While teaching my Hands on Baby Class yesterday we came up with a good mantra: “When in doubt, skin to skin”

Problem: Baby is cold.

Solution: Skin to skin regulates temperature for both mom and baby!

Problem: Baby won’t latch and nurse.

Solution: Skin to skin to familiarize baby with mom’s smell and let the mom’s body work with baby’s to promote health bacteria.

Problem: Baby doesn’t know how to breath air yet, only amniotic fluid.

Solution: Hold baby Skin to skin and rub on her to stimulate first breaths, keep cord attached (only long enough to put baby on mom’s belly skin to skin).

Problem: Baby is overwhelmed with new surrounding.

Solution: Skin to skin, baby’s head to your heart, to breast for comfort and sound of mom’s heart beat.

See… parenting is that easy!