Newborn wants to be held all the time, am I making a rod for my own back?

[FirstTimer2019]

My newborn wants to be held all of the time. Won’t settle for long in Moses basket. We hold him quite a lot tbh. He does go in his basket but not for long usually. Is this normal? Does it get better? Am I making it worse by holding him a lot. He is a newborn

Thanks x

This is normal for a new born baby. Enjoy all those cuddles with your little one. Congratulations :)

Totally normal. You can’t spoil a baby, give all the cuddles!
Google the forth trimester to see why they need all that cuddling and contact.

It's normal! 4th trimester stuff. Google it as pp mentioned. Newborns biologically NEED to be held all the time to feel safe and secure. Get a sling and go hands free - you can get stuff done and baby feels secure. Your baby is so tiny and just needs you. Mine is nearly 6 weeks and has almost always been held or carried since birth. I use a sling in the day so I can carry on life as usual. And we practice safe co-sleeping at night, so she is always touching me. She is now so much more independent when I put her down to get dressed for example - the constant holding reassures her I won't leave her when I do need to set her down. She barely cries - only shouts to get my attention if she needs me when I'm dressing or using the loo etc. You're doing a fab job! Keep holding your baby and enjoy these early days - they go so fast!

Normal. Look up the 4th trimester and get a sling.
Congratulations on your baby

Don't listen to this "rod for your own back" nonsense. I can't remember where I read it but the advice I go with is if you give your baby what they need, such as lots of touch and holding, they're going to feel secure and happy, so that as they grow they will actually be much more independent, confident, well adjusted etc. You may well be holding the baby a lot for the next few years but if that's what your baby needs, so be it. Don't worry and enjoy!

It's normal. Dc3 has been very insistent at being held all of the time but each week from 6 wks onwards I've seen significant improvements in how long I can put her down for.
I also agree there's no such thing as a rod for your own back until dc are MUCH older, eg 1yr plus.

Completely normal, go with it and try to enjoy. A sling can really help too

Congratulations on your baby It’s totally normal, my DS wouldn’t let me put him down without crying for the first three months. Like PPs I got a soft fabric sling so he could be close to me and he stayed in that pretty much the whole day. At the time I found it really suffocating but he’s now 7 months old, sleeps in his own cot really happily and loves being in his pushchair.

I was helpfully told that you can 'spoil' a baby as much as you like for the first 6 months and get away with it. I think that is probably true up to a year.

Nope, not at all. Mine slept on my bed till 3 months but been pretty happy in his cot since 4 months. Loves his cot now at 15 months- can hear him gurgling away presently- I’ll get him up I spose. I got a few hours to myself when he was newborn as occasionally I’d manage to sneak him in his noses basket ( in the day time) after he fell asleep on me but I’d have to be so careful. At night tho he often wouldn’t have it- so I relented and stuck him on my bed. ABSOLUTELY no rod! However, at some point they need help to learn to self soothe, we gave ours a bunny at six months and he was sleeping through at 8 in his cot. I know some people continue to co sleep until 2/3/4 then it can become hard to break habits

Aww no hes new! No place more comforting and happy for him than in parents arms.

Normal! mines 2 months and is held literally all day. will sleep in a cot for naps (goes down anytime of the day in his moses!), but wants me, his mum, constantly.

One of my friends said you should be holding that baby all the time, you will make a rod for your own back. Told them shut up and I am still holding my baby all day and enjoying him.

Tell people shut up and enjoy your baby - harsh, but everyone has an opinion and they think they are right! :)

Poor little chap doesn't even realise that you and he are not one being yet! Ignore all the 'rod for your own back' nonsense and enjoy this precious time. Agree with the pp - google 'the fourth trimester' :)

I got told this a lot. Dd is eighteen now and doesn't need holding any more

It's normal, try to embrace it as it's great for their development.

I agree with others who have said ignore the 'rod for your own back' stuff and research 4th trimester.

Can you put your baby in a sling if you need to get basic stuff done? Congratulations on your baby!

Cuddles are essential for their development.

Just enjoy the cuddles, before you know they don't feel like a newborn anymore and you miss it. Babies need to feel loved and safe.

Yes it's normal, yes it will change.(not saying it isn't tough) Make the most of it!

Mine wouldn't be put down as a newborn either, but now he's 6 months old he doesn't want to be held!

Don't worry about 'creating a rod for your own back', everything's reversible! Just get through the first 3 months.

Please don't worry. Try a sling in the house if it gets too much. This won't last forever! I so miss those times now and wish I made more of them xxx.

Normal mine was the same just enjoy as they are only tiny for such a small time. I resorted to putting baby in sling during day so I could get stuff done and him still feel close

Before you resign yourself to always holding them, try some other things first:
*always burp your baby after a feed (youtube: baby whisperer burping technique)

• About 10 minutes after a feed start to wind them down for sleep (don't let them fall asleep on the boob)
• Use a stretchy wrap for a swaddle
• dummy (make sure its newborn size)

Swaddle technique:
www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/baby/dudu-swaddle