When my middle child was born in 2009, Aran, at 35 weeks, chose to enter the neonatal intensive care unit to check that everything went well. They put him in an incubator and monitored him there until hours later his mother could be with him.
By then the entrance was not free. There were some schedules to feed him (every 3 hours) and once you entered you could stay for a little while, then let him rest. What we did was always arrive early and always leave late, so we could have him a lot of skin to skin contact and make sure that we would leave there as soon as possible.
And the kangaroo method, having the baby in skin-to-skin contact with us, is so important that even a father and a brother can do it, as you see in this beautiful photo that has been going around social networks for a few days.
What do we know about this photo?
Not much really. It is being shared by the Initiative for the Humanization of Birth and Lactation Assistance (IHAN) and only mention that It is a photograph taken in a Swedish hospital. This already says a lot, of course, because we have a few years of advantage in these details.
When we see it we all ask the same thing: "Where is the mother?" And we can answer with three possible hypotheses. Or he just gave birth and right now he can't be with the babies, and that's why the skin with skin is being carried out by the father and the son (I don't think, because at first it is such fear, nerves and lack of confidence that it would surely be the father who put them both in the chest), or can not be with them for some reason or is taking the picture, because they are two babies who were born very soon and have already been in the NICU for several days , to which we must add those that still have to happen.
I sign up for the latter. They have been there for days and they are turning that corner of the hospital into their little "house" where babies can enjoy themselves. In order not to delay contact with babies until they are discharged, they opt for make skin with skin all, including brother.
Why also the brother? Because of that, because parents spend a lot of time there with their two premature babies and he also suffers the consequences of it. His life has changed completely, they are no longer at home, they do not do the usual and attention to him has completely diverted to his new brothers. It is worth it to participate in it, it is worth knowing that you, also take care of them and that, thus, begin to feel and love, and understand that everything is for their sake. In short, it's great that the brother does it because he is creating a bond of love and affection for them.
Why our interest in doing kangaroo method for a long time
I have commented above, we were going before and we were leaving later. We were the ones who spent more time with the baby because after feeding him we put him inside the robe and we did skin with skin as long as we could. We did it because we knew that we would leave before (Parents who have had a premature child will know what I'm talking about ... if you already change your life when you have just had a baby, imagine how it changes if you have a baby and cannot take care of it at home, in your environment, and if you have an older son)
To go before?
So is. We were very clear and even now I affirm: Children who spend more time in skin-to-skin contact with their parents go home earlier because they evolve better than those who spend less time and are more in the incubator. And that's because the benefits are multiple. As you can read in a study published here in Spain, in which a pediatrician who discovered this method in Colombia participates, where the lack of resources caused many children to be "incubated" in their mothers' breast, progressing better than those who did incubator, skin-to-skin contact with the baby helps thermoregulation, promotes frequent breastfeeding (the baby is always close to the mother and takes more shots), is calmer and makes fewer episodes of apnea, pain decreases, suffers less infections, grows and fattens more (eats more and is also calmer) and is an ideal way to create and strengthen the emotional bond with parents.
In addition, the greater contact with the baby makes parents feel more autonomous, more capable, and from the same unit they are more determined and skilled, and they can leave even early, knowledgeable (professionals) that at home they will have the same care on their part. If there, at home, it continues, making a lot of skin with skin, it has been seen that parents respond better to stress situations and it has been seen that mortality rates are lower.
Come on, we knew that taking the reins of caring for our baby and helping him to gain weight and feel good we would leave before, so we didn't lose any chance of putting it on his chest to give him our love and our warmth.
In the case of the photo of the father and his son, the same as I have said, beneficial for babies and also for the father and son, who feel part of the care, responsible, and able to empathize with the needs of Two little brothers Do you think we will see him soon in Spain?
