5 Useful tips, How to hold a newborn baby

A newborn baby has rather fragile joints, ligaments, and a weak spine. The baby cannot yet hold its head and back. Proper support for the child is the key to its safe development. In this article we guide you 5 tips, How to hold a newborn baby

If parents are afraid to pick up their child, it will have a negative impact on his physical, emotional and psychological development. Do not be afraid to accustom your child to being held, this will not make him tame and capricious. On the contrary, frequently carrying your baby in your arms is very useful:

1. Physical contact reinforces the feeling of security, calm, and trust in the world. The touch of mother’s hands is a confirmation of her love for the child, thus establishing a close connection between mother and child.
2. correct wearing helps the child’s physical development.
3. When held in hands, the child sees more, learns more, this is a way to expand the boundaries of his perception.

Basic rules of How to hold a newborn baby

To get the baby into your arms, you will have to lift him correctly from a horizontal surface. Tips on how to properly pick up a newborn from the crib:

1. Come close to the crib. Try to come from different sides so that the baby turns his head towards you in different directions. This is a simple and accessible prevention of torticollis.
2. Always lift the child with both hands. The child’s neck muscles are poorly developed, he does not hold his head up on his own, so it is important to always support his head with one hand (to avoid damaging the cervical spine).
3. The palm of one hand is placed under the baby’s head, supporting the back of the head. The palm of the other hand is placed under the bottom.
4. The baby is lifted smoothly and carefully.

A child in the first three months of life should not be held by the arms or legs (the baby’s muscles and ligaments are still too tender).

Baby Carrying Positions

There are several positions for carrying a baby in your arms. Different positions will help adults change the position of their hands, body, and choose the option that both they and the baby like.

On the shoulder

In this position, the baby has the opportunity to train the neck muscles, there is an incentive to learn to lift the head. When he gets tired, he easily falls asleep in it.

How to hold it correctly:

1. Lift the baby.
2. Using the hand that supports the neck and head, place the baby’s head on your shoulder. In this position, the baby will be able to look at what is behind you.
3. With your other hand, support the baby by the bottom and hold the baby close to you.

In a column

The “column” position is a variation of the “on the shoulder” position. Pediatricians highly recommend using it after each feeding. Babies’ digestion is not yet formed, and in this position it is easier for the baby to burp if he swallowed air while eating. Carrying a baby “column” is used to prevent colic in the tummy.

Here are some tips on how to properly hold your newborn in a “column” position after feeding.

1. Lift the baby.
2. Continue to support the head and neck with one hand.
3. With your other hand, support the baby by the bottom and press the baby to yourself.
4. Hold your baby in this position for 5-10 minutes after feeding.

The name of the pose speaks for itself – the baby is held in a vertical position, the tummy is pressed against the adult’s body. In this position, milk passes well through the esophagus, and excess air is burped out. Contact with the warmth of the mother’s body helps the abdominal muscles relax, relieves spasms.

Cradle

This is a classic position for carrying a newborn. It is convenient to feed the baby in it, and babies often fall asleep in this position right in the arms of an adult.

How to hold it correctly:

1. Take the baby out of the crib.
2. Raise to chest level.
3. The hand supporting the head slides lower, so that the baby’s head and neck are in the crook of your elbow.
4. The second hand supports the baby’s bottom and back. Hold your baby close to your body.
5. Change the arm you carry your baby on so that he lies on different sides; this is important for preventing torticollis.

Under the tummy

Fathers especially love to carry their baby this way. How to do it right:

1. Place the baby on his stomach on the adult’s forearm.
2. The baby’s arms are on either side of the adult’s forearm.
3. The baby’s legs slide down both sides of your hand. One of the baby’s legs is pressed against your stomach, the other leg, for safety, is fixed with your palm and thumb.
4. The baby’s head is on the adult’s hand.
5. The adult’s second hand lies on the baby’s back and bottom.

This position helps to pass gases comfortably (it is provoked by the warmth of the hand and gentle pressure on the intestines).

Sitting, facing the world

This position is comfortable for the baby, it gives a good view of everything around and gives a feeling of protection and comfort (the adult is nearby):

1. Press your baby’s back against your stomach.
2. With one hand, grasp him under the chest.
3. With your other hand, grab your legs, lifting your knees.

This pose, like the “column” pose, helps the baby’s digestion. The legs raised and pressed to the tummy improve intestinal peristalsis. Recommended after 3 months, so as not to overload the spine.

On my knees (How to hold a newborn baby)

Good for playing and communicating with the baby. In this position, the adult’s hands rest, but physical contact is maintained:

1. Sit comfortably. Place your feet straight. Knees pressed tightly together.
2. Place the baby on your lap, face up.
3. Support the baby’s head and shoulders with both hands.

How to hold a newborn baby While Feeding

To feed their baby, mothers use a position that is comfortable for both them and the baby. There are several ways to hold a newborn while feeding (suitable for both breastfed and bottle-fed babies):

sitting; under the armpit; tummy to tummy (lying down); standing.

Sitting

The mother sits comfortably and holds the baby in the “cradle” position. For convenience, a feeding pillow is used, so that the mother’s hands do not get tired. The pillow is placed under the mother’s supporting arm (the one on which the baby’s head rests).

Under the armpit

The “underarm” feeding position is a variant of feeding while sitting. The baby is placed on a pillow so that the body is under the mother’s armpit. This variant is most often used by mothers of twins.

Tummy to tummy (lying down)

The mother lies on her side, and places the baby on its side, facing her. She feeds from the lower breast. When feeding, she supports the baby by the back and bottom or places a small cushion under his back (for the baby’s comfort).

Standing position and How to hold a newborn baby

Standing mothers feed their babies in a sling or when they hold them in their arms in the cradle position.

How to hold your baby during bath time

Bathe the baby only in a lying position. Take the baby under the head and bottom and carefully place it in the bath. If you have a regular bath, install a bathing slide in it. You will not have to support the baby’s head, and with your free hands you can quickly wash the baby (pay special attention to the folds on the body, places under the knees, in the folds of the arms, under the chin, neck, behind the ears). The anatomical bath already has a bathing slide built in.

Bathe your baby before feeding. After bathing, dry your baby’s skin with a towel and feed him. To prevent digestive problems, do not forget how to hold a newborn after feeding: hold him in a “column” position for about 10-15 minutes.

What not to do

Parents should not forget about safety measures. Remember the simple rules on how not to pick up and hold a baby:

1. You can’t lift a child without supporting his head. Without support, the baby’s head falls back because his neck muscles are not yet strong.
2. You can’t lift a newborn by the wrists or hands because his joints are still weak. Such actions are good and useful at an older age, but are dangerous during the neonatal period.
3. If you hold the baby vertically, press him to yourself, support his back. For a weak spine, vertical load is harmful and dangerous.