Holding a baby is not the same as
picking up a sack of potatoes. While
a newborn is not as fragile as she
may look (we'll assume you're caring
for a female infant), there is a
right way to pick up and hold her.
1.
If the baby is lying on her back,
slide one hand under her neck and
fan out your fingers so that your
hand can support her whole head.
Slide your other hand and fanned
out fingers under the baby's lower
back area.
2. Lean close to the baby and lift
her up in a uniform bundle. Don't
let her limbs flail around and keep
her head a little higher than the
rest of her body.
3. If the baby is lying on her stomach,
roll her over onto her back and
then follow the instructions above.
4. If someone is handing you the
baby, lean close to the person and
collect the baby in a tight bundle.
5. When you're holding the baby,
always make sure you're supporting
her head. It can be in your hand,
in the crook of your arm, in your
homemade infant-head-supporting
device, or whatever. But make sure
the baby's head isn't flopping around.
A newborn's neck isn't very strong,
and her head is very big, compared
to the rest of her body. She'll
need you to help her support her
freakishly large (yet very cute)
head until she can manage it herself.
Feed
the Baby
If babies could talk, 95% of their
speech would probably consist of,
"Feed me!" Hey, when your
body weight is expected to triple
by your first birthday, you gotta
eat, right? (By the way, those of
you who are wondering what the other
5% of their speech would be, the
answer is: "Feed me NOW!")
Bottle-Feeding
1. Hold the baby in your lap with
one arm around her, so that her
neck is in the crook of your arm.
2. Brush a finger across the baby's
cheek closest to your body, and
the baby should turn her face towards
you and her lips should part slightly.
3. Gently push the nipple of the
bottle into the baby's open mouth,
keeping her head and upper body
raised at a slight angle so that
it's easier for the baby to swallow.
4. Tip the end of the bottle up
as you're feeding so that the baby
doesn't swallow air as the formula
disappears.
5. To burp the baby, hold her with
her head over your shoulder and
rub her back softly until he lets
out a satisfied little belch. Keep
a hand towel on your shoulder in
case more than excess air comes
out of the baby's mouth.
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