The other day, while waiting in line at an establishment to do some shopping, I heard a conversation between two women that gave me some thought. One of them told the other that her daughter's birth would be scheduled this week but that doctors had advised them not to receive visits until two or three hours after birth.
The indignation of the future grandmother was increasing, since she did not understand why she should wait to meet her grandson. "They call it skin to skin"- she explained to the other woman who accompanied her - "But I call it absurd currencies"- sentenced angry.
When a baby is born, grandparents, uncles and friends should wait
I really understand the indignation of this womanWell, from his words it was deduced that he was his first grandson and that he was afraid of the fact that they had to schedule the birth of their daughter. I get it I wanted to meet the baby, to hug him and be one of the first people to be there. After all, it was her grandmother and mother of the parturient. But let me tell you one thing:
Skin with skin it is not "absurd modernity" but It is a practice recommended by WHO really important and necessary to establish links between mother and baby, and to start breastfeeding well. When he arrives in the world, that baby will only need his mother; no matter who likes it.
The newborn is not going to look for his grandparents, or his uncles, or his parents' best friends. Surely they will all love you and look forward to your arrival, but what the little boy wants is to meet his mother, feel his chest, the heat of his breathing and the voice that has accompanied him for nine months. There's no moreBeing skin with skin on his mother's chest has multiple benefits for the baby, but the most imminent is that It will help you regulate the respiratory rate, heart rate and temperatureIt will relieve the stress and anxiety caused by the birth and will lead to the beginning of breastfeeding.
Feeling the warmth and smell of your mother will help the baby instinctively look for the nipple, establishing breastfeeding early and being able to feed on colostrum, the first substance secreted by the breasts with countless advantages for him.
And if this were not enough, it has been shown that skin-to-skin contact with the baby improves his cognitive and executive skills, and increases his physical development even years after he has practiced it.
It is for all this, that hospitals invite the mother to make skin with kangaroo skin or method - or failing that to dad - and to spend the first hours after birth in privacy, knowing and enjoying the benefits of this practice that, on the other hand, is something instinctive that we do to all mothers when we first meet our young.
On the other hand, there are more and more medical professionals who advise that newborns do not receive visitors and, from my experience, I cannot agree more with them. Because there is nothing worse than wanting to put your baby on your bare chest and having to cut yourself before visits from family and friends, or not being able to complain, uncover or sleep because someone wants to discuss with you about the color of your newborn's eyes.
Maybe one day she will be a grandmother and understand firsthand the feeling of frustration and indignation that this woman shared for not being able to be present in the first hours of her grandson's life, but you have to understand the role we play in the family, and mother there's no more than one!
Photos | iStock
