MIDWIVES have been raving about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact in childbirth during a two-week celebration.

Staff at the Royal Berkshire Hospital got involved with International Kangaroo Care Fortnight by offering maternity advice to expectant mothers.

Originally developed in Colombia, skin-to-skin contact is vital in neonatal units and can make the baby feel calmer, while also helping it to bond with its mother.

As part of the Kangaroo Challenge, staff counted the number of hours visitors spent hugging one another to see if they could beat other hospitals from across the country.

While much of the research into skin-to-skin contact involves mums and babies, studies suggest that dads find it is just as important.

It is usually referred to as the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on their mother’s bare chest after birth, both of them covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour or until after the first feed.