I keep hearing about kangaroo care. What is it and is it beneficial?
In many ways our babies are born before they are fully ready for the world. They are less like little horses, able to run on the first day of life, and more like little kangaroos, needing to stay a while longer in the warmth and protection of their mothers pouch. That is why I refer to the first 3 months of a babys life as the 4th trimester. The need for extra holding is especially true for babies who are born prematurely. And that is exactly where the fantastic idea of kangaroo care got started. The thinking went, since preemies haves to leave the cozy womb too soon, lets try to make up for it by letting them be carried in a sling for hours a day, close to their mothers chest, where they can hear her heartbeat, smell her breasts, and feel her warm skin. It is very soothing and healthful for all babies preemie and full term!
