Rooming and Bonding with Your Baby

We encourage families to be involved and participate as an integral part of the team caring for your baby. Parents are encouraged to practice skin-to-skin, or “kangaroo care,” which facilitates bonding and connection with their newborn. Child life specialists are available to help siblings adjust to a new family dynamic.

Mothers and babies will be encouraged to remain together throughout the hospital stay, including at night.

Benefits of Rooming In

• Baby and mother both sleep better
• Parents recognize early feeding cues
• Breastfeeding babies feed more often, so mother’s milk comes in sooner, baby gains weight faster, mothers exclusively breastfeed longer, baby develops less jaundice, and parents are more prepared to care for their baby

Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact

• Baby stays warm from mother’s skin
• Baby has more stable temperature, breathing, and heart rates
• Baby breastfeeds better
• Baby is calmer and cries less
• Improved parent/infant bonding