As mothers – especially when we are first-timers – and we want to do what is best for the baby, we simply have to go with our instincts. I say this as someone who started motherhood having read a lot about it, but to whom time has taught precisely that.
In this sense, little is said about the importance of touch in the bond between mothers, fathers and babies : this is their most important sense (at least when they are newborns) because it is the first one that allows them to discover the world they have entered. arrived. Feeling the skin of his mother close is not a whim, but a basic need of the baby.
If we talk about premature babies, the benefits are incalculable: they need to be touched for better brain development and to mitigate all the negative stimuli that their condition has caused them to experience (routine exams or any other medical procedure, for example). For this reason, the kangaroo method has become a revolution in therapy offered to babies born prematurely , since it has been shown that in this way they gain weight more quickly and are able to adapt to the environment. a faster way.
Touch is the most important sense for a newborn
The sense of touch is fundamental to a baby’s physical and emotional development . At birth, they already have all their tactile receptors working because already from the uterus they can perceive the sensation of heat from the amniotic fluid, they can touch themselves, the umbilical cord and the uterine walls, so it is the sense that they already have “trained “From the womb.
It is the sense of touch (along with smell), which indicates to the baby where the nipple that provides food is, which indicates that it is wet or that it is very hot. There is nothing that relaxes you more than feeling the skin and warmth of your mother or father… that is why skin-to-skin is such an important practice after birth : it is the most natural encounter and the one that most favors the bond after such a hard experience -for the mother and for the baby- such as childbirth.
It is also so because, in a very complex way, it is the way in which mother and son recognize each other. Our breathing, feeling the movement of our body and the sensations that it produces in yours, is the first way of perceiving yourself and discovering the environment you have arrived at . If we like to feel protected in the shelter of our house, the same thing happens with a baby, since that is what we have been for them during the 9 months of gestation.
How to stimulate the sense of touch in a baby
Caress your belly when you are pregnant
Touching your belly with movements, gentle pressure, massages and walking with your fingers while you take deep breaths will help you establish a bond with your baby before birth , since he can feel these stimuli while in your womb. It is what is known as haptonomy, a practice that some pregnant women carry out for five or ten minutes each day (although many of us have surely done it for much longer throughout the day).
Do “skin to skin” from birth and as long as you can
Having a baby and its mother “skin to skin” is the best way to start the adventure of life . Among the many benefits it brings to the newborn are improving their vital signs, regulating their body temperature, helping them to adapt to the environment after leaving the womb, calming them, improving pain tolerance and, of course, promoting breastfeeding. Don’t forget that mom’s chest is the closest thing to where she’s been for the past nine months.
Take him in your arms whenever you want
The arms are the favorite place for babies because it is where they feel safest . Every time someone says that we shouldn’t take them because they “get spoiled” I feel sorry because it is a belief that has been deeply rooted in our society for many years and has caused many children (and parents) to miss out on one of the best stimuli that we can receive when we are small.
Give him a massage every day with oil
If adults like massages so much and even pay for them, how can a baby who is just beginning to discover his closest environment not like it? Every day, after bathing, heat a little oil in your hands and give a massage, paying attention to the temperature of the room. In this way you will contribute to strengthening your neurological, neurological and immune system.
Make your skin come into contact with different textures
A very interesting game due to the reactions you can see in your baby is to bring different textures closer to his skin (for example, to his hand, to his cheek or to a leg). Wool, cotton, some plastic and felt are some examples of materials that we can use. Texture books are a good option to be able to do this exercise, because we also strengthen eye-hand coordination.
Every time your baby has trouble falling asleep, you notice him tired, uncomfortable or upset, remember that feeling you is what he needs to calm down. And don’t just limit yourself to those moments: maintaining that physical contact in the form of kisses and hugs is essential for them to feel cared for, protected and safe.
