Available for newborns! How to hold your baby side and recommended baby carriers
There are two types of holding: "side-side" holding the baby, where the baby is held almost horizontally, and "vertical holding" holding the baby's body upright.
Newborn babies are unable to support the weight of their heads and their necks become wobbled, so some moms may be worried about whether it's okay to hold them vertically.
It is not until around four months old that your neck is held down and you can keep your head straight. Until then, it's safe to hold your neck and head while providing good support.
This time, we will introduce when you can start carrying sideways, the steps to keep in mind, and what to keep in mind, as well as baby carriers that can also be used to carry sideways.
Five common questions about side-holding
Even if you vaguely know that you should hold a baby on your side, it is often surprising that you don't understand it when it comes to the moment. Some of the most common side-holding questions include:
- When can you start holding your arms sideways?
- When is it convenient to hold a side?
- How do you do it? Side-side hug
- What are the points to keep in mind when holding a sideways?
- Can you use a baby carrier to hold your arms side by side?
1. When can you start holding your arms sideways?
Side embrace can be carried out right after birth. This can be said to be the first skinship between mom and dad and baby.
Newborn babies are immature in their muscles and bone structure, and are very soft and fluffy. Also, the body is small for the size and weight of the head, so it is not a good balance. Every new mom and dad are holding her for the first time, but holding her is also a form of communication that allows the baby and mom and dad to hold her close together, feeling each other's body temperature and looking at her face. This is also important as part of educating your baby on emotional education, so don't be too scared and actively incorporate them into holding them when necessary.
2. When is it convenient to hold a side?
The main opportunity to hang out sideways is when breastfeeding and putting you to bed.
Whether breastfeeding or using a bottle, when giving the baby a drink of milk, you should hold the baby under the mother's breast and lie on her back. It's truly a position where you can hold your arms sideways.
When you want to soothe your baby's stuttering or put it to bed, it is effective to hold it sideways with both arms, lightly tap the baby's body, or gently sway it like a cradle. In addition to providing a sense of security by being close to mom and dad, it also relaxes with gentle rhythmic stimulation.
3. How do you do it? Side-side hug
First, lightly lift your head, place your hands directly on the back of the baby, from the side of the sleeping baby. Slide your arm underneath, and make sure your elbows are at the back of the head, then gently hold it around your neck and upper body with your entire arm.
Next, put your reverse hand behind your knees and lift it up. The trick is to form a circle with both arms so that the baby fits perfectly inside.
Relax your shoulders and hold them in a relaxed state, making your baby feel safe.
4. What are the points and tips to keep in mind when holding a sideways?
The most important thing to keep in mind when holding a sideways is not to "stretch too straight." Ideally, the baby's back is moderately round, the legs are naturally open in an M shape, and the arms are bent in a W shape.
If your back, legs, and arms become tight, it puts too much strain on your joints and muscles, which can have an undesirable effect on your development.
Be careful, especially as the arms and legs that are close to the mother and father's body are likely to stretch out.
If you form a loop of both arms and support the back of the baby's head and back of the knee with each elbow, your body will lie within the loop, naturally turning your back will round, and you will be positioned in an M-shaped position. If the ring is too large or too small, your baby will lose its position, so adjust it to give it a perfect fit.
Also, even if you are in the correct position, your baby will become tired if it is too long. Check your baby's condition frequently and be careful not to put too much strain on it.
5. Can you use a baby carrier to hold your arms side by side?
There are also special carriers specializing in horizontal carrying, but looking at the trends of senior moms and dads, it seems that many people use baby slings that wrap babies in cloth, or multi-function carriers that can also be used for vertical carrying.
The sling is lightweight, compact and has a low price. On the other hand, since the shape is not fixed, it may be difficult to keep your baby in ideal position until you get used to it. Furthermore, due to the simple structure, even more careful attention is required when it comes to safety management such as preventing falls.
The multi-functional type is more expensive than slings and is bulky, but it is stable and can be carried vertically or carried on a carrying bag, so it is advantageous to use it for a long time.
However, even if you can hold it sideways, some products cannot be used on newborns, such as those that can be used from 3 months old, so be sure to check carefully before purchasing. 
It is surprisingly unknown, but the hip seat that can be used to carry a baby's butt when carrying or carrying it on is also convenient for carrying it sideways. The weight of a baby can be received not only by the arms but also by the upper body, which greatly reduces the burden on moms and dads.
BABY & Me's BELK-S comes with a hip seat and a carrier part that wraps around the baby's body, and is removable, so it can be used alone as a hip seat. It is recommended because it can be used for a long time from a newborn baby to a weight of 20kg by switching parts.
