The Quiet Bond: Skin-to-Skin for Dads

Skin-to-skin isn’t just for the early hours after birth or for mothers during nursing. It’s a invitation into bonding, and one that belongs just as much to fathers. While moms often receive their doses of closeness through feeding and contact naps, dads deserve the same kind of physical tenderness, the same quiet invitations to slow down and be fully present with their babies.

I believe skin-to-skin moments with fathers are sacred. There’s something powerful about watching a dad cradle his newborn against his bare chest, heart to heart, warmth to warmth. It’s not about doing, fixing, or leading. It’s about being. And in those moments, something softens. The baby settles. The dad breathes slower. And something invisible, but vital, begins to take root.

At every newborn session, I gently encourage dads to take just a few moments for skin-to-skin photos. Not for the camera, really, but for themselves. These were some of my favorite images from when my children were small. The ones with their father holding them so close. There’s something that doesn’t quite compare to it. The quiet strength, the open chest, the way a baby molds perfectly into that safety. It’s not just tenderness, it’s legacy.

Photographing these connections is deeply moving. They often happen in the stillness, after a shower, during an early morning moment, or when the world has gone quiet for the night. These aren't just beautiful images. They’re emotional reminders that this bond, this tenderness, lives in the everyday, not just the first few days.

If you’re expecting, or if your baby is already here, make room for these quiet skin-to-skin moments. And if you want them captured, so you never forget how it felt, reach out! These are the stories I am passionate about to tell.