Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : November 18, 2015 4:08 PM IST
Pregnancy, labour, childbirth and baby care are terms that has always been associated with the mothers. In the midst of all the joys and triumphs of labour and childbirth we often tend to side step the father. But dads, did you know that you have an important role to play right after your baby is born? Yes, this activity will not only help you bond better with your baby but also help make your baby's transition from the womb to world much easier. Even if you don't take this piece of information seriously, know that you need to be an active parent during those initial moments, after the birth just to establish the father-baby bonding. Here are 11 things a father can do differently to bond with his child.
Remember the mother has felt the child innately during those nine months of pregnancy but you never had such a chance. So once your baby is out take advantage of the window period to bond better with your baby. Try to initiate bonding between the time just after birth till your baby dozes off to sleep, this is the period when your newborn is most alert. One way that you can help yourself and your baby develop the father-baby bond is by practicing - kangaroo care. Here are some handy tips for men on how to graduate from husbands to dads.
What is kangaroo care?
Kangaroo care simply means giving your infant more skin-to-skin contact right after the birth. Initially it was believed that kangaroo care helps in stabilizing a premature baby or a low birth weight baby to make the birthing experience more peaceful and natural. But full term babies can also benefit from the practice. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to bond with your newborn.
How is it done?
To practice kangaroo care the you need to place the baby right on your bare chest, to initiate enough skin-to-skin contact. Ideally also keep your baby bare while practicing this. Only then can you ensure maximum skin-to-skin contact and gain its amazing benefits. Choose a quite comfortable place in the retiring room after labour and ask your family and friends to excuse you for those initial moments. In the quietness of your room, gently place you baby over your bare chest and pull on a blanket for warmth. Kangaroo care can also be done with both parents together, this initiates bonding for the family as a whole.
A mother is usually offered her baby right after the birth to initiate skin-to-skin contact or to try to get the baby to breast crawl. At times a medical emergency or usual labour stress can keep the baby away from the mother during those crucial early moments, this is when you can step in and offer kangaroo care to ensure emotional healing and bonding with the child. Know how a breast crawl helps.
Kangaroo care need not be just restricted to the initial moments after birth, it can be practiced during the first few weeks after birth or whenever the parent feels the need for it. As a dad you can do this by keeping sometime of the day reserved to practice it.
When can dads practice Kangaroo care?
Kangaroo care can be practiced at any-time during the day. Practicing kangaroo care is just a minuscule part of newborn care. But dads, keep in mind that this act can do wonders for your baby. You can choose to practice kangaroo care when:
The mother has had a cesarean section (C-section): This is a painful moment for both the mother and the baby. While the mother misses the opportunity to touch and feed the baby right after the birth, the baby misses out on the much needed skin-to-skin care form the mother. Though you can t do much for the mother here, as she needs time to recover from the effects of anesthesia you can definitely give your baby the skin-to-skin contact by practicing kangaroo care. This will instil security and calm your baby after the stresses of the birthing process. It takes time for the baby to adjust to the new environment after being in the womb for nine months. Skin-to-skin contact is the only way you can make a baby feel at ease and less distressed. Here are few things that happen to the mother after a c-section that you should know about.
You are blessed with twins: Now we all know how difficult it is to manage twins. So if there are two babies laying in the baby cot you can take turns with your wife to give them kangaroo care during those initial moments or the first few weeks of their life. Kangaroo care need not just be restricted to the initial moments, one can practice it often during those first few weeks after birth when the child needs more assurance, care and body warmth from a parent. Here are few tips on how to handle twin pregnancy.
You have a premature baby to care for: It isn t a very pleasant site to see your premature baby lying in the NICU with all those tubes and machines around. But don t get scared to pick up your baby. Ask the hospital attendant to help you pick up your baby and hold your child right to practice kangaroo care. Studies show that premature babies benefit the maximum from kangaroo care than the full term ones. They need more skin-to-skin contact to stabilize, heal and recover faster. Even if the mum gives adequate skin contact you can still chip in and help. If you have twins born prematurely, this is an even more important practice.
You want to bond with your baby: It has been known that skin-to-skin contact is the best way to ensure security and comfort to a newborn. But it can help in bonding too. What better way to do it other than kangaroo care. Your touch, smell, voice and breathing go in a long way to help your baby recognize and connect with you for better bonding. In a way it also helps to stimulate your baby s senses too.
You want to soothe your crying baby: Kangaroo care helps in soothing and calming your agitated and cranky baby too. If you have done all to stop those tears offered a feed, changed diapers offer skin-to-skin next. Allow the mother to give some rest to her back and take a breather while you offer help. This will help your baby relax and feel calm while establishing a better bonding with you and a sense of security. Here are five reasons why crying is good for your baby.
How kangaroo care benefits the dad?
There are numerous benefits of skin-to-skin contact, for dads who practice this, it helps:
Image Source: Getty Images
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