Myth- Parents Need to Have Contact with Baby after Birth

Myth- Parents Need to Have Contact with Baby after Birth

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Myth: Parents Need to Have Contact with Baby after Birth

Introduction

Over time a myth developed that contact between parents and newborn babies just after birth is essential in their bonding process, thus creating a necessity for it. Many factors contribute to the development of a child in different stages of life. Consequently, a single variable cannot be the determining factor in the development of a child (Mercer. J, Hupp S.D.A, Jewell. J, n.d) This means that the absence of contact between a child and the parents immediately after birth would no affect the relationship that would exist between them.

The Bonding of a Baby with their Parents

There is great significance in what happens between a baby and its parent throughout the pregnancy (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013) It is also essential in the delivery process of the baby and the undertakings in the beginning stages after birth when the child upon going home(Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). The rationale behind the processes is to make it easier for the child to adjust to the new environment and facilitate a means for the parents to connect with their child (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). The importance is to allow the parents to have a chance to bond with their child.

There is a lot of confusion between the distinction between the words ‘bonding ‘and ‘attachment.’ Some people are unaware that these words are not synonymous with one another (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  This confusion has caused the terms to be used interchangeably by medical professionals and parents (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). The absence of information on their distinction has caused a lot of concern amongst new parents when separated from their child no matter the duration (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). The parents worry that the limited separation will result in challenges when bonding with their newborns and forming new relationships (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

Some reports have relied on this notion on the importance of contact between a new baby and their parents (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  The reliance of this concept, drawn from the animal kingdom,  has established that the absence of contact between parents and their newborn could lead to challenges in developing and building relationships (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  Diane Eyer designed research on this post-birth myth. She stated that the pressure placed on this contact developed as a political statement in hospitals, which is the basis of its placement in hospital policy (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). The need for contact between the parents and the baby used a tool in the debated surrounding natural birth and childbirth that is medically managed (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). Diane Eyer stated that it is minimal challenge of the concept is hardly challenged because it fits well with the picture of motherhood (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  Consequently, the research on bonding between newborns and parents was for the following reasons; (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

• Facilitate family-based policies in hospitals when dealing with maternity care.
• The promotion of contact between the baby and the parents immediately after delivery.
• Encourage mothers to share a room with their newborn unless it is essential to separate them, such as when there is a need for the use of the incubator.
• The promotion unity between mothers and their babies corroborates mothers as the primary guardians to their children.

There is usually a lot of excitement to meet the child after delivery, to which many parents feel joyful. It is even more joyful because, in the first few hours after birth, a baby is usually very alert when in contact with anyone (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

Despite the mythological aspect of skin to skin contact with a child, the process has proven to be beneficial when introducing breastfeeding. Nonetheless, there is no discovery that such communication would lead to an inability to bond with the child (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

The Attachment of a Baby to their Parents

As mentioned earlier, there is a distinction between ‘bonding’ and attachment’ There are parents who are concerned that the absence of contact could result in challenges in establishing a long-term relationship with the child (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  This topic brings into the conversation of attachment. Attachment, unlike bonding, is not instantaneous; it grows over time just as the long- term relationship develops over a while as well (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

There have been several definitions for the term ‘attachment’ concerning the relationship between a child and the parents (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  The essential components of the term have been that the child should feel safe and protected by their parents, thus leading to the attachment between the three of them (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). Therefore, the absence of contact would not lead to a loss of attachment because a newborn does not understand the safety and the identification of its caregivers (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). It would be impossible to lose on an attachment out of skin contact, yet there was no attachment to begin with (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

The attachment theory is tested more in parenting with a non-typical relationship, for example, in the following instances; (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

• A stranger introduced in the parenting equation, for example, where the mother delivered and has been bonding with the child, but another constant human presence is around in the form of an uncle or aunt, etc.
• The disappearance of a caregiver for a while, particularly for the mothers, would cause breastfeeding difficulties. An example would be mothers that and in and out of the children’s lives for months at a time.

This notion is a clear indication that attachment with a child is progressive and consistent and has nothing to do with the skin to skin contact with the child immediately after birth (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

Some methods used to establish the infant and parent attachment level, but the Strange Situation Procedure is the most applicable. Under this method, there are four forms of baby and parent attachments: (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013)

• Secure attachment
• Insecure avoidant attachment
• Insecure resistant attachment
• Insecure disorganized attachment

The assessment of these attachments is at the end of the first year with the baby (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013). There have been documentations surrounding the consequences of the four forms of attachments under the Strange Situation Procedure Method (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).   An example would be Benoit’s 2004 publication on insecure disorganized infant-parent relationships, which pertains to the emotional and behavioral challenges of people involved in a precarious situation (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  Accordingly, the baby’s exposure to risky situations in the family could affect the attachment between the parents and the child and not whether there was skin to skin contact after delivery of the baby (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

There is also another form of attachment that develops between a mother and a baby during pregnancy, referred to as antenatal.  This relationship is a form of attachment but uni-directional, meaning that it is from emotions during the pregnancy (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).  The ‘attachment’ that is generally accepted is bi-directional, meaning drawn from the relationship between the parents and the child concerning the provision of security and care (Redshaw. M, Martin. C, 2013).

The skin to skin experience between a mother and newborn

Despite the fact immediate skin is absent to skin contact, there have been some advantages that would be beneficial to explore. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency established an in-depth analysis of the benefits of skin to skin contact with a newborn. Below are a few of the advantages reported;

• The baby and the mother feel comfortable when there is contact with each other. The mother will also feel more relaxed because she would have undergone very strenuous labor.
• It is a means of monitoring the heart rate, temperature, and breathing of the child. This action is because the baby will need to adjust to the new environment.
• The baby will be more intrigued about feeding, which is very important for a newborn.
• The mother will feel the urge to feed the baby through the production of hormones through the skin to skin contact.

Skin to skin contact with a child leads to the mother and child leads to maternal hormones released, leading to the urge to engage with the newborn (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).  The baby will able to familiarise themself with the breast of the mother, thus encouraging breastfeeding. There have been reports that the absence Baby-parent to skin contact results in difficulties when breastfeeding the child. Several things occur once the child experiences skin to skin contact with the mother. In the beginning, the baby will cry but stop upon experiencing the calming sensation of the surface of the mother. The baby will then open their eyes in response to the voice of their mother. There will be minimal movement on the arms, legs, and head. Upon being relaxed, the baby will appear to move towards the mother’s breast and rest on that position. Some may assume that the baby is not hungry, but, in most cases, they are simply introducing themselves to their mothers’ breasts. It is vital not to rush this process because it may take some time before the child has established the means of feeding. After all, they eventually do. After familiarization, the baby will be ready to feed, and they will do so. There may be a need for assistance in the best position to place the baby. Once the baby completes feeding, they will fall asleep (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).

It is advisable for there to be skin to skin contact to facilitate breastfeeding because any interruption could result in challenges in that depaBaby-Friendlynterruptions could be caused by the need of the mother to take a shower or the nurses taking the baby away to weight the child (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).

As mentioned earlier, a majority of hospitals support skin to skin contact between the mother and the child after delivery (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d). However, specific standards are necessary, and they are as follows;

• There should be the encouragement of skin to skin contact between the mother and the child, especially after the mother breastfeeds the child for the first time. There should be no time frame for the contact (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• The first time that the mother feeds the child should be in the skin to skin contact whenever the child exhibits sights that they want to feed (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• Mothers should have skin to skin contact with their child immediately after the child (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• The mother’s vitals should throughout the contract period (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d). The rationale behind this is that most mothers who have just given birth are exhausted and may need assistance, for instance, when positioning the child during breastfeeding (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• A mother should not be holding the child after being induced with medicine that could result in the drowsiness, which could be a risk during skin to skin contact. This position is because the mother may not be able to support their child (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).  The baby could fall and get severely injured or get entangled in the bedding of the mom. There is also the concern that the mother could roll on the child, which would be fatal (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• The medical staff should inform the parents about the need and benefits of skin-to-skin contact after the child’s delivery. This action will make the entire process smooth for the parents (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• During skin-to-skin contact, the baby’s vitals should still be measured, especially the first few hours after birth. (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d). There should be the observation of other vitals such as the baby’s skin tone and color and the warmth of the child throughout the process (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d). A change in the baby’s color could be an indication of a medical condition (“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, n.d).
• Nevertheless, the limbs of a newborn tend to appear discolored in the beginning.  The observation of the tone of the baby will ensure that the child is responsive. It is also essential to listen to the child’s breathing to ensure that there is no underlying sound and that the child’s position in not blocking air-passage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a need for skin to skin contact between a mother and a baby to facilitate breastfeeding and relaxation. The absence of immediate skin to skin contact as a result of various reasons does not mean that such a mother will have challenged bonding or creating a long-term relationship with their child.

References

Mercer. J, Hupp S.D.A, Jewell. J. (n.d). Thinking Critically About Child Development.

“Unicef: The Baby Friendly Initiative. Skin to Skin Contact”, (n.d) Retrieved from <  https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly-resources/implementing-standards-resources/skin-to-skin-contact/#:~:text=Skin%2Dto%2Dskin%20contact%20is%20usually%20referred%20to%20as%20the,until%20after%20the%20first%20feed.>

Redshaw. M, Martin. C. (2013). Babies, ‘bonding’ and ideas about parental ‘attachment,’ Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 31:3, 219-221, DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2013.830383