X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Holding your baby will spoil him? 'Absolutely NO' say these reports!

3 min read
Holding your baby will spoil him? 'Absolutely NO' say these reports!

It's crazy how new parents get inundated with unsolicited advice. The one that took the cake in my case was 'holding your baby for too long will spoil her'!

When my baby girl was born, the well-meaning relatives and friends poured in their expert advice on parenting. Right from their take on breastfeeding to whether I should give her a pacifier, there were many unsolicited pieces of advice coming my way. What took the cake was how 'holding your baby for long will make her stubborn as she grows up'. But then,

A. Look at her and tell me you wouldn’t want to hold her ALL the time.

B. How does a mum’s touch negatively affect a child’s well-being and make her stubborn?

They had responses for that as well. So, I should be resting instead of cuddling her and tending to her when she cries. Apparently, if I rush to her as soon as she starts whimpering, I’ll instill that ‘bad’ habit in her of expecting to be entertained each time, every time. And once she realises I am not going to be there for her all the time, she will start throwing tantrums. Also, since I had full intentions of heading back to work, post my maternity break, I should let her get used to the idea of no-mommy for longer spells. Ouch!

Back then, I had no logical justification for my behaviour beyond ‘I’m never getting this phase back and I may as well cherish each moment’. It’s been eight odd years, and as I watch her run around with just enough time to spare for a peck on my cheek, I’m glad I held on to my mom-logic (which is on a different plane, as most moms might agree)

Holding your baby will spoil him? Absolutely NO say these reports!

Guess what? A recent study suggests that there might be some grain of truth to this ‘mom-logic’. Apparently, premature babies who experienced skin-to-skin contact in their early weeks had higher IQs and were less prone toward hyperactivity and aggression. Yet another research states that even full-term babies who experienced skin-to-skin care in their early days had better cardio-respiratory stability, higher breastfeeding rates and were less prone to prolonged crying.

In fact, the act of holding your baby has a soothing effect on them and has a remarkable impact on their contentment and even their ability to feed frequently. And need I even get started about the benefits of a mother’s touch on colicky babies? Right! So all these studies just prove time and again that if anything, holding, carrying and snuggling your baby just has goodness written all over it. Some of the other benefits of skin-to-skin touch between babies and parents are:

  • A parent’s touch promotes the feeling of being loved, accepted and safe in babies.
  • A parent’s touch ensures that the baby is less fussy and more content and comfortable.
  • A parent’s touch improves babies’ brain development.
  • A parent’s touch increases weight gain for premature as well as full-term babies.
  • Holding your baby is relaxing for the parents as well. It also helps lessen postpartum depression.

So the next time a well-meaning aunt wags that finger at you for holding your pot of love for too long, don't despair. You are on the right track and all the 'parenting advice' that states anything other than that, needs to be royally ignored.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the article, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest from sg.theasianparent.com!!

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Divya Nair

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • Holding your baby will spoil him? 'Absolutely NO' say these reports!
Share:
  • Hugging and Kissing Your Baby Can Make Him Smarter: Study

    Hugging and Kissing Your Baby Can Make Him Smarter: Study

  • "How Should I Deal With Unsolicited Parenting Advice?"

    "How Should I Deal With Unsolicited Parenting Advice?"

  • Hugging and Kissing Your Baby Can Make Him Smarter: Study

    Hugging and Kissing Your Baby Can Make Him Smarter: Study

  • "How Should I Deal With Unsolicited Parenting Advice?"

    "How Should I Deal With Unsolicited Parenting Advice?"

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.