How to properly hold your baby after feeding. Why hold a newborn upright and how to do it correctly? Duration of vertical position

Many young people who become parents for the first time and have no experience with small children often experience fear of newborns because they are afraid of hurting the child. From the very first days of a baby’s life, parents have to pick him up and carry him very often. It's important to do it right.

The main way to carry newborns is the “column” position. Therefore, in this article we will look at why and how to properly hold a newborn baby in a column.

Why do you need to hold it in a column?

Doctors and parents have different opinions about the need to hold the child in this position. Some consider it unnatural for a newborn, others say it is useful.

The benefits of carrying children in a column are as follows:

  • the esophagus is freed from excess food and air trapped with food, which promotes digestion;
  • helps calm the child, especially when;
  • strengthens the back muscles, forms the correct spine and the ability to hold the head.

There is no exact time for how long you need to hold your baby upright. You need to keep him in this position until he burps or burps. Usually 30-45 seconds are enough for this. It is recommended to wear it in a column position after each feeding to prevent the accumulation of gases in the stomach in children.

How to properly hold a baby up?

In order for the position of the column to be correct, you need to:

Be sure to place the baby's head and neck on your shoulder and place your torso vertically. Its position should be like a hook.

A mother who carries a child in this position needs to keep her back straight and her shoulders straightened, then the load on her arms will be less.

It is necessary to lift the baby into this position smoothly, otherwise you can provoke excessive regurgitation in the newborn. You can hold the baby with one hand, but be sure to hold the head, as children do not yet know how to do this or do it unsurely.

This position is comfortable not only for the child, but also for the adult who picks him up. By holding your newborn upright, you can very easily change your position: sit, lie down, stand up, walk.

Whether you should hold your baby upright or not depends only on your desire.

Most parents, while expecting a baby, think a lot about him - come up with a name, look for clothes and furniture for the baby, and imagine what he will be like... But after the baby is born, the parents, and those around them, suddenly find themselves thinking : “He’s so small, how can you pick him up!” Often, such fears overcome new parents immediately after being discharged from the hospital. Sometimes dads, grandmothers and other relatives, overcoming their fear, take the baby in their arms, but do it extremely clumsily. To avoid such situations and feel confident, you should familiarize yourself with some rules and tips on how to hold your baby correctly.

Several ways to carry your baby

There are several ways to carry children - upright, classic, face down, etc.

It is better to hold a newborn up to 2 months using these methods. They allow not only not to cause harm to the baby’s health, but also contribute to the development of the hip joint and relief from colic (pillar position).

How to pick up and place a newborn correctly

Most mothers intuitively understand how to treat their child. The same cannot be said about their immediate environment. Some particularly conscientious relatives, before holding a newborn, not only read advice, but also watch relevant video examples in order to be completely confident in their abilities and skills.

How to pick up and put down a baby - video:

In fact, there are several rules that you need to follow when you pick up and put down your newborn:

  1. When the baby is lying on his stomach, you need to put one hand under the tummy and the other under the chest, lightly holding the neck with your fingers.
  2. When the child is lying on his back, you need to place one hand under his head, and the other under his butt and slowly lift him so that the head is slightly higher than the body.
  3. When placing your baby in the crib, you need to hold him close to your body and lower yourself with him as much as possible.

How to hold a newborn correctly

Newborn baby must be held carefully and carefully. The condition of his hip joint and spine depends on how you treat your child. Many parents, even after watching the corresponding video, sometimes do not know how to properly hold their child. There are really only a few rules to remember:

  • up to 3 months, until the child has learned, you need to constantly hold the child’s neck;
  • It is forbidden to lift a newborn by the joints of the arms and legs, since they are still very weak;
  • when the child is in an upright position, he needs to hold his back;
  • The baby’s arms and legs should not hang down;
  • the baby must be carried on different sides, changing the right and left hand;
  • Every time you pick up your baby, smile at him.

How to hold your baby while washing up

Many mothers ask one question - how to hold the baby while washing? It's actually quite simple. You need to hold the baby so that the head rests on your left elbow joint, and the thigh is supported by the same hand. The baby should lie on his back at this time. It is more convenient for older children to be placed face down.

Washing children - video:

For bathing, you can use various devices - rag and plastic slides, etc. But some parents find it more convenient to bathe their baby in their arms. To do this, you need to place your baby's head just above your left palm (for a right-handed person) and hold him by his left shoulder. The baby's butt should lie at the bottom of the bath. Thus, due to the water, the baby will be in a slightly suspended state, but this position is very comfortable for the baby.

To know exactly how to hold a baby, you should not only read the above recommendations, but also watch the corresponding video.

Pediatricians advise parents to hold their child upright after he eats. How to do this, because the baby cannot yet hold his head, his back bends, his arms twitch? And is this necessary if the baby is breastfed? After all, it is known that babies who are on artificial nutrition often burp.

Why hold your baby upright after feeding?

Not all mothers believe that the baby should be carried in a column after he has eaten. This trend comes from Soviet times, when breastfeeding was considered optional. Newborns were bottle fed. The mixture, and the air that got into the intestines due to the uncomfortable nipple and standard bottle, caused increased gas formation and pain in the baby’s tummy. Then it was impossible to do without the technique of wearing in a column.

Modern experts say that keep it straight only artificial children needed at risk of swallowing more food than they should. Breastfed babies do not need this technique. They don't eat much, and if the nipple is latched correctly, air won't get in. If the baby is full term, healthy, eats well and falls asleep sweetly after eating, there is no need to lift him upright.

But if the child is worried, eats hastily and fussily, draws in his legs and cries shrilly after feeding, then it is necessary to hold him in a column.

Vertical carrying provides the following positive aspects:

  • The baby’s digestive system is just beginning to get used to new food, the intestines are populated with bacteria, and the organs are finally formed. The vertical posture has a beneficial effect on the process of digestion and assimilation of milk or formula;
  • the newborn easily regurgitates swallowed air, which greatly reduces the pain and duration of colic;
  • the child has the opportunity to regurgitate excess food, otherwise it will disturb his comfort, take a long time to digest, cause poor health and even allergies - why do babies constantly regurgitate;
  • If you regularly hold your baby upright, he will develop faster. This position acts as exercise, which allows you to strengthen the muscles of the back and neck. This way the baby learns to hold his head;
  • Closer to a month, the baby is already paying attention to the world around him, and the column pose will give the opportunity to look at objects from a new angle.

Many babies love to be rocked upright and held close. Tactile contact with the mother creates a feeling of security and confidence in the child, especially if he is not breastfed, when there is no opportunity to fully feel the heartbeat, warmth and smell of the mother.

How to hold a newborn up

The benefits of the column-carrying method are undeniable. But here inexperienced parents have a question: how to hold the child correctly?

As soon as feeding is finished, you need to put the baby on his back and then carefully lift him up. To do this, the mother bends down, wraps her arms around the back and neck, and lightly presses the baby’s body to her stomach, slowly lifting it up. You can move the baby a little higher so that his chest falls on the parent’s shoulder, and his arms and head are located behind him. In this case, you need to constantly secure the child’s back and neck, pressing them towards you.

  • At first it’s convenient when the baby is wrapped in diapers. He sleeps more soundly, does not wake himself up with his hands, he is warm and comfortable. In addition, it is easier to pick him up and hold him upright after feeding;
  • When lifting a child, you need to watch his head. It needs to be supported so that it does not tip back or to the side. To do this, use the fingers of one hand to fix his neck and head;
  • It is necessary to avoid stress on the fragile spinal column. Newborns are held by the lower back and butt with their free hand. Here it is important not to “seat” the child, but to form a safety net for his spine with his hand;
  • to avoid unnecessary stress on the back, you should not let your legs rest on anything;
  • You need to move without sudden movements, calmly and smoothly. At this time, you can talk to him, sing a song, tell a nursery rhyme;
  • It is better to put a diaper on your shoulder. If the baby burps, the curdled milk will end up on her, and not on the adult’s clean clothes.

In order not to harm the child, you need to know what is strictly prohibited from doing:

  • Do not lift a newborn by the armpits, arms or forearms. The baby's head may tilt back sharply. This can lead to pain and severe muscle strain. In addition, newborns have very fragile, delicate joints. They can be easily injured. The consequences of such an injury can bother the child for the rest of his life;
  • You should not suddenly lift the baby - he may get scared;
  • You should not press the baby’s body tightly to your stomach. This interferes with blood circulation;
  • When holding a newborn vertically, you should not be distracted by other things (talking on the phone, preparing dinner, etc.). The child may fall out of your arms or his head may suddenly fall back.

How long should you keep it on?

Even in the maternity hospital, nurses teach women in labor to hold their babies in a column. This means that after the first feedings, wearing can safely be done while still there. It is worth practicing other things that you will have to do at home on your own - learn to pump, put a baby to the breast, care for a newborn. You can also see how other mothers hold their babies in a column.

How long to keep the baby in this position depends on:

  • personal physiological characteristics of the baby;
  • the way it is fed;
  • time of day feeding;
  • conditions of stay during feeding (at home, away, in the park, hospital, etc.).

One baby can burp the air trapped in the intestines after 5 minutes, while another will need at least 25-30 minutes. You can speed up the process by stroking the back and slightly bending back and forth. When the excess air and food have passed, the baby can be safely put to sleep.

As the baby grows, another question arises: up to what age does the child need vertical carrying. Doctors advise keeping it in a column after feeding the baby until his digestive system is completely stronger and colic and gas stop bothering him.

In what cases does the method not work?

When a child eats greedily during feeding, gets distracted, and then starts eating again, he will definitely swallow air. It is necessary to hold him in a column until he burps, otherwise the mother will have a restless night.

If the feeding was quiet, the baby ate well and immediately fell asleep, you don’t have to get him up. After eating, a sleeping baby is turned on its side, stroking its back. The baby can also burp on its side. If this does not happen, you can wear it after waking up.

It is better to feed especially sensitive babies who wake up and begin to stay awake even after heavy feeding at night in a semi-vertical position. Then the child will be able to burp in his mother’s arms and fall asleep. Some parents are faced with the fact that the baby does not like something, he is capricious while being held in a column, and the whole procedure turns out to be ineffective.

The problem can occur for several reasons:

  • the smell coming from the mother (strong or too sweet perfume, deodorant);
  • the fabric of an adult’s clothing (perhaps it is too rough and unpleasant to the touch). For contact with a newborn, it is better to use clothes made from natural rather than synthetic fabrics;
  • the child may be disturbed by a foreign object (large button, brooch, pendant);
  • mom's emotional state. In the first months, the bond between the newborn and the mother is very strong. If a woman is nervous or very upset about something, the baby will also feel it and will behave as restlessly as the mother.

Young parents face many questions and fears regarding caring for their baby. At first, young parents are afraid to take their baby in their arms, because he is so fragile, tender, and young dads are especially afraid of this. After all, they think that with their big hands they will hurt the baby. But if you do everything carefully, then the child will only be glad to be in the arms of his parents, to feel the warmth of their hands and body.

How to properly hold a newborn upright after feeding

Young mothers and fathers are very interested in the questions: whether to hold a newborn in a column, whether it is worth holding a baby in a column after feeding, how to properly hold a newborn in a column. After all, in the maternity hospital one of the first instructions is to “hold the baby upright after feeding.”

To begin with, I would like to find out: is the child bottle-fed or natural-fed? Since the interval of feedings, the “heaviness” of nutrition and many factors affect the number of times when it is necessary and necessary to hold the baby in a column. So, if the baby is on natural feeding, that is, breastfeeding, then, most likely, the feeding schedule is measured, each time depending on the baby’s mood, his condition and comfort at the moment. He can eat either once every half hour or once every hour or two.

If the child is bottle-fed, then the feeding schedule with an adapted infant formula is established and occurs at regular intervals, since the formula is a “heavier” food than breast milk. This concludes the differences in the need for quantitative percentage of times in holding a column after feeding, between artificial and breastfeeding.

Why hold your baby upright after feeding?

Not all young mothers know that during feeding the baby swallows air along with food. As a result, the baby may spit up immediately after feeding, refuse to latch on during feeding, or often interrupt.

In order to avoid this, the baby simply needs to be held in an upright position after feeding. In this position swallowed air rises and is released, if the baby is lying down, and at this moment the air begins to escape, then he may burp, since the air “squeezes” the food out. But it is also important that the child does not overeat, since he will regurgitate excess food, and inexperienced mothers will begin to worry until they understand what the reason is.

After giving birth in the maternity hospital, they help to establish breastfeeding, tell and show how to hold the baby correctly, and teach how to apply it correctly with the least trauma to the nipples, because many are faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as cracked nipples. To minimize injuries, you need to learn how to correctly apply the baby to the breast so that the baby swallows the nipple correctly. After all, if a mother develops cracked nipples, this will cause great discomfort when establishing breastfeeding.

The most recommended age for an upright position after feeding is, of course, the very first days after birth, but many experts say that holding a baby in an upright position should begin no earlier than one month of age.

Many parents worry whether a vertical position at such an early age is harmful to the spine. The vertical position does not harm the child, because mom or dad supports baby's head, the child does not lean on his legs, the parent holds all the weight. Gradually, the baby in this position will begin to look at everything around him, he will begin to develop a great interest in the world around him, the muscles of his neck and back will become stronger, and he will no longer need to support his head.

When should you hold your baby upright?

If the baby is bottle-fed, then pediatricians recommend holding the child upright every 30-60 ml of the mixture drunk, because the amount of food consumed can be tracked. If the baby is If you are breastfed, it is best to hold it upright after a full feeding without interrupting it. If the baby falls asleep under the breast, then it is best to try to carefully transfer him to the crib, preferably placing him on his side, since in his sleep the baby may burp; if he lies on his side, the mixture will simply flow out and the baby will not choke.

If the child interrupts under the breast and screams, then in this case it is worth interrupting and holding in an upright position, since, most likely, the baby has swallowed excess air and it is bothering him. In this position, all excess will come out, the baby will calm down and you can continue feeding.

If you try to hold the baby upright after each feeding, then the possibility of gas formation and colic will disappear.

How to properly hold a newborn upright

  • To begin, carefully and slowly pick up your baby and place his head on your shoulder;
  • You need to hold the baby’s head and cervical region with one hand, and the lower part of the body with the other;
  • Fully support the infant's spine;
  • Wait until the baby burps; as soon as this action occurs, move the baby to a horizontal position;
  • You need to carefully monitor the position of the newborn's head. Under no circumstances should the baby's head fall back!
  • Do not lift or lower the baby too sharply, because he may get scared;
  • Try to pick up the baby in your arms in a good mood, don’t be nervous, children feel anxious and worried.

How to hold a baby upright




How long will it take for all the air to come out?

There is no exact definition of how long it takes to hold the baby upright; this is an individual feature for each baby. Most the main landmark is the baby's burping. This usually happens in the first couple of minutes, but it may also happen that the baby will need more time for this.

If it comes to colic, then more time is needed. Not all babies have colic; some babies are not affected by it. On average, colic begins in the first month of life and can last up to 6 months.

To make it easier for your baby to tolerate pain during colic, the first thing you can do is: light tummy massage, you can also put a warm diaper, ironed(Attention! The diaper should not be hot).

Another good way to relieve your baby from pain and establish a mother-child connection is tummy to tummy position, the warmth of the mother’s belly will warm up the baby’s belly, the warmth of the hands will let the baby know that he is safe and will help him calm down and fall asleep faster. If these recommendations do not help, you can use anti-colic drops, but check with your pediatrician which ones to choose specifically for your baby.

What to remember before you start holding your newborn upright

  • Do not press the baby’s tummy too hard, because he has just eaten;
  • You need to hold it firmly, but gently;
  • Hold the baby's head with the thumb of your right hand so that, as they say, it does not dangle;
  • The baby's head should lie on the mother's shoulder;
  • Change the shoulder every time you hold the column, if this happens long enough. This is necessary so that the baby does not develop torticollis;
  • To prevent the baby from burping and soiling clothes, use a cotton cloth or cotton diaper;
  • Walk with your newborn, make rocking movements “back and forth”, you can also stroke the back from bottom to top;
  • You cannot lift the child by the arms or pull the legs, in which case the baby may get dislocated limbs.

Now no one will have any doubts about why and how to hold the baby upright after feeding. This is necessary to free the baby from the accumulation of air that he swallows during the feeding process. A sufficient number of experts claim that this position helps strengthen the child’s muscles and spine, but one should not bend it over time, because it can only cause harm. The optimal time is 10 minutes. You should also remember what not to do when holding a newborn in an upright position.

I would also like to note that the older the baby gets, the lesser the need for support after each feeding of the baby with a column.

A newborn baby needs special care and attention. He is very vulnerable, so parents must be extremely careful with the baby. The child’s body adapts to the world around him, learns to perceive not only new faces, objects and sounds, but the work of internal organs and systems is completely rebuilt. First of all, this concerns digestion: for all nine months during pregnancy, the baby received nutrients through the placenta, but from the moment of birth the gastrointestinal tract begins to perform its direct function. To help the body adapt, doctors recommend an effective way - to properly hold the baby upright, or in a column, after each feeding.

Air may enter the baby's stomach: the baby grasps the nipple incorrectly and is in a hurry to suck. This is often the cause of tummy problems in newborn babies and children in the first six months of life. Therefore, after feeding, you need to take the baby upright so that the air bubbles come out and the baby feels better.

This position helps to facilitate digestive processes in the body, which is just adapting to the perception of food.

Another reason that this position of the baby after feeding helps to cope with is excess food: milk or adapted infant formula. The baby is not yet able to control the amount of food he needs. Often, to calm the baby, the mother gives breastfeeding constantly. In this way, the child not only satisfies the sucking reflex, but also overeats, and the stomach of recently born children is very small to accommodate the excess amount of food. And if mother’s milk is quickly absorbed through the walls of the intestines, practically without lingering in the stomach, then the mixture that the baby has eaten in excess remains and causes fermentation, gas formation and colic. But as soon as the baby is held upright, he may regurgitate excess fluid.

Regurgitation in newborns - video

Many newborns calm down only in the arms of adults: tactile contact with the closest people is very important for a baby. The child clings to his parents, feels warmth and feels protected. As they grow older, children really love this position because... visibility improves, they can view the room, the street in a completely different way.

There are mothers who are afraid to carry their baby in a column, explaining this by the large load on the spine. But experts say that correctly carrying a baby in an upright position trains the muscles of the neck and back, and prepares the baby to hold his head independently.

At what months can you hold a baby upright?

During a round at the maternity hospital, neonatologists explain to young mothers that they need to hold the baby in their arms for a few minutes so that excess air is naturally released from the stomach, then return the baby to the cradle or cradle.

Experts emphasize that newborn children have a weak spine and a very fragile skeletal system. Therefore, being in a vertical position for a long time is contraindicated for them.

When the baby is a month old, you can hold him with his elbow on your shoulder to calm him down or show him the surrounding space. But do not forget that he does not yet know how to hold his head up on his own, so the baby should remain in an upright position for no more than 5–10 minutes. You can hold your baby upright for a longer period of time after four months, when the muscles of the neck and back are stronger.

Learning to do it right: how to hold a newborn upright after feeding

First, you need to take care of hygiene issues: the baby's head is on mom or dad's shoulder when he is held upright, and the baby can also burp. Therefore, before taking the child, you need to put a diaper made of natural fabric without synthetic threads on your shoulder. The material should be soft so as not to scratch the baby's delicate skin. Many parents whose first child does not know how to properly hold the baby so as not to damage the fragile skeletal system. Experts explain the basic rules on how to safely hold a baby upright:

  • the baby’s head should not swing, so it must be fixed: with one hand you need to support the baby’s neck and head;
  • Many parents try to grab the baby under the buttocks. This absolutely cannot be done, as this creates additional stress on the fragile spine. With one hand the mother supports the head of the newborn baby, and with the other she holds him by the back, as if creating support for the spine;
  • Make sure that the child does not lean on the adult’s hand with his legs. This position also puts a lot of stress on the spine;
  • take the baby very carefully, no sudden movements, so that he does not get scared.

Principle of action: how to take a baby

  1. First of all, you need to bend over to the baby as low as possible.
  2. Saying kind words in a calm voice, place one hand under the child’s head, securing the neck, and the other under the lower back and buttocks.
  3. Gently lift the baby off the surface until his head is level with the adult's shoulder.
  4. Lean your child's head on your shoulder, being sure to support him in the neck and lower back area.

Caution: how not to lift a baby vertically so as not to injure the baby

  1. Under no circumstances should you pull a baby by the arms. This can lead to dislocation and injury to the cervical vertebrae.
  2. It is not recommended to lift the baby, holding him only in the armpit area. In this position, the baby's head may tilt back.
  3. Many young parents are afraid of dropping their child, so they hug him too tightly. This also should not be done: it can damage the baby’s fragile bones and also impair blood circulation.
  4. One hand always supports the baby's head. At one moment the head lies on the shoulder, and in a second it can roll off it, so it must always be fixed.
  5. You cannot be distracted when there is a baby in the arms of mom or dad: pick something up, answer a phone call, etc. To avoid dangerous situations, the child’s body is secured with two adult hands.

We record the time: how long do you need to hold the child upright?

Pediatricians do not give a specific answer as to how long a newborn baby should be held this way. After all, every baby is individual: some children need two minutes for the air to come out, while others need more time. But holding a newborn baby in a column for longer than 10 minutes is not recommended. If after this time the baby does not burp, you can put him down and let him rest after a hearty meal.

To everyone or not to everyone: is it necessary to hold a baby upright?

Of course, when the baby is just born, the mother tries to listen to the doctors’ recommendations, and rightly so. But time passes and parents get to know their baby, understand his desires and needs, know by crying whether he is hungry, something hurts, or just wants to sleep. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to hold the baby upright after each feeding for the first four months of life. Not all children swallow large amounts of air or overeat; some do not even encounter the problem of colic and regurgitation.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, if the baby is not underweight and there is no regurgitation, there is no need to keep him in a column after each feeding.

Therefore, if parents see that the baby does not show any signs of anxiety or discomfort, eats measuredly and slowly, grasps the nipple correctly and does not swallow air, then there is no need to hold such a baby upright after meals. Artificial babies gasp for air more often and eat more food than they may need, because they are bottle-fed. Such babies, most often, need to be kept constantly after column feeding, so that an extra portion of the mixture and air do not remain in the stomach.

How to properly carry a baby in a column - video

Is it possible to carry a baby in a column after feeding?

In some cases, the baby does not burp immediately after feeding, so he is bothered by colic, gas accumulation, or other sensations that cause discomfort to the baby. In this case, doctors recommend slightly changing the baby’s position, namely, walking around the room with him:

  • while walking, you can slightly change the baby’s position, transfer it to the other shoulder;
  • perform rocking movements in different directions;
  • stroke the baby's back from bottom to top so that the air comes out as quickly as possible. But movements should be light and smooth.

Pediatricians pay attention: carrying a child vertically has a calming effect and has an analgesic effect. The fact is that the baby presses its stomach against the parent’s body and feels its warmth. And smooth rocking movements ease the pain from colic.

Sleepy kingdom: should you hold your baby upright if he falls asleep after feeding?

Many mothers are faced with the fact that the baby falls asleep while feeding. What to do in this case: wake up the baby and take him upright, or leave the sleeping baby alone? Experts recommend taking a closer look at the baby’s behavior and acting based on his well-being. There are several options:

  • If the baby falls asleep, but at the same time behaves restlessly: begins to sob, cry, lets go of the breast, and then begins to eat hastily again, most likely he has swallowed air and this causes him inconvenience in the form of painful sensations and bloating. In this case, doctors recommend holding the baby upright and waiting until the air and excess food come out;
  • but in children whose mothers breastfeed, a different scenario most often develops: the baby calmly, leisurely eats and falls asleep. In this situation, pediatricians are not against skipping post-feeding. But please note that the baby must be placed in a side position, while creating support under the back using a special pillow or a towel bolster. If the child burps, the vomit will not enter the respiratory tract;
  • but it also happens that the baby wakes up and starts crying: the air that entered the stomach after feeding begins to bother the baby. Therefore, at the next feeding, when the baby falls asleep, it is recommended to lift the sleeping baby vertically and hold it until the air comes out. Babies are usually deep sleepers, so doing this won't interfere with their rest.

Often women feed their babies in a lying position: the baby falls asleep, releases the breast and the mother can go about her business. But the child can wake up as soon as the parents begin to pick him up to hold him in a column. In this case, experts recommend feeding the baby while sitting in a semi-upright position. When the baby falls asleep and lets go of the breast, he must be carefully moved to his mother’s shoulder for five to seven minutes so that he burps up excess air.

When and how long should you hold your baby upright?

It all depends on the individual characteristics of the baby. Parents begin to carry some babies upright from about five months, when they confidently hold their heads and want to get to know the world around them from a different angle.

Doctors emphasize that if the baby does not spit up and his tummy does not bother him, you can stop holding him up after each feeding.

For some babies, their digestive system improves when they master turning over onto their stomach. But there are children who need to be held upright until five to six months or later until they learn to sit. At your monthly check-up with the pediatrician, the doctor always asks about regurgitation. Depending on the condition of the baby, his well-being and the pace of development, the doctor will definitely give recommendations on when to carry the baby in a column, or when it may no longer be advisable to do this. As the baby gets older, parents can carry him upright for longer periods of time while walking. This position is becoming a favorite among many kids, because it gives them a better view. The older the child, the more his spine becomes stronger, as well as the muscles of the body. Therefore, the time of wearing the baby in an upright position can be increased.

What to do if your baby is restless in your arms

Sometimes parents may encounter a problem when the baby gets restless in their arms: it bends over, becomes capricious, and begins to cry. Any dissatisfaction of the child indicates that the baby is uncomfortable or something is bothering him. Adults need to find out the reason for this behavior and eliminate it:

  • unpleasant tactile sensations: mothers often do not think about the naturalness of the fabrics from which their clothes are made. But baby's skin is very sensitive. And when a baby touches an adult’s things with his body, it can prick and scratch the skin, so the child feels uncomfortable. When with your baby, give preference to clothes made from natural fabrics;
  • unpleasant odor: newborn babies have a well-developed sense of smell. It’s not for nothing that they instantly find the mother’s breast: they hear the smell of milk. But if parents use scented shower gel, antiperspirant or perfume, the child may not like it;
  • physical discomfort: the diaper rubs, a seam on clothes or a button or fastener on a mother’s robe interferes. Before picking up the baby, make sure that foreign objects do not cause any discomfort to the baby;
  • mother’s mood: it has long been proven that the emotional connection between baby and mother is very strong. Therefore, any experience or nervous overstrain of a woman is transmitted to the baby, especially when she takes the baby in her arms. You must always be calm and collected, and show care and affection when holding a child in your arms.

After each feeding, picking up and holding the baby in your arms is recommended in order to help the immature digestive system cope with the digestion of food. Excess air and excess milk or formula can cause colic, gas, and even vomiting. Therefore, parents are advised to monitor the condition of their baby: if the baby often burps, an upright position after eating is mandatory. But there are children who, just a few weeks after birth, eat calmly, do not gasp for air and are not bothered by tummy problems. Then you can refuse to hold the baby upright after breakfast, lunch or dinner. The development of each baby occurs individually, and in this situation this rule also applies.

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