Kangaroo Mother Care: Tips For You and Your Baby - KMC Leads To Trust and Development Through Touch
Over time a number of approaches have been put forward to Moms and Dads about how to get their baby to sleep.
This has included a method known as "Ferberizing," in which baby's are left alone to cry for increasing periods.
This is also known as "controlled crying".
Such methods suggest shutting baby's in their cribs/cots for prolonged periods so that they learn to go to sleep alone.
This is in complete contrast to Kangaroo Mother Care through which a baby is nurtured, loved and made to feel safe and secure so that they fall into a loving and peaceful sleep.
Telling you as a Mom or Dad to ignore the cries of your baby, for however long does not produce a loving and trustful parent-child relationship and it certainly doesn't encourage bonding.
How many of us would want to be treated in this way and how does it help us feel good about hearing our baby's distressed cry.
It can't be good for either us or our babies and it doesn't provide the soothing touch and trusting environment that Kangaroo Mother Care does.
So tip 1: Don't leave your baby to cry alone - provide them with KMC and nurture them Since ancient tribal times, our babies have needed constant care and attention because of their dependence on us.
Unlike other mammals, they cannot keep themselves warm, move about or feed themselves until they are much older.
This makes the mother/father-infant relationship crucial to their survival.
Innately we were designed for this and our baby's have been born with behaviors to ensure that they get the special care they need.
Just think about the way a newborn baby, when given skin to skin contact and Kangaroo Mother Care at birth will find his/her Mothers breast and self latch.
This is natures design for us and our newborns - Kangaroo Mother Care.
So tip 2: Give your baby what you were designed to do For a baby, the safest place is with their Mother or Father.
Being with your baby and providing Kangaroo Mother Care gives your baby a sense of protection can ensure temperature regulation in preemie baby's, emotional reassurance and allows them to self latch and breastfeed based upon need.
It's a perfect system, and what babies are born needing and wanting.
So tip 3: Keep your baby safe "on you" with KMC As a Mom or Dad when you do KMC with your baby you also get benefits and feel more relaxed and at ease.
Did you know that co-sleeping and providing Kangaroo Mother Care gives you less disturbed sleep because you and your baby get into the same sleep cycle? Also your baby will wake to feed when you are both in a light sleep.
We can do more breastfeeding for less effort and with more ease.
So tip 4: Do KMC and co sleep with your baby to get better and more sleep As a Mom you will also benefit from the increased levels of two breastfeeding hormones oxytocin and endorphins.
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone and is stimulated by both breastfeeding and the skin-to-skin contact of KMC.
Endorphins are known as the pleasure hormones making the trusting bond between you and your baby stronger and nurturing.
So tip 5: Do KMC with your baby to help develop the loving bond and contentment between you and your baby.
Research shows that co-sleeping with your baby is safe.
The only contradictions to co sleeping are being a smoking, over weight, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
It's all about providing a safe and caring environment for you and your baby.
Research also shows that promotion and supporting of your baby's dependence on you leads to independence more readily, because your baby will feel safer.
You actually promote trust and emotional stability in your baby by being lovingly responsive to their needs.
So when you do KMC with your baby, giving them love you are planting the seeds for a lifetime of peace and joy.
So tip 6: Co- sleep and KMC your baby to help them develop in a way that encourages them to grow and explore
This has included a method known as "Ferberizing," in which baby's are left alone to cry for increasing periods.
This is also known as "controlled crying".
Such methods suggest shutting baby's in their cribs/cots for prolonged periods so that they learn to go to sleep alone.
This is in complete contrast to Kangaroo Mother Care through which a baby is nurtured, loved and made to feel safe and secure so that they fall into a loving and peaceful sleep.
Telling you as a Mom or Dad to ignore the cries of your baby, for however long does not produce a loving and trustful parent-child relationship and it certainly doesn't encourage bonding.
How many of us would want to be treated in this way and how does it help us feel good about hearing our baby's distressed cry.
It can't be good for either us or our babies and it doesn't provide the soothing touch and trusting environment that Kangaroo Mother Care does.
So tip 1: Don't leave your baby to cry alone - provide them with KMC and nurture them Since ancient tribal times, our babies have needed constant care and attention because of their dependence on us.
Unlike other mammals, they cannot keep themselves warm, move about or feed themselves until they are much older.
This makes the mother/father-infant relationship crucial to their survival.
Innately we were designed for this and our baby's have been born with behaviors to ensure that they get the special care they need.
Just think about the way a newborn baby, when given skin to skin contact and Kangaroo Mother Care at birth will find his/her Mothers breast and self latch.
This is natures design for us and our newborns - Kangaroo Mother Care.
So tip 2: Give your baby what you were designed to do For a baby, the safest place is with their Mother or Father.
Being with your baby and providing Kangaroo Mother Care gives your baby a sense of protection can ensure temperature regulation in preemie baby's, emotional reassurance and allows them to self latch and breastfeed based upon need.
It's a perfect system, and what babies are born needing and wanting.
So tip 3: Keep your baby safe "on you" with KMC As a Mom or Dad when you do KMC with your baby you also get benefits and feel more relaxed and at ease.
Did you know that co-sleeping and providing Kangaroo Mother Care gives you less disturbed sleep because you and your baby get into the same sleep cycle? Also your baby will wake to feed when you are both in a light sleep.
We can do more breastfeeding for less effort and with more ease.
So tip 4: Do KMC and co sleep with your baby to get better and more sleep As a Mom you will also benefit from the increased levels of two breastfeeding hormones oxytocin and endorphins.
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone and is stimulated by both breastfeeding and the skin-to-skin contact of KMC.
Endorphins are known as the pleasure hormones making the trusting bond between you and your baby stronger and nurturing.
So tip 5: Do KMC with your baby to help develop the loving bond and contentment between you and your baby.
Research shows that co-sleeping with your baby is safe.
The only contradictions to co sleeping are being a smoking, over weight, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
It's all about providing a safe and caring environment for you and your baby.
Research also shows that promotion and supporting of your baby's dependence on you leads to independence more readily, because your baby will feel safer.
You actually promote trust and emotional stability in your baby by being lovingly responsive to their needs.
So when you do KMC with your baby, giving them love you are planting the seeds for a lifetime of peace and joy.
So tip 6: Co- sleep and KMC your baby to help them develop in a way that encourages them to grow and explore
