Yoga baby soothing position

Lily New 026a

Sometimes we try every position we can think of to make babies happy, and nothing seems to work. We try up on the shoulder, over the arm, superman flying, tummy to tummy, cradle style...and still we don't find the sweet spot that puts baby at ease.

Enter the yoga-baby hold. The hold I am demonstrating here is not an instinctive one, it was one I had to be taught. My first doula trainer, Vicky York, gave me this idea, calling it the 'back to chest' hold. It is similar to how we would put a baby in the sling for the kangaroo hold, but something we can use in a pinch without the sling.

The concept is that you hold the baby very upright, with their back supported by your chest, and support the head if they are newer (first 6-8 weeks). Wrapping the legs in provides some tummy pressure, which babies seem to like. This position I find is very effective with stubborn burps, or babies who are struggling with their digestion or gas. (Similar to bicycle legs, just using gravity more advantageously! Some of my clients call this the poop hold!) It is very helpful moving gas up and out, or down and out (but either way, OUT!).

So next time you are going through the laundry list of positions to find the sweet spot of baby bliss, try this one out. You might be surprised how much your baby likes being a little yoga baby (or lotus baby)!