Seated
Sitting with the baby on their front across your knees
Key points:
- The baby is held and supported across the knees.
- A foot rest for the carer would make this position more comfortable.
A variation on holding whilst sitting
Key points:
- The baby is held close to the carer throughout the movement.
- The babies body is supported on the forearm.
- The head is cradled on the forearm and inner elbow.
Standing
Holding a baby upright – winding
This isn’t so much about a varied position to hold your baby as it’s probably one of the most common default positions. The key point here is that if you’re holding a baby in this position to wind them, then gently tapping the lower back rather than the upper back is good technique. You can of course still rub the upper back.
Holding on back and moving onto front
Key Points:
- The baby is held close to the carer throughout.
- Use a wide and soft contact on the babies trunk when turning them over.