A newborn looks very delicate and tiny, that is why there is always some qualm about how to hold the baby in your arms .
It is very common among parents, especially first-timers, the fear of hurting the baby by holding it. It looks so fragile that it seems like it will slip into your arms. But even if you consider yourself little expert, you will see how that fear disappears immediately. It will not take long for you to discover the wonderful feeling of holding your newborn child in your arms. Instinct is stronger than any instruction manual technique.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the baby must be handled with great care, making gentle but safe movements at the same time.
A newborn baby is not yet able to support his head on his own, so one hand should always support his head when you pick him up, whether you pick him up from the crib, swing him from arm to arm, or put him to bed.
They are so small that with the same hand you can support the upper part of the back and the head. Until the little one is able to support his head on his own, there are three basic ways to hold a newborn.
1) Supported on your forearm face down
It’s a pose that babies love. He is lying on your forearm, your hand holding the bottom and his face resting on the inside of your elbow facing outwards.
It is a very effective position to calm the colic of the infant since your arm provides a light massage in the tummy. Better still if you swing or take a walk around the house carrying the baby in this position. Helps relieve abdominal pain and relax the baby.
2) Supported on your forearm face up
The posture is basically the same as the previous one but it is the baby’s back that remains supported on your forearm, face up with the face facing you.
This way of holding the baby allows greater visual contact with the newborn, we can talk to him and use the other hand to caress him.
3) In an upright position resting on your chest
When holding the baby in this position we must always hold his head as he does not yet have the necessary strength to keep it upright. If we do not hold it, any sudden movement could cause it to head abruptly. Unless you are in a lying or semi-lying position, you should always support the upper part of the back and its head.
This position favors attachment by being in greater contact with the mother’s / father’s body heat.
Whichever position you choose to hold the baby, also keep the following recommendations in mind:
- Remember never to hold the baby with cold or dirty hands, or allow others to do so.
- When you pick it up, say nice words and speak softly so that it feels safe and at ease.
- Do not always hold the baby with the same arm to prevent plagiocephaly (head deformity) by preventing the baby from always resting the head on the same point.
- Be careful when lifting or laying him down in the crib to always support his little head.
- What a newborn baby likes the most is falling asleep in mommy or daddy’s arms. It is very beneficial for both parties that you do it like this, but when you go to put him in the crib make sure he does not wake up.
I hope these tips help you (those who have it) to lose that feeling of fear of taking the newborn. And for those who don’t, let him help you hold it more times because the experience of holding the baby in your arms is wonderful and emotionally very beneficial for both parties.
In Babies and more | Arms are a basic need of the baby, such as eating or sleeping
