- To cradle a baby, slide one hand under the baby's head and one under the baby's bottom, keeping their head and neck supported.
- Lift and hold the baby to your chest. Then, slide the hand under the baby's head down their back (so the baby is supported by your forearm).
- Keep sliding until the baby’s head is nestled in the crook of your arm and elbow, with your other hand cupping their bottom, and hold the baby close.
Picking Up the Baby
Slide one hand under the baby’s head and one under their bottom. Ensure your hand is gently but firmly supporting the baby's head and neck before trying to lift them—and bend your knees if you need to lean down to reach the baby. Bending your knees will help to protect your back while you're lowering yourself to safely hold the baby. “Baby's necks are not strong…and their heads are quite heavy,” explains parenting specialist Denise Stern. “So we want to…always support the head and neck and in the back as well.”
Scoop up the baby and bring them close to your chest. When you feel like you have a good grip on the baby, lift them gently until they’re being held against your chest and lying face-up. Straighten your legs as you carefully settle the baby close to your chest. Be careful of a newborn’s fontanelles while holding them! Fontanelles are the soft spots on a baby's head—a posterior fontanelle in the back of the baby’s head and an anterior fontanelle on top. It’s okay to touch a baby’s soft spots; just don’t press on them, and make sure nothing falls on or hits the baby’s head.
Doing the Shoulder Hold
Position the baby upright, resting on your chest and shoulder. Use one arm to scoop up the baby’s bottom while supporting the head with your other hand. Then, position the baby upright, bringing them close so you’re making chest-to-chest contact while they can rest their head against your chest and shoulder. “This is a great position to soothe a toddler who is getting ready for naptime or bedtime,” says childcare specialist Jessie Davidson. Make sure the hand under the baby’s bottom is supporting most of their weight while the other continues to protect their head and neck. The baby’s head should be facing to one side at all times so they can breathe.
Cradling the Baby
Cradle the baby’s head while resting it against your chest. Hold the baby against your chest, one hand under the head and neck and the other under the bottom. Then, gently slide the hand under their head down their back (so the baby is supported by your forearm). Keep doing this until the baby’s head is nestled in the crook of your arm and elbow, and hold the baby close until you’re cradling them. Try spreading your fingers before moving the baby along your forearm into a cradling position. This ensures you can support them as much as possible! The cradle hold is one of the most common ways to hold a baby and a great way to gaze into their eyes as you hold them. It’s also one of the easiest ways to hold your baby while the baby is swaddled.
Other Holding Techniques
Hold the baby to your chest for skin-to-skin contact. Skin-to-skin contact is an exercise that can help you bond with your baby—and it can also help regulate the baby’s temperature, heartbeat, and breathing. To start, place your baby on your bare chest, with the baby’s chest touching yours. Ensure the baby is only wearing a diaper (and maybe a beanie), and drape a blanket over their back for warmth. Practicing skin-to-skin contact with your baby may even help you feel more confident and self-assured as a parent!
Do a face-to-face hold to interact with your baby. Place one hand under the baby’s head and neck to support them, moving the other under their bottom. Then, hold the baby out in front of you, just below your chest. Keep the baby’s head and body tilted up, so the two of you can easily look at one another’s faces—and have fun smiling at your adorable baby! If you want to interact with a baby (talking to them and making silly faces, for instance), the face-to-face hold is a great way to do that.
Use the belly hold to calm a fussy or colicky baby. Drape your baby’s head and chest over your forearm with the baby lying on their belly. Make sure the baby’s head is turned outward, resting near the crook of your arm. Ensure the baby’s head is positioned near your elbow, with their feet on either side of your hand and angled slightly downward. With the baby in a belly hold, you can support them with one arm while using your other to pat or rub the baby’s back (and burp them, if necessary). Check the baby’s head and neck to ensure they’re supported at all times while in a belly hold.
Let curious babies see their surroundings with the “hello world” hold. First, let your baby’s back rest against your chest so their head is supported. Place one arm under their bottom and the other across their chest. Then, make sure the baby’s head is still supported, with the baby facing away from you so they can look around and see what’s going on. If you’re sitting down, you can place the baby in your lap instead, which means you don’t need to put a hand under their bottom.
Hold the baby on your hip when they can support their own head. “To carry a toddler on your hip, use one hand to support under their bottom and the other around their waist,” explains Jessie Davidson. “From this position, you can gently rock the toddler by swaying back and forth. Although holding the toddler on one side may feel more natural than the other, it’s important to swap sides every few minutes so that you don’t strain your back.” When using this hold, ensure the baby’s left side is positioned against your hip (or vice versa, depending on which side you choose to hold the baby), with their legs straddling you. No matter which side you hold the baby on, ensure their head faces outward (as shown in the image above). Use this hold once your baby has gotten a bit older. Once they’re 4 to 6 months old, they should be able to support their own head—which means they’re old enough for the hip hold. This hold is super common and convenient, especially when you have to multitask and do other things (so long as you feel comfortable and the baby doesn’t need extra support).
Holding Positions for Feeding
Cradle the baby in a semi-upright position to bottle-feed them. Support the baby’s head in the crook of your elbow with the baby’s body positioned along your inner forearm, with the baby’s head and torso tilted up. Bottle-feeding a baby that’s lying flat can pose a choking risk, which is why it’s best to have the baby in a semi-upright position. It’s often easier to fit down in an armchair or glider to feed your baby. Try propping your arms up with pillows to make the feeding process easier, too. Make sure the baby doesn’t fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth, as it can cause tooth decay and ear infections.
Do a “clutch” or football holding position for breastfeeding. To do this, parenting expert Denise Stern recommends placing a hand under the baby’s head and resting the baby’s back along the inside of the same arm holding their head. Then, draw the baby close to your chest or waist, with the baby’s legs extended behind you and their body under your arm—just like holding a football. Use your free hand to feed the baby or give its head extra support. You can use a football hold regardless of whether you’re standing or sitting. This position is especially helpful if you have large breasts and need to breastfeed the baby or if you had a C-section and don’t want to place the baby on your abdominal incision.
Or, use a cross-cradle position for breastfeeding. Cross-cradling is much like the cradle, except it involves holding the baby with the arm opposite the breast they’re feeding from. Use one hand to support the baby’s head, placing their bottom in the crook of your elbow and their body turned inward toward you. Then, use your other arm to position and support your breast from below. This can be an especially helpful position to try if your baby is having trouble latching. You can also use the regular old cradling position (outlined above) for breastfeeding if you prefer.
Try a side-lying position for late-night feedings. Lie on your side somewhere comfortable (like a bed) and place the baby beside you, lifting your breast so the baby can easily latch onto it. It’s as simple as that! However, it’s best to avoid lying down in this position if you’re sleepy since it’s unsafe to fall asleep next to a newborn baby. Additionally, it’s a good idea to hold the baby upright after feeding for about 30 minutes, if possible. When your baby is upright, gravity can help them digest their meal. When they’re lying flat, they’re more likely to spit up.
Safety Advice
Hold the baby safely and securely at all times. Always ensure you have a firm, comfortable grip on your baby, especially while moving around and going up and down steps. Keep the baby’s head supported always, and never hold hot drinks or cook while holding them. While holding the baby, the primary goal is keeping them secure no matter what. Don’t lift a newborn baby by their arms (or under their arms). This could hurt the baby’s shoulders or arms—and letting their head flop around could cause a brain injury. Bouncing newborns up and down actually isn’t a good way to calm them down; in fact, it could make the baby fussier, which in turn might add to your stress. Instead, gently rock the baby back and forth in your arms
Stay calm and confident while holding the baby. Babies may pick up on your discomfort, so relax! Confidence is the key; holding a baby for the first time can be nerve-wracking for some people, but just remember that you can do this, and the joy of holding that baby can outweigh the anxieties. While care and safety are important, remember that babies aren’t quite as fragile as you might think.
Wash your hands before holding a baby. During the first two months, babies haven’t been vaccinated—which means it’s easier to spread germs from unwashed hands. Newborn babies also have weaker immune systems because they haven’t built up any strength against incoming germs yet—so be careful, keep your hands clean, and ask visitors to do the same. Also, remember not to kiss your baby if you have a cold sore, feel one coming on, or have had one recently. Wait until the cold sore outbreak fully clears before kissing your baby again! Cold sores are caused by the HSV-1 virus, which can make babies very sick because their immune systems aren’t strong enough to fight it.
Have other people move close when passing them the baby. Does a friend or family member want to hold your baby? There’s nothing wrong with that—but when moving the baby from your arms to theirs, don’t extend your arms and hold the baby out. Instead, have the other person move in close and face you, placing one hand beneath the baby’s head and another under the bottom before you let go. This practice helps protect the baby (and especially their head) while transitioning into someone else’s arms. If a child or elderly person wants to hold your baby, help them out by asking them to sit down, then gently placing the baby in their arms.
Enjoy bonding with the baby. Holding a baby can be soothing for both you and them. This is a great time to sing to the baby, read to the baby, and keep the baby entertained until it's time for the next feeding, diaper change, or nap. You may need to switch hands from time to time, so remember to always keep one hand under the baby's head as you switch hands. Listen to your baby. Each baby has their own preferences for how they want to be held. If your baby is crying or being fussy, try switching to a different holding position.
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