First, a quick rundown of some basic baby anatomy that will help you understand how and why we hold them the way we do.
Newborn babies are unable to hold their heads up on their own, as their support muscles are not yet fully developed.
So when picking up and holding a baby, it's important to always support the neck.
Babies also have soft spots on the top of their heads underneath the scalp.
These soft spots lie in-between the plates in their skull, which are called fontanelles.
These fontanelles remain open and soft when the baby is young to allow for rapid expansion of the brain.
They gradually close as the baby gets older.
While the soft spot is protected by a sturdy membrane, you'll still want to protect this area.
and be gentle when picking up and holding your baby.
Okay, so to pick up your baby:
Slide one hand under their head, while sliding the other under their bottom.
Once you've got a secure hold on baby's head and bottom, you can scoop your baby right up
and bring them close to your chest.
Now that baby is in your arms, there are a variety of ways that you can hold them.
Different parents and babies have different preferences, but no matter your preferred hold
make sure baby's mouth and nose are clear to breathe.
One of the most common holds is of course the "Cradle Hold,"
where baby lays horizontally across your body with their head rested in the crook of your elbow.
It's a hold you can do either sitting or standing with the baby facing you or the ceiling.
This is a great hold for soothing and bonding because it allows you to make eye contact with baby and talk to them directly.
When doing the cradle hold, make sure baby's heck, neck, spine, and bottom are supported by your arm and open hand,
while your other arm is there for additional support.
Another common hold is the shoulder or the chest hold.
This hold is really versatile.
When baby's awake, it allows them to look around.
When baby's asleep, they can put their head down to rest on your shoulder.
It's also a great burping position.
To do the shoulder or chest hold, bring baby to rest upright on your chest or shoulder with their tummy facing you.
Use one hand to support the head and neck, and the other to support their bottom.
Again, just make sure their head is to one side so their nose and mouth are clear to breathe.
A pro tip with this one.
You may want to drape a burp cloth over your shoulder in case baby spits up.
Moving on to the lap hold.
This is a great position if your arms and back need a rest because let's face it.
Eight pounds can get really heavy really fast.
It's also a good position if you need to help baby relieve gas with a gentle pat on the back.
For this position, sit upright in a chair and lay baby tummy down across your thighs.
Lastly, we have the belly or the forearm hold.
Here, baby lays facing down on your forearm with their head in the nook of your elbow and turned outward.
Your forearm supports baby's body, while your hand holds baby's upper leg.
Your other hand is there for support.
This is a great hold to use when baby is fussy because of gas since pressure on their tummy can help relieve it.
Or when baby is fussy due to being tired or overstimulated.
Facing them away from you and towards a blank space will help reduce stimulation and calm them down.