Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Mrs Incredible are all very impressive in the land of make believe, but when it comes to real superpowers, mums are the absolute marvels. With the amazing ability to grow a baby, birth a baby and feed a baby, mamas also have another very special power called ‘skin-to-skin contact’.
To prove it, Dr Susan Ludington has partnered with Water Wipes to investigate the power of bare skin bonding between a mother and her new baby.
With a lab coat on and a voice like liquid gold (hear it to believe it), Dr Ludington looks into the science of skin-to-skin contact.
In other words, when a mum cuddles their baby on bare skin, does it have any affect on the bub’s heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen level in their blood and temperature?
And the answer is, a definite yes!
It turns out that a swaddled cuddle is less calming than a skin-to-skin one, and that mums have a natural power to make their bub feel happy and healthy just by holding them on their chest. We knew it!
Babies also regulate their mother’s heart rate and temperature, proving that the connection between a mum and bubba starts with the skin and goes much deeper.
Watch this video to see the science in action (the newborns are so darn adorable!)
