Is that an old wives’ tale or is there some scientific basis?
In: Biology
There’s science behind it. Skin to skin contact releases a hormone called oxytocin, which helps with bonding. Same is true for dads, which is why dads do it too. I experienced it with my baby, you can almost feel the oxytocin surge through you when you do it.
Also there’s other things it does. It helps the baby hear mum’s heartbeat, which soothes them because they heard it in the womb. It triggers the mum’s body to produce milk and triggers the baby’s feeding instincts. It passes good bacteria from mum’s skin to baby’s and so helps prevent infection. There’s more I’m forgetting.
Holding a baby on you after birth is a really powerful thing.
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