There is much debate about the benefits of mother-infant cohabitation as a practice in obstetric clinics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF emphasize the importance of the infant staying with its mother in the 7th of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The purpose of the step is to offer continuous contact between the mother and the infant from the first moment of his birth, which contributes to building their relationship and strengthens the emotional bond with his mother. It also helps to establish breastfeeding and to continue it successfully.

Very often parents feel insecure when they return home, because they do not know the behavior of the newborn. Anxiety is created when hearing the baby cry, they are not familiar with his character and do not always understand his demands.

We know from studies that have been conducted for several decades that cohabiting mothers, after leaving the clinic, feel more confident and able to care for their babies, compared to mothers who had not chosen cohabitation. In addition, it seems that this practice in the first days favors the development of the mother-child emotional bond and lays the foundations for the consolidation of a smooth family life.

The benefits of rooming in. Rooming in

Rooming in is essential so that mothers can learn to recognize their infant’s hunger cues and be able to respond immediately to their demands.

Breastfeeding is unrestricted, frequent, and exclusive, and it takes enough practice and contact with the infant to enable the mother to learn and become familiar with her infant’s behavior.

At the same time, cohabitation reduces the baby’s crying because the newborn feels the presence of its mother, feels safe near her and thus strengthens the bond between them. According to the bond theory (Bowlby), we are primarily mammals, biologically programmed from the outset by nature to exist in relationships, and upon this foundation the mental constitution is built.

In cases where the mother needs rest or help with the infant’s care, the father is the one who should help with the infant’s needs, such as changing the diaper or carrying the infant to the mother’s lap for nursing.

During your stay at the MITERA Obstetrics Clinic, you will have the opportunity with the Rooming-In service, to achieve the best start in the new joint beginning of his life, always with the practical, scientific and emotional support of our highly trained staff.

All the staff of the Maternity Clinic, and especially the Maternal Breastfeeding Team of MITERA, are by your side every day with respect, love and a smile, taking care of you and your baby… like a mother. He trains you in breastfeeding techniques and offers you help with any difficulty you may encounter.