Don't lift your newborn by or under their arms Your baby's head and neck muscles are very weak for the first few months. If you pick them up by or under their arms, you risk injuring their arms or shoulders.
Once they're able to hold up their head and sit with support or on their own (anywhere between 4 and 7 months), you can start picking them up by tucking your hands under their arms and lifting. Be careful when you're picking up and putting down your baby to avoid accidentally hurting them.
Here are some guidelines for parents and care givers on how to prevent a pulled elbow: Never pick a child up by pulling on one arm or wrist. Don't swing a toddler around by holding onto his hands or arms. When lifting a child up, grasp them under the arms, never lift them up by pulling or jerking on their arms.
Always support your baby's head and neck. To pick up your baby, slide one hand under their head and neck and the other hand under their bottom. Bend your knees to protect your back. Once you've got a good hold, scoop up your baby and bring them close to your chest as you straighten your legs again.
According to research, no, you can't spoil your baby by picking them up, cuddling, or meeting their needs as soon as they cry. In fact, not only will you not spoil them, research has found many benefits to picking up your child whenever they cry.
To help prevent it, parents and caregivers should never pull, tug, or swing a child by the arms or hands. Always pick up your child from under the armpits and not by the hands or arms. Some kids, though, are just more likely to get nursemaid's elbow, and might get it again even when parents try hard to prevent it.
Don't pick up a baby under their arms.
It makes a baby's arms unavailable for self-comfort or support, and it can interfere with their breathing because their ribs are held. It also encourages moving a baby through space in an upright (rather than horizontal) position.
No. Young infants should have their head supported at all times and caregivers should avoid jostling them or throwing them in the air, but gentle bouncing, swinging or rocking won't cause shaken baby syndrome.
Infantile colic can be distressing to parents whose infant is inconsolable during crying episodes. Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
The Bottom Line
As long as your baby's essential needs are being met and you actively engage them in a loving way, how much or how little you hold them is entirely up to you. If you want to hold them, do. If you want to put them down, even if they cry, that's fine as well.
According to most pediatric health experts, infants can be taken out in public or outside right away as long as parents follow some basic safety precautions. There's no need to wait until 6 weeks or 2 months of age. Getting out, and in particular, getting outside in nature, is good for parents and babies.
A baby's normal temperature range: Under the arm is 97.5 to 99.3 degrees Fahrenheit or 36.5 to 37.4 degrees Celsius. Rectal is 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit or less, or 37.9 degrees Celsius or less.
Yes. You can kiss a newborn on the head, and the cases of any infection caused by a kiss are rare. However, staying away from the baby is better if you have a cold, cough, or any contagious disease or infection.
You can't spoil a baby. Contrary to popular myth, it's impossible for parents to hold or respond to a baby too much, child development experts say. Infants need constant attention to give them the foundation to grow emotionally, physically and intellectually.
The Shoulder Hold
Babies sleep well in this position, too. It also allows them to hear your heart beating and breathing. This is a great position for almost any age. As the baby grows, the need for support is less and less.
When babies are propped up in the sitting position before they can stabilize their bodies independently, harmful pressure may be exerted on the spine, which triggers the need to support themselves with their hands. The result? They can't use their hands for play and investigation.
Once the feeding is complete, you keep your baby awake until it's time to sleep. That could be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your kiddo's age. Then when it's time to put them down for a nap, they fall asleep in any way that does NOT involve feeding.
Parents usually start kangaroo care once or twice a day for at least one hour each time or as long as it is tolerated by your baby. The longer you hold your baby, the better. Any amount of time is good, but it is best to try for at least 1 to 2 hours each day.
When this happens, tiny blood vessels can tear and bleed inside the baby's brain, causing problems such as: blindness • deafness • fits • learning difficulties • brain damage, or even death.
Don't lift your newborn by or under their arms
Your baby's head and neck muscles are very weak for the first few months. If you pick them up by or under their arms, you risk injuring their arms or shoulders. Worse, their head will dangle and could flop around, potentially causing a brain injury.
It's OK to let your baby cry if the baby doesn't seem sick and you've tried everything to soothe your baby. You can try to leave your baby alone in a safe place, such as a crib, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Many babies need to cry before they can fall asleep. And they'll nod off faster if you leave them to cry.
Most newborns reach a crying peak at about 6 weeks. Then their crying starts to decrease. By 3 months, they usually only cry for about an hour a day. This is what is considered a “normal” crying pattern.