THE PRECIOUS FIRST HUG BY A MOTHER

05/06/2021

As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), immediately after birth, newborns need skin-to-skin contact with the mother’s breast or womb for at least one hour. This measure brings a lot of benefits, helps to increase the rate of breastfeeding and prolongs the time of breastfeeding.

In Vietnam, November 2014, the Ministry of Health issued “Professional guidance on essential care for mothers and babies during and right after delivery / C-section”. Which refers to the skin-to-skin contact method for mothers and babies. When baby is born, we encourage you to hold and have skin-to-skin contact with your baby for at least an hour, but for as long as possible.

At American International Hospital, we understand “skin-to-skin” contact is a great way for mothers and babies to recover soon from an arduous and emotional journey, an effective way to connect with motherhood and encourage the baby to start breastfeeding. Therefore, we always use the "skin to skin" approach. At the same time, we also do not "forget" the sweet moments of fathers with their children. In some cases, especially for mothers who have a cesarean section, we always encourage fathers to have skin-to-skin contact with the baby. This is also a way to help paternity bond and bring great benefits to your baby. Why is skin-to-skin contact so important?

Benefits for children:

Calms and relaxes both mother and baby
Regulates the baby’s heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb.
Keep the baby warm
Enables colonisation of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection.
Stimulates the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and mothering. This encourages your baby to look for the breast and want to breastfeed. Stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding.
Releases the hormone oxytocin which helps your baby’s brain to grow and develop.
Helps you and your baby to recover from the birth.

Benefits for mothers:

Skin-to-skin stimulates the mother's body to release oxytocin - "love hormone": it helps mothers feel relaxed, less anxious and more connected with their babies. This hormone also leads to many beneficial changes in the mother's body: shortening the recovery time; mothers feel happier, less depressed; milk comes in a lot; uterine contraction reduces the risk of postpartum bleeding; mother quickly regained her slim figure before becoming pregnant.
Mothers practice skin-to-skin contact from the beginning often continue to breastfeed more when they go home. The growth of the hormones Oxytocin and Prolactin of the mother in the first hours after birth increases milk production in the long term. Thanks to the practice of at least 60 minutes of skin-to-skin contact each time, 1-2 times a day, mothers who are having trouble breastfeeding often get a lot of improvement.
When placed on the mother's bare chest, the baby is very close to the source of breast milk. The baby can see and feel the nipples / areola, which has great attraction and encourages the baby to start breastfeeding.
For a few days after giving birth, your breasts often experience tightness and discomfort. But when mothers perform skin-to-skin contact, they will experience less breast pain and less anxiety.

The skin-to-skin timeframe is important for mothers to remember:

The skin-to-skin method is not only beneficial in the first 90 minutes of a child's life, but throughout the later stages of life, it is also quite important, playing a big role in stabilizing the rhythm of life, adaptation and children's health, as follows:

From 0 - 90 minutes after birth, skin-to-skin support for the baby's brain development.
From 0 - 6 hours after birth: help stabilize breathing and heart rate in the recovery phase.
From 6 - 24 hours after birth: helping your baby to form a stable breastfeeding schedule and sleep cycle.
From 12 hours - 8 weeks after birth: helps establish a bond.

At American International Hospital (AIH), doctors and nutritionists will keep track and give specific advice to expecting mothers so that they have the most suitable plan to take care of their own health and their babies’ health.

As the first of its kind here in Vietnam, American standard versatile rooms equipped with 4 in 1 facilities (LDRP) is being offered by American International Hospital (AIH). These rooms designed for the whole birthing process including Labor, Delivery (natural), Recovery and Postpartum will make mothers feel like home.

Specially, our NICU is equipped with modern equipment, with the cooperation of a comprehensive team of specialists that includes neonatologists, neonatal nurses, physiotherapists, pediatric nutritionist, timely support for babies, ensure safety and best care for babies right after birth.

--------------------

For checkup and consultation at AIH:

☎️ Hotline: (028) 3910 9999

🌏 Website: www.aih.com.vn

📍 Address: 199 Nguyen Hoang street, An Phu Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh city.