How to hold a newborn baby? Can a newborn baby be held upright?

Newborn babies are very soft, and new mothers may not know how to hold their babies correctly. So today I will teach you how to hold your baby. What are the techniques for holding a baby? Can a newborn baby be held upright?

How to hold a baby, generally you can master some basic skills. However, many parents and even relatives around them love their newborn babies very much and can't let go. So is it better to hold a newborn baby or lie down?

How to hold a newborn baby

The following three ways of holding a baby are more scientific and more suitable for the characteristics of babies.

1. Hold your baby in your arms

Bend your left arm and let the baby's head lie in the crook of your left arm. Hold the baby's back and buttocks with your right arm. Hold the baby's legs with your right arm and body, and support the baby's entire lower limbs. The left arm should be slightly higher than the right arm by about 10 cm. Holding the baby in this way will make the baby's head and limbs more comfortable and give the newborn a sense of security.

2. Hold the baby face down

Place your left hand on the baby's abdomen to support his lower body, and place your right hand on your side to support the baby's upper body, with the baby's chin and cheek close to your arm. This will allow the baby's hands and feet to move freely.

3. Let the baby lean on the adult's shoulder and hold it

Put one hand under the baby's buttocks to support its weight; hold the baby's head with the other hand, so that the baby leans against your shoulder and lies upright on your chest. Holding the baby in this way will not only make the baby feel safe, but also upright without a sense of oppression.

The above three ways of holding a child can be changed to the left or right according to habit, which can not only reduce the fatigue of adults, but also make the child feel comfortable when changing postures.

How to hold a newborn

1. Hand support method: Use your left hand to support the baby's back, neck, and head, and your right hand to support his little butt and waist. This method is more commonly used to pick up and put down the baby from the bed.

2. Wrist holding method: Place the baby's head in the crook of your left arm, with your elbow protecting the baby's head, your left wrist and hand protecting the back and waist, your right forearm extending over the baby's body to protect the baby's legs, and your right hand supporting the baby's buttocks and waist. This method is a more commonly used posture.

3. Don't hold your baby vertically: The head of a newborn baby accounts for 1/4 of the body length. When holding the baby vertically, the weight of the baby's head is all on the cervical spine. When the baby is 1-2 months old, the neck muscles are not fully developed and the neck muscles are weak. This incorrect holding posture should be used to prevent damage to the baby's spine. These injuries are not easy to detect at the time, but may affect the child's future growth and development. Therefore, it is not advisable to hold the baby vertically.

4. Don't hold your baby for too long: People love their children to an incomparable degree, and they don't kiss or love their children enough. They start holding their babies a few days after they are born. However, they don't know that this practice violates the natural law of infant growth and development and is harmful to the baby.

(1) Newborn babies need 20 hours of sleep a day; babies around 6 months old need about 16 hours of sleep. Therefore, except for special circumstances such as feeding and changing diapers, do not hold the baby too much.

(2) Due to physiological characteristics, the stomach and cardia muscles of infants are relatively relaxed, but the pyloric muscles are very tight. In this case, if the infant is held in the arms and played with after breastfeeding or feeding, food can easily overflow from the cardia and cause vomiting.

(3) Babies’ bones grow quickly. If they are held in the arms for a long time, it is extremely detrimental to the normal growth of their bones. It is necessary to hold them outside in the sun from time to time to enhance their immunity, but the time should not be too long.

5. Mother-child communication style: When holding the baby in this way, the mother and baby are face to face, which is most conducive to communication and dialogue between parents and children. The mother can also gently swing the baby in front of her to make the baby more relaxed and happier.

Should newborn babies be held more or lie down more?

Do you think newborn babies should be held more or lie down more? This article contains two opinions from mothers. After we finish reading, let’s listen to what the experts have to say so that we can better understand the needs of newborns.

Con: Lying down is more helpful for baby's growth

Rongrong's mother: Holding a baby is not good for bone growth. I think it is best to let babies under 3 months old lie flat more often. Because the bones of such a young child are very soft, if they are often held, the spine will always be bent, which is not good for the child's bone growth over time. In addition, the head of a baby under 3 months old is relatively large, and it is difficult for the cervical spine to support the weight of the head.

If you let your baby lie flat on the bed, it can not only make his body flat, but also reduce the burden on his neck. I think that you don’t have to hold your baby to have emotional communication with him. You can also make your baby feel your love by talking to him gently and touching him gently.

Jiang Jiang's mother: Lying down to sleep is the most comfortable. My baby spends most of his 24 hours a day sleeping, except for eating. Of course, lying down is the most comfortable way to sleep. Moreover, the baby's bones are not fully developed, and holding him in the way adults do will do more harm than good to his growth.

Affirmative: If you love him, you should hug him

Leilei's mother: Help him change his posture. Since Leilei was born, I have held him as soon as he wakes up. I think it would be uncomfortable for adults if babies sleep in bed all day long without turning over.

When he wakes up, I hug him and help him change his posture to relax his muscles. In addition, in the arms of his mother, the baby feels the warmest and safest, which is good for the baby's body and mind. Leilei is now 1 year and 2 months old. He is healthy, cheerful, smart and optimistic. He is my pride.

Lily's mother: Cherish the time of skin-to-skin contact. My baby is afraid of loneliness and longs for warmth. Holding him more means loving him more. Children who are held more are generally more cheerful. I don't agree with the saying that holding too much will make adults too tired and make children feel more dependent. I think this is a manifestation of adults' selfishness. How many years can a person be held in his life? Why not cherish this time of skin-to-skin contact with the baby?

Expert opinion: How to hold a newborn baby

The baby's body is very soft. When you hold him, be sure to protect his neck and waist. Use one hand to support the baby's back, neck, and head, and the other hand to support his little bottom and waist. Or put the baby's head in the crook of your left arm, protect the baby's head with your elbow, and support his back and waist with your left wrist and left hand. Protect the baby's legs with your right arm, and support the baby's bottom and waist with your right hand. It is best to let the baby's head touch your left chest. Let the baby hear the familiar heartbeat, which will make him feel safe.

Mainly hold the baby horizontally within 3 months

When holding your baby, you should hold him horizontally for the first three months. Because the baby's neck and back muscles are not fully developed, holding him horizontally can reduce the pressure on his back and neck to the greatest extent. If you want to exercise his little neck, you can let him lie prone to practice lifting his head.

Want to communicate more

Newborn babies sleep a lot, about 18 to 20 hours a day. When the baby is asleep, adults don't need to hold him. After the baby wakes up, parents can hold him, walk around, look around, let the baby feel your love, communicate and talk more with the baby, so that he can feel your love, stimulate him with language, and develop his brain. Otherwise, even if you hold him 24 hours a day, the effect may not be good.

To sum up, whether holding or lying down, it is beneficial to the baby as long as it is used at the right time. Parents should also pay attention to communicating with the baby throughout the process.