Spoil Your Baby Ep 36 - Brain benefits of Skin-to-Skin and how to do it at any age

What if the key to maximizing bonding time with your newborn was created out of a moment of terrifying crisis?

Hayley Mullins, the founder of the Joey Band, shares the deeply personal and frightening experience that led to the development of her innovative product. When her newborn daughter, just two weeks old, startled and fell from her chest onto a hardwood floor, Hayley was devastated. After rushing to the emergency room, she learned that infant falls during skin-to-skin time happen often, even in hospital settings, occurring at an estimated rate of one in 165 births. Frustrated that existing baby-wearing products like wraps and carriers didn't offer the simple, soft support she needed while resting, she and her husband developed the Joey Band. This stretchy, yoga pant-material device wraps around the parent, securing the baby in a proper skin-to-skin position. This simple change transformed the practice, enabling comfortable, hands-free bonding time and mimicking the snug comfort of the womb. The Joey Band has become a game-changer in hospitals, particularly for C-section mothers, allowing uninterrupted kangaroo care right on the operating table, with one nurse noting it turns "a surgery to a birth". It has also been instrumental in NICU settings, helping vulnerable babies get home sooner by encouraging consistent kangaroo care.


Key Takeaways

● Skin-to-skin contact is crucial for brain development, temperature regulation, and nutrient absorption, which helps babies gain weight faster.
● Babies held skin-to-skin have been found in studies to cry 12 times less, offering enormous relief and increased confidence for new parents.
● The Joey Band is non-ambulatory and is meant to be used while sitting or reclining, helping parents slow down, recover, and focus on bonding time.
● The simplicity of the Joey Band makes skin-to-skin easier for non-birthing and adoptive parents, giving them confidence and growing the bond.
● For C-section moms, the use of the Joey Band reduces maternal anxiety and decreases the need for pain medication post-operation.


Resources

● Joey Band Website: https://joeyband.com/
● Hayley Mullins’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
● Guest Bio: Hayley Mullins Inventor of the Joeyband Device & Infant Falls SME. Passionate about revolutionizing newborn care practices worldwide, she´s the visionary behind JoeyBand™, a globally patented medical device designed to elevate the crucial practice of skin-to-skin care. As the driving force behind this groundbreaking initiative, her responsibilities and achievements include spearheading a mission to redefine the standard of newborn care.


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