There are lots of different ways of holding your newborn baby. Some will be comfortable for you and some will be comfortable for the baby. Eventually they will become second nature.
One of the most important things when you are holding your baby is that you’re comfortable, also that the head’s supported. The head’s quite heavy for a baby and they have no control over it so leaning it into your arm or your body is the best way to hold your baby.
One of my favourites is holding it up against your chest here. If you put your baby’s bottom into your hand and support it that way and then using your other hand across its shoulders to stop its head lolling around.
I always think the first time that you hold your baby the best way to do it is to cradle it in your arms. It’s supported along the whole length of your arm and the head sits here nicely in your elbow.
Sometimes babies get really windy and really gripey, so the other way you can do it is lay the baby across your forearm, pop the head up here towards the elbow the feet on either side of your hands and you can just gently rub the baby’s back at the same time.
When you are carrying your baby downstairs, you need to carry your baby in the most comfortable way for you but what we would recommend you do is – just in case you trip – is hold onto a limb. So, that’s just wrapping your hand around one of the arms or one of the legs.
One of the other ways of holding your baby is to sit the baby into your lap. Pop yourself into a nice comfy chair, pop your baby onto your lap with its feet tucked into your tummy and its head supported by your hands. This way you can talk and smile and laugh and coo with your baby. It’s a lovely way to bond.
At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong the way you hold your baby. You’re baby certainly hasn’t read the book so what you need to do is find out what’s comfortable for you, what’s comfortable for your baby and enjoy that time together.
About video: Midwife Tracey Owen demonstrates some of the best ways to hold your newborn.
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