Benefits of breastfeeding and skin-to-skin

Benefits of breastfeeding

There are many benefits of breastfeeding/chestfeeding for both the parent and the baby. Breastfeeding/chestfeeding doesn’t produce any waste and has a very small carbon footprint and so is good for the environment.

Benefits for breastfeeding/chestfeeding parent:

• helps build a bond between you and your baby
• lower cost to breastfeeding/chestfeeding
• lowers the breastfeeding/chestfeeding parent’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• lowers the likelihood of diabetes and high blood pressure
• lowers the likelihood of osteoporosis

Benefits for baby:

• breastmilk is custom made for your baby and will change to meet your baby's needs and environment
• always available at the correct temperature with no preparation needed
• boosts your baby’s ability to fight infection and illness
• reduced likelihood of chest infections and diarrhoea
• reduced likelihood of obesity as your baby cannot be overfed on breastmilk
• reduced risk of asthma, eczema, hay-fever and some childhood cancers
• reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Skin-to-skin

Skin-to-skin contact is the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on your bare chest after birth, both of you covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour, until after the first feed or for as long as you wish. Skin-to-skin contact can also take place any time a baby needs comforting or calming and can help boost your milk supply. Skin-to-skin contact is vital in neonatal units where it is often known as ‘kangaroo care’. Here it helps parents bond with their baby and supports better physical and developmental outcomes for your baby.

Skin to skin contact helps to:

• calm and relax both you and your baby
• regulates your baby’s heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb
• stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding
• regulates temperature
• enables colonisation of your baby’s skin with your friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection
• Stimulate the release of hormones to support breastfeeding/chestfeeding and mothering.

Skin-to-skin contact also provides benefits for babies in the neonatal unit, in that it:

• improves oxygen saturation
• reduces cortisol (stress) levels, particularly following painful procedures
• encourages pre-feeding behaviour

Breastfeeding / chestfeeding resources