BABY
How to Hold a Baby
The calming pleasure of the side or stomach!
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
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BABY
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
Holding your fussy baby on his back is a little bit like calming him…and pinching him at the same time! That is because upset babies feel insecure on their backs, as if they are being dropped (the position triggers the moro reflex or falling reflex, which makes crying babies fling their arms out and yelp even more.) On the other hand, rolling your baby to the side or stomach to hold him causes his position sensors to send a soothing message: ‘Do not worry. Everything is fine!’
So you will want to learn how to hold your baby in a few different positions that soothe him. Here are 3 ways to treat your baby to the calming pleasure of the side or stomach position:
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This is my favourite way to carry crying babies while I am bouncing them into calm. It is easy, comfortable, and perfectly supports their head and neck.
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Soothing babies, mid-squawk, with the American football hold is one of the greatest baby ‘magic tricks’ of all time. Here is how to do it.
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Simply lifting your baby to an upright position can often have a strong, soothing effect.
That extra tummy touching makes this hold doubly comforting. (Swaddling your baby before putting him over your shoulder will give you better control and help him stay asleep when you move him off your shoulder to the cot.)
Have fun discovering the position that makes your newborn the happiest!
Important note: While side and stomach positions are fantastic for soothing, you should always place infants on the back when he is out of your arms. And babies should sleep only on the back. Begun in 1991, the UK’s Back to Sleep campaign has reduced infant cot deaths by more than half, just by advising parents to put babies to sleep on the back.
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Happiest Baby actively works on innovative ways to keep babies safer. To ensure infants stay safely on the back, we created SNOO Smart Baby Sleeper, with its one-of-a-kind swaddle that clips into the bed to aid in keeping your baby securely sleeping on the back.
