A midwife has designed a special set of scrubs for fathers and partners to help them bond with their newborn baby while mothers recover from Caesarean sections.
The Cozy Cuddles scrubs have a kangaroo pouch, allowing babies to receive the health benefits of skin-to-skin contact in the interim while their mum is undergoing surgery.
The “smart and sustainable” garments are crafted from repurposed NHS staff fleeces by tailors in the sewing room at St John’s Hospital, Livingston.
Elective section midwife Stacey Boyle, who works at the hospital, approached her managers with the idea in 2022.
She said the scrubs allow birthing partners to bond with their babies in their first precious hours of life.
She said: “[Previously] if dads wanted to do skin-to-skin, they took their tops off. A lot of dads weren’t comfortable with that. Putting the baby on their chest covered by blankets or towels didn’t keep them warm.
STV News“We added a bit of Velcro so the baby can be placed in and the fleece panel can be closed, providing skin-to-skin contact with the birth partner.”
Skin-to-skin contact provides numerous benefits for parents and babies.
Staff said the scrubs have helped reduce the number of babies going into special care units.
Stacey added: “The scrubs help regulate the baby’s temperature and breathing, making them feel so much safer and they help with the transition from in utero to the outside world.
“When you’re in the room with the birth partner, you can see them relax; they have a role to play. It’s lovely to see the benefits for the baby – drying the lungs quicker, much quicker feeding, and the baby is so much calmer.
“It helps keep the family unit together.”
Clinical charge midwife Marianne Hay said the scrubs play a key part in boosting babies’ health and wellbeing.
She said: “Dads are a part of the birthing experience. It’s their child. There are times when mums cannot provide skin-to-skin contact due to pain or discomfort.
“The benefits of skin-to-skin are immense. It keeps the baby nice and calm, helps with blood sugars and is good for thermoregulation.
“When babies get cold it affects their breathing, blood and sugar levels. It also reduces anxiety for mums and partners.
“It helps with good attachment with breastfeeding and bottle feeding. It helps with that closeness and bonding.”
She added: “The feedback has been positive and amazing. Many dads have been asking ‘why has this not been introduced before?'”
Michael and Sarah Kean have welcomed their third child Isla and said the scrubs made the birthing experience much easier.
“I was able to do skin-to-skin contact with Isla. It was great to see how much she settled down during that time,” Michael said.
“She stayed with me throughout the entire surgery until it was complete.”
Sarah added: “It meant Michael could sit by my side while the surgery was completed. For the first time, I was able to have the baby with me while I was in recovery. Before, I never saw Michael or the baby during the anxious times of the previous births.
“Isla was totally calm and content, and she didn’t make a peep until she was looking for her first bottle shortly after.
“This made me much more relaxed, being able to see Isla and have her close. It was super easy compared to the other two.
“I truly believe that the skin-to-skin connection had a lot to do with it – 100%.”
The scrubs were funded by InnoScot Health, a formal partner of NHS Scotland which works with NHS staff to develop ideas to help improve patient care.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
