Just a matter of curiosity

[Andrewofgg]

Big family bash today where the star of the show was DGNiece, 14 days old. One of those babies who seems to be happy with pass the parcel, so everyone got a cuddle, and everyone put her either in the crook of the left arm or on the left shoulder.

That of course leaves the right hand free and the crook of the left arm lets the baby hear your heart beat which is probably soothing.

So what do left-handers, especially left-handed mothers, do? I remember shifting DS from arm to arm to give left arm a short rest, but the left arm was still the "side of choice". No lefties in my or DW's family (not in that sense, anyway) so I am left wondering. And MN will know!

I'm right-handed and hold babies in right arm/over right shoulder. Seems safer as it's my strongest, most dextrous arm?

So maybe it's not quite the rule you think it is?

Never thought about that heartbeat gubbins. May try the other way round next time.

The heart is close to the centre of the chest, so it shouldn't make a difference to audibility I wouldn't have thought.

Just had to try it to work out which side feels 'right' (or, 'correct'). I'm right handed and when holding babies the left arm feels the most natural one (though I have no idea why...)

I'm left handed and can't remember which arm I most often used to hold ds. Probably whichever felt comfortable or wasn't holding the food/kindle/remote/phone etc.

I'm a leftie. My left arm is much stronger than my right. Would always hold a baby in my left arm. Not that id be doing that much with my right hand anyway - drinking? Eating? I can use my right hand for those.

I'm left handed and held my DD in the crook of my right arm or over my left shoulder. But actually she slept on my chest or on my lap most of the time. DH is also left handed and his preferred cradling positions were totally different from mine.

She is now 2.3 and I'm currently 7 months pregnant and have intense pain in my lower back on the right side because I do favour holding DD to that side.

I help my son on my left because it left (pun unavoidable) my dominant right hand free for typing/tidying/tooth brushing etc. Presumably I would have done it the other way round if I was a leftie.

I'm right handed... always held babies in left arm, with right arm free to use.

Right handed. Baby in left arm nook for free use of dominant hand.

Am left handed, hold them predominantly on my left side purely because my left arm is stronger and I have more 'control' over it iykwim. Other than hot drinks, I use my right hand for doing stuff if I'm holding either of my dd's.

I'm a leftie, instinctively held both babies in crook of right arm- never thought about it just felt right. Fed them bottles with my left hand, winded with my left hand etc etc!

I doubt that it makes a blind bit of difference to baby, they just want a cuddle.

I´m a rightie and more naturally put a baby in the crook of my right arm. My husband too, and, according to a quick flick through some photos, our kids´ 4 grandparents (all righties as well).

I'm right handed and instinctively hold babies in the crook of my right arm, on my right shoulder or right hip. It's my stronger arm so feels safer. I will swap over to the left arm if right arm gets tired but it never feels properly comfortable for me or baby.

I am right handed, but always hold babies in my left arm. It just wouldn't feel anywhere near as comfortable/safe in my right arm (as a result, I tended to mostly feed from my left nork!)

I noticed this when I was a little girl, and asked my mum why....she told me every one was like that, so they could hold the baby bottle in their right hand. All my mothers babies were BF for quite a while, and were never given bottles.

Right handed and I've always held babies (and cats!) with my left arm, left arm is for holding, right arm is for doing. Never thought about the heartbeat thing, but holding with my right arm arm feels very unnatural to me. I think I like having my right arm free to do things with.

I'm a leftie, held dd in crook of right arm more than left arm, but as bfed, she was swapped from side to side for feeding.
And yes, the heart is only marginally to the left of the chest and am sure it doesn't make a blind bit of difference!

Leftie here, but definitely held DSs in crook of left arm also when they were bigger on left hip with their legs either side. I think I just used my right hand rather clumsily.

I am ambidextrous, and hold babies/dogs/cats in my left arm.

I'm a leftie and would hold them in my right arm. (I also favoured bf on the right side) However I would also hold them upright over my left shoulder with my left arm.

I'm right handed and felt most comfortable holding with right arm at first (less likely to drop the baby).
After breastfeeding I can do either equally well and tend to go for left hand to keep my right free.

Leftie. When I was just holding her, I used my left arm. Feeding, etc, she was in my right arm.
The heart is pretty much in the middle, it's slightly tilted towards the left, not enough to make a difference though.

Unless you're one of those really rare people who was born with situs inversus :)

theres lots of things people just do instinctively that doesnt go with the usual handedness rules - eg cross dominance/laterality that is more subtle than just a straight left/right hand dominance

eg I write right handed but would choose to do certain other tasks like brush hair left handed, and I can switch between right and left footedness when snowboarding. Babies I am leftsided holder. Some of my job involves technical tasks where its an advantage to be able to use either hand so I have worked on those skills, though to be honest my natural preference is to be righthanded.

I'm right handed and naturally hold baby on left, DH is left handed and holds on the right. So the handedness theory works on us!