Holding environment

Think about it for a second! Imagine yourself having lived in a warm and holding environment -like the womb. And d-day comes and you leave this comfortable and secure feeling - and place; and you are taken to the (rather cold) outside world. The fusion with your warm environment is suddenly not there. I think we can all agree that this is a drastic change…

In such a way a baby experiences the environment after birth. In order for him/her to feel “at home” in the environment, first and foremost the mother’s physical and emotional attention is key. A mother by attuning to her baby’s needs and bonding with him/her sets the basis of healthy development for her baby. Here comes the importance of skin-to-skin contact, which has been repeatedly proven to be vital in neurodevelopment as well as sensory and motor development.

Holding your baby

You can never hold your baby “too much”. And believe me, holding him/her longer will absolutely not spoil him/her as some might think (and comment). Your touch, physical contact will communicate to your baby the feeling of being taken care of, loved, and protected - among others. In my work with parents of newborns, parents often ask me best – and developmentally appropriate- ways of holding their baby. My recommendation is the cradled position. Would you like to know more about cradle holding your baby? Check the below article from First-Step Method’s founder Shai Silberbusch.