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How to pick up and put down a baby

1:23 min

Feeling nervous about holding a baby, especially a newborn, is understandable. Babies aren't as fragile as they seem – but there are some important things to remember when getting ready to hold your baby.

For a newborn, you'll want to provide good head and neck support. Your baby's head is the heaviest part of their body, and their neck muscles aren't strong enough to help hold it up yet.

To safely pick your newborn up, support your baby's neck with one hand and their bottom with the other hand. Spread your fingers out wide to give your baby's head and neck the most support possible.

Once you've lifted your baby, hold them close to your body to keep them secure. Continue to support their head and neck with one hand and their bottom and back with another hand or your arm.

When you're ready to set your baby back down, get as close to the surface you're setting them on as possible. Continue to support their head, neck, and bottom with your arms as you lay your baby down flat on their back, and don't release until they're fully resting on the surface.

When you're passing your baby off to someone else, the same basic rules apply: Get close to the other person, continue supporting your baby's head, neck, and bottom, and don't let go until the other person is fully supporting the baby.

Even as your baby's control over their head and neck improves, continue to give them that extra support when picking them up and putting them down. Once they're able to hold up their head and sit with support or on their own (anywhere between 4 and 7 months), you can start picking them up by tucking your hands under their arms and lifting.

Be careful when you're picking up and putting down your baby to avoid accidentally hurting them. It's also important to avoid accidentally hurting yourself when you pick up and set down your baby: Use your arms, legs, and core – not your back – so you don't put too much strain on your body.

Learn more about the best ways to hold a baby.

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BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Nemours Foundation. 2014. A guide for first-time parents. http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/guide-parents.htmlOpens a new window [Accessed January 2022]

Raising Children Network. 2016. How to hold and handle your newborn: In pictures. http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/pip_holding_positions.htmlOpens a new window [Accessed January 2022]

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