If you want your baby to be smarter and cuter, parents should hug him more

The latest research shows that hugging babies can promote brain development, increase their memory and learning abilities, etc. So when does a baby need a hug? What are the benefits of hugging a baby? How to hug a baby scientifically? The following editor will give you a detailed introduction.

When does your baby need a hug?

Hug your baby when he wakes up in the morning. When your baby wakes up after a long night's sleep, give him a hug, ask him good morning and whether he slept well, then dress him and get him out of bed.

When you pick up your baby to go to kindergarten every day. Sending your baby to kindergarten means that he will be separated from you for a whole day. Giving him a hug at this time can alleviate his separation anxiety to a certain extent. When you pick up your baby from kindergarten in the evening, parents and children also need a warm hug due to the long separation.

Hug your baby when you get home from get off work. You have been working outside for a whole day, and your baby has not seen you for a whole day. Your baby needs a big hug from you to make up for the long-term separation.

Hug your baby before he goes to bed. Kiss your baby on the forehead before he goes to bed, and say goodnight to each other. Your baby will surely have a good night's sleep with the warmth of your hug.

Hugs are more needed during special periods. When your baby is restless, sick, wronged, bullied by other children... During these special periods, your hug can reduce your baby's anxiety, alleviate the pain caused by the illness, and to a certain extent divert your baby's attention from the illness, pain, and grievances.

When hugging your baby, you can not be perfunctory. When hugging your baby, you can give him things that interest him, such as mother's milk, gentle touch, beautiful songs, etc. At the same time, you can look into his eyes with a gentle gaze to let him know that you care about him, pay attention to him, and let him know that you understand him best and love him the most.

What are the benefits of hugging your baby?

Promote baby's brain development

When adults hug and touch babies, and have close physical contact with them, it is important for their brain development. Whenever you pick up your baby, gently touch his body, kiss his chubby little face, touch his little head, and pinch his cute little feet, you are "touching" his mind. Every time you touch, your baby's brain receives a benign stimulation, which can promote the development of your baby's intelligence.

Make your baby feel safe

Gentle hugs and touches can calm a restless baby and relieve stress. Only when a baby is calm will he be interested in exploring the environment, and can he take everything around him as an object of exploration and learn through exploration.

Promote the healthy growth of your baby

Psychologists point out that hugging can help relieve a baby's depression and improve the efficiency of the immune system. Many pediatricians have found that hugging and touching can also help promote a baby's physical development and treat diseases.

Promote parent-child relationship building

When a father holds his baby, pricks his face with his beard, lifts him up high, or lets him ride on his neck, the baby will feel his father's strength. When a mother holds her baby, tells him stories, sings lullabies to him when he is sleepy, the baby will feel her mother's tenderness. Parents can also feel their baby's cuteness and loveliness when they hug their baby, and a good parent-child relationship is more likely to be formed in this parent-child interaction.

How to hold your baby correctly and scientifically

Hold your baby for the first time

Within 2 hours of birth, the baby feels the mother's gentle embrace and caress, and skin-to-skin contact is the first step in establishing a lifelong attachment between mother and child. The mother holds the baby in her arms, with her body directly touching the mother's skin, so that the baby can hear the mother's heartbeat, smell the mother's body odor, and the mother's affectionate call to the baby is enough to make the newborn baby feel safe and relaxed.

Baby held on left chest

When the baby's head rests on the left side of the mother's chest, he can hear the mother's heartbeat, and his mind will be at peace. This is because the baby has been developing and growing while listening to the mother's heartbeat since the womb. When he is held on the left side of the mother's chest, it is easier to hear the familiar heartbeat rhythm of the mother and smell the unique breath and smell of the mother, which can make the baby feel the greatest sense of security.

Closely supports baby's head

The newborn's neck is not able to stand upright at birth, so when the mother holds the baby, she must let his head rest on something. Gently put the little head into the elbow, support the child's back and waist with the forearm and hand, and use the other palm to support the little buttocks, holding the baby horizontally or diagonally, so that his waist and neck are on the same plane.

The vertical holding time is gradually prolonged

The younger the baby is, the shorter the time you should hold him upright. The method is to support his hips and back with one hand, and support his head and neck with the other hand or let him lean on the mother's shoulder. Initially, it should be controlled within two to three minutes, otherwise the baby will be overwhelmed. After more than two months, the baby's neck muscle support will be strengthened, and the time of holding him upright can be gradually extended.

The face facing forward has more information

After 3 months, the baby's head is erected and relatively firm. The baby is not willing to lie on the bed and likes to be held. At this time, the baby's back is leaning against the mother's arms, with the face facing forward. The mother holds the baby with one hand and supports the baby's butt with the other hand. The baby will "sit" in the mother's arms very comfortably, and the head can turn freely, so that the baby can see everything in front of him, which can enable the baby to obtain more visual information and enrich his cognitive ability.

Rock your baby gently without exerting force

The myelin in a baby's head is not yet competent for protecting the brain. Shaking a baby vigorously can cause the capillaries in the head to rupture, and even cause "concussion" or "cerebral hemorrhage". Therefore, even when rocking a baby, you should be very gentle, slow, and with small movements. It is best to hum nursery rhymes so that the baby can get visual and auditory stimulation at the same time.