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It is necessary to hold the baby in a column after feeding
In newborn babies, the digestive system is not fully developed, so they often suffer from gas and colic. Most pediatricians advise holding the baby after column-feeding until the air is released to get rid of this problem.
Why you need to raise a newborn to a column position
There is still controversy in medical circles about the need to carry a baby in a column after feeding.
Most mammals are born with an underdeveloped digestive system, but not a single animal keeps a young after feeding in an unusual vertical position of the body.
A mother breastfeeds her baby every three hours and even more often, and therefore compliance with the pediatrician’s recommendations for laying the baby on his stomach before eating and keeping it in a column afterwards may be incompatible with the child’s regimen. With frequent feeding and falling asleep of the baby at the breast, such manipulations are simply inconvenient to do.
The advice to keep the baby in a column after each meal came from the Soviet past, when children were sent to a nursery at three months old and fed with formula, taking into account the regimen
The volume of breast milk substitute for each baby is difficult to calculate individually, and therefore the children often overeat, and they needed to regurgitate excess food. In addition, due to the large holes in the nipples, they swallowed air along with the mixture.
When a mother breastfeeds on demand, overfeeding is rare because breast milk is rapidly absorbed. Air, when applied correctly, also hardly enters the stomach.
Therefore, a breastfed baby is required to be carried in a column when the baby often cries, does not fall asleep well and sleeps restlessly.
How to carry a baby in a column correctly
So that the baby does not swallow air during feeding and does not overeat, you should not resort to the regimen, you need to give the baby a breast on demand. Feeding should take place in a position that is comfortable for mom and baby, it is better if it is not completely horizontal.
To take the baby in your arms in the position of the column should be so that his head is on his mother’s shoulder. Since the newborn does not yet know how to hold it on its own, you should support him with his free hand. It is more convenient to grab the baby in the area of the shoulder blades so as not to increase the load on the spine. The child can be almost completely rest on the shoulder, only slightly supporting his body.
While the child is in the column position, the mother can sit, stand or walk
Using post position can help:
- get rid of extra milk for the baby
- regurgitate air
- calm down on mom’s shoulder
- fall asleep
The posture helps the child to get used to the upright position and teaches him to hold his head on his own, helps to strengthen the spine.
Also interesting to read: snoring is harmful to health.