Most people have no idea what "kangaroo care" means. But to those of us who have ever had a baby in the NICU, it means so many wonderful things. Kangaroo care means holding your precious child. It is bonding, and healing, and just feeling like a parent. It was originated in third world countries, where there are no incubators to keep your child warm. Instead, the child is placed on mom's chest, skin to skin, and her body keeps the baby's body temperature moderate. A mother's body will actually warm up if the child is cold, or cool down if the child is too hot. It is amazing to watch a mother's body react to her child's needs. Kangaroo care is the one thing I can look back and think of as a good experience It meant I got to hold Juliet. Her breathing always got better, her temperature got better, her oxygen requirements dropped, and she would go into a deep sleep, which meant she was growing, and healing. One thing I have not told many people is that I had a really hard time bonding with Juliet. My whole pregnancy I was so focused on Jacob, she was more in the background After he was gone, I realized I didn't know my daughter like I knew Jacob. I remember sitting and looking at her thinking to myself I really had no idea if she was mine. I had no connection to her. Then, when she was 16 days old, I got to hold her for the first time. The nurse placed her down on my chest and I could feel my body changing to what she needed. I watched as my temperature rose on the thermometer, in order to keep her warm. It was because of Kangaroo care that I began to feel like she was mine. We made memories, sitting in those blue chairs, just Juliet and I. I did a lot of healing in those chairs. Kangaroo care if one of the best things a mother can do for her child, and Juliet and I still enjoy our time together. Getting the word out is only part of the battle. We need to encourage ALL mothers to embrace this idea, for the health of the mother and the child.
Most people have no idea what "kangaroo care" means. But to those of us who have ever had a baby in the NICU, it means so many wonderful things. Kangaroo care means holding your precious child. It is bonding, and healing, and just feeling like a parent. It was originated in third world countries, where there are no incubators to keep your child warm. Instead, the child is placed on mom's chest, skin to skin, and her body keeps the baby's body temperature moderate. A mother's body will actually warm up if the child is cold, or cool down if the child is too hot. It is amazing to watch a mother's body react to her child's needs. Kangaroo care is the one thing I can look back and think of as a good experience It meant I got to hold Juliet. Her breathing always got better, her temperature got better, her oxygen requirements dropped, and she would go into a deep sleep, which meant she was growing, and healing. One thing I have not told many people is that I had a really hard time bonding with Juliet. My whole pregnancy I was so focused on Jacob, she was more in the background After he was gone, I realized I didn't know my daughter like I knew Jacob. I remember sitting and looking at her thinking to myself I really had no idea if she was mine. I had no connection to her. Then, when she was 16 days old, I got to hold her for the first time. The nurse placed her down on my chest and I could feel my body changing to what she needed. I watched as my temperature rose on the thermometer, in order to keep her warm. It was because of Kangaroo care that I began to feel like she was mine. We made memories, sitting in those blue chairs, just Juliet and I. I did a lot of healing in those chairs. Kangaroo care if one of the best things a mother can do for her child, and Juliet and I still enjoy our time together. Getting the word out is only part of the battle. We need to encourage ALL mothers to embrace this idea, for the health of the mother and the child.
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