for their bonding, but little I did know then, that not only is it a really sweet, cosy way for Dad to bond with baby, but it’s an evidence based practice!

Which is so cool, considering it’s actually quite instinctual to want to pull Bub in close skin to skin, there’s something so precious and intimate about it. I always say “follow your instincts”, because I find the evidence and research studies very often follow them too.

Now let’s look over the benefits of Dad’s doing skin to skin with their little ones:

Studies show that skin to skin regulates Bub’s:
- Heart rate
- Breathing rate
- Temperature
- Blood sugar levels
- It also promotes bonding (that one’s obvious though, isn’t it?)
- And it even lowers Dad’s cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

A mutually beneficial practice, that also happens to feel very lovely. Nothing like holding your baby skin to skin.

So there you go Dad’s!

Next time you have the opportunity for some skin to skin with your baby, take it.

Enjoy those sweet cuddles!

Angie,

your Guardian Doula. x