To begin with, it is worth asking a question, why is it so important to properly hold a newborn baby. The answer seems to be obvious. Children are born with very poorly developed muscles. The centuries-old experience of mankind contains all the knowledge of how to keep a newborn, and modern medicine justifies this knowledge and warns against mistakes.
Originally from the womb
But how is that? A human infant is much less adapted to life than the cubs of some animals that are ready to immediately stand on their feet. The brain enlarged in the process of evolution and the changed structure of the pelvis led to the fact that children are born less mature than, for example, calves or foals. Otherwise, a large head would not have passed through the birth canal.
This is not to say that the muscles of the newborn are not developed at all. It is no coincidence that at about 20 weeks, expectant mothers feel the fetal movements. For most of the day, the fetus sleeps, but for some time every day it makes a variety of movements. He bends and unbends limbs, turns over, catches the umbilical cord with his hands. All this activity cannot but affect muscle development. But at the end of pregnancy, the baby becomes cramped in the mother’s stomach. Sleep is about 90% of the time in his day. He can no longer change his pose. That is why children are born with flexor hypertonicity. This hypertonicity is physiological, i.e., is the norm. The first time after birth, the baby will often keep her legs bent, the arms - bent at the elbows, the cams - clenched. Indeed, in this position he had to spend several months!
Fragile creation
It turns out that at this time, motor activity is not so developing, but the body weight is growing. Of course, the muscles that cope with the movements of the 500-gram fetus in a liquid medium can no longer cope with the baby’s heavier body and head, especially since the air no longer holds it, unlike amniotic fluid.
One of the main vulnerabilities of an infant is a large head on a thin and weak neck. The neck muscles only have to get stronger, and then in 2-3 months the child will learn to hold the head. But for now, this task is beyond his ability. Therefore, adults are often confused and afraid to take the child carelessly, to harm him. Therefore, you need to know how to keep the newborn.
There are several poses in which you can hold the baby.
Why keep the child a column
How to keep a newborn after feeding? Experienced mothers and pediatricians respond: "Column!" This pose is not just a manifestation of maternal attention. This is a concern for proper digestion of the crumbs. The fact is that the infant’s nutritional skill is only being formed. In addition, not all correctly capture the nipple. But even those who almost tightly wrap their breasts around their mother’s lips can swallow air.
Air that gets in with food is not life threatening, but can cause significant discomfort. Bubbles of air in the intestines of the baby cause cramping, and this causes the child severe pain. That is what can cause very sharp, loud screams, in which the baby pulls the legs to his stomach and fingers them, trying to alleviate his suffering. To avoid this, you need to keep the baby in a column. This position of the body helps to free the digestive tract from unnecessary air.
The child will burp all the air that got there. Newborns generally often burp. This is dangerous when the child is lying on his back. So he can choke on milk or a mixture, but in an upright position this does not threaten him.
How to keep a column
It remains to learn how to properly hold the newborn in a column. As already mentioned, the baby still has weak muscles, so support is important to him. One arm must support the head and neck. The other is located on the back in the lumbar region. This creates a stable position for the baby's body. The movements should be smooth and soft, while you can talk with the baby.
The child is still very small, and his mother's hands almost cover his body. The arm that supports the lower back also grips the ass. But you can’t move it too low. The baby should not be in a sitting position. This will give a premature load on his spine. Also, feet cannot be supported. This will result in the same unnecessary load. It’s best to put a clean diaper on your shoulder. What for? After all, during this pose, the baby can burp not only air, but also milk and stain adult clothes.
How long does it take to keep a newborn post after feeding? It is hard to say how to answer this question correctly. There is no one true answer. The main thing is to wait for him to burp. Usually this happens after about 30 seconds, sometimes it is acceptable to hold it for a minute. Too long to hold a newborn in an upright position is harmful, because his back is not adapted for this. She still does not have such bends that adults have, which are necessary for upright posture. And at the same time, a short stay in this position strengthens the muscles.
What the baby is not ready for yet
To understand how to properly hold a newborn baby, you need to get acquainted with the main mistakes. There are two main points to remember. Firstly, the head of the newborn must be supported. Otherwise, it is fraught with improper formation of the cervical spine. Secondly, the baby still can not be kept under the ass. Such a pose involves a load on the spine. And it, on the contrary, needs to be relieved, therefore support in the back area is important.
The head should not tip over, and the limbs should hang down.
Dangerous mistakes
Some actions are not just untimely, but not necessary and harmful in general. It is also important to know about this. For example, a child should not be lifted by the hands (palms, wrists, or forearms). This can cause a dislocation.
No need to raise the baby by the armpits. Why? In this position, his head will most likely be thrown back abruptly. And for a newborn, this is traumatic and can cause neck muscle strain and even damage to the cervical spine. In addition, do not sharply raise the child. It just scares him.
How to keep a newborn? You need to hold the child tightly, but not squeeze too much. This can make circulation difficult.
How to take a newborn in your arms
The most difficult moment for many mothers seems to be raising a child from a crib or stroller. In fact, there is nothing complicated. The principles are the same - the body and head should be supported. It is necessary to approach the child from the side, bend down. One palm should be carefully inserted under the ass, the other under the back of the head. After that, you can gradually raise the baby. The arm that supports the head can be moved so that the head is supported by the elbow. Raising a child in this way, you can immediately properly hold the newborn. As you know, this is very important for his health and safety.
Cradle
How to keep a newborn when feeding? There are several poses. One of the most widespread and famous is the "cradle". It is convenient enough for breastfeeding. If the mother is sitting, the baby’s neck should be located on the elbow. The back can be supported by the forearm, and grasp the ass with the palm of your hand. The mouth, stomach and legs should be in line. Mom and baby are touching their stomachs. To feed the baby, you need to raise it to the level of the chest. To relieve tension in the hands, you can put a pillow under them.
How to put a newborn in a crib?
To carefully put the baby in the crib, you need to firmly press him to him and bend to the surface of the crib as low as possible. Modern cribs allow you to remove part of the rods to facilitate this manipulation, and then return them to their place. It is necessary to smoothly put the baby in the crib and not immediately remove his hands. The kid must get used to the new situation. Then you can slowly remove your hands and cover the child with a blanket or diaper so that he does not freeze.
How to keep a baby while washing
Children are washed with plain warm tap water. It should have a body temperature, i.e. 36-37 degrees. How to keep a newborn when washing, depends on gender.
Girls need to be washed from front to back - bacteria that are contained in the feces can accumulate near the anus, they must not enter the genitals, otherwise inflammation is possible. By the way, this simple rule is also useful for adult women. The girl can be placed on the forearm of the left hand with the tummy up. The head will be on the elbow, and the thigh will need to be held with the palm of your hand. As you can see, the right hand remained free. She needs to wash the child.
It is most convenient for boys to wash face down. The baby needs to be put face down on his left hand, his head will also be in the area of the elbow bend. Water from the tap should flow to the mother’s hand, not to the baby’s skin. So it will be more convenient to control its temperature. After all, far from always tap water keeps a constant temperature or immediately becomes as it should. After the water procedure, you need to get your baby's skin wet with a diaper.