What is Kangaroo Mother Care?
Hop On & Find out!

Heard a lot about the Kangaroo Mother Care technique (the Kangaroo Care) and want to know all about it? You have come to the right place...hop on to the magical world of bonding!

Immediately after your baby is born, the newborn baby is put in direct contact with the mother’s skin, just like a kangaroo holds its baby - skin to skin. This technique is known as Kangaroo Care and it is said to work wonders in newborn bonding.

When to go for kangaroo care?

Kangaroo care is generally recommended for preterm and full-term newborn babies, but any infant can go through it. If a father wants to connect with his baby, this is an ideal technique in which skin to skin contact between the father and his baby helps create a great bond.

How to conduct kangaroo mother care?

As soon as the baby is born, s/he is put on the mother’s chest for getting warmth along with the feelings of being protected and loved. The nurse will put a blanket on both the mother and the infant, she will put diaper on the baby and may cover the baby’s head with a cap. Both mother and baby could stay like this for a couple of hours, and the baby can be encouraged to breastfeed during this time. It is believed that babies, who are in Kangaroo Care, latch on more quickly as compared to any other baby. If you are looking for some good baby care tips, why not start with this amazing technique of newborn bonding?

How did it originate?

Although kangaroo care was once used in hospitals where incubators were either not working or were unreliable to take care of newborn, mother’s warmth is something no modern incubator can replicate.

How it benefits new moms and dads?

Kangaroo care not only helps in bonding with your newborn, it also helps in the emotional stability of new moms. It may reduce, if not completely avoid, the post-natal depression in new moms. It is said to improve the flow of breast-milk.

For dads who feel left out in the whole process of breastfeeding and taking care of their newborn baby, this is a technique that could help them bond with their babies.

How it benefits your newborn?

Some of the known benefits that Kangaroo Mother Care provides to your baby are:

Regulates blood circulation and breathing process.
Maintains the newborn’s body temperature and provides her warmth and a feeling of security.
Helps improve sleep.
Reduces panic and crying time, and helps the newborn calm down.
Helps baby gain healthy weight. This is especially useful if your baby is a preemie.
Results in a higher probability of successful breastfeeding.

Whether you are a mom or a dad, kangaroo care may work wonders for your newborn. You will only know once you give it a shot. So if you are an expecting mother (or father), try being a kangaroo!

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