A maternity positioning band is being offered at St. Paul’s Hospital to help mothers and their infants. It’s the first hospital in Canada to introduce Joeyband into its operating rooms, which allows mothers who deliver through C-section to safely engage in skin-to-skin contact with their babies.

The made-in-Canada band keeps the baby secure with its mother, whose ability to hold the child may be compromised due to the spinal epidural and severe fatigue that come along with C-sections in particular.

“After C-sections, they typically have reduced feeling from the waist down, so holding onto the infant and keeping it secure has always been a bit of an issue for a mom,” said Scott Harrison, St. Paul’s Director of Maternity and NICU.

The Joeyband was created in response to an overwhelming amount of clinical evidence showing the importance of skin-to-skin contact between the mother and child. Research shows one of the key elements to successful breastfeeding is uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact within an hour after birth.

Studies also show that the breastfeeding rate is lower among women who give birth by C-section in comparison to those who give birth vaginally.

The band also helps to regulate breathing, temperature and stimulates milk production—establishing breastfeeding and helping to build a crucial bond needed early on.