Kangaroo care is also known as skin to skin. Bunny was three weeks early and I wanted to create a womb like environment for her for at least three weeks. Baby Sister was born around 40 weeks, but I still thought it was important to do skin to skin with her.
Skin to skin contact is very important and helpful for a baby. Skin to skin contact helps baby to regulate her temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and improves oxygen saturation levels. Being skin to skin also helps baby spend more time in a deep sleep, helps baby to be happier and not cry, and aids in a more rapid weight gain. When baby is skin to skin with mama it is easier and quicker to get baby to the breast and also helps increase milk supply. Skin to skin contact helps both the caregiver and the baby bond. Skin to skin also helps the caregiver understand and be attuned to baby’s cues.
Skin to skin is typically done on an adults bare chest with baby wearing only a diaper. A blanket then goes over both baby and adult. Instead of a blanket you can use a stretchy wrap which will give baby the proper support if you need to walk around while doing skin to skin. Skin to skin is not just for moms. Dads can benefit from skin to skin contact with baby. My Love does skin to skin with our babies. The benefits of skin to skin with dad are very similar to the benefits of skin to skin with mom. The only benefit dads will not receive from skin to skin contact is the increase in breast milk production. 
When baby was in the womb, baby was held 24/7 and was constantly being touched. I try to mimic the womb as much as possible for my babies, especially during the fourth trimester. The fourth trimester is the first three months of baby’s life. Keeping baby close, mainly skin to skin, helps Baby Sister adjust to this new world. It also helps me adjust to having Baby Sister outside of me. I am so used to feeling her moving all day long, it is odd to no longer feel this. Doing skin to skin with Baby Sister makes the transition easier for both of us. I can breast feed Baby Sister before she starts crying because I know her cues. Having her on me, doing skin to skin, helps me to know what she needs when she needs it. I have noticed Baby Sister doesn’t cry often. When she does cry it is because she has been away from me for too long. If I put Baby Sister back on my chest, skin to skin, she immediately calms down. Less crying means less stress for everyone. I often wear Baby Sister. This allows me to move around and play with Bunny while still doing skin to skin with Baby Sister.
There is no age when skin to skin loses its usefulness. When Bunny was a baby I would do skin to skin with her whenever she needed it. I would do skin to skin with Bunny when she was 9 months old and beyond. Whenever she had a rough day or needed some extra love, skin to skin would calm her down immediately. I love being skin to skin with my babies and try to get in as much time every day as possible. An upside to this is, I have less laundry to do! I don’t wear shirts around the house and Baby Sister doesn’t wear clothing. Baby Sister has worn clothes maybe 8 times in her life (she is 4 weeks old). If mom every needs to increase her milk supply, skin to skin is a great way to help facilitate that. Everyone loves being held! I enjoy the skin to skin time with my babies. They look pretty happy too!
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