You’ve probably never given much thought to how you hold your baby. But if you’re like most moms, you subconsciously choose your left side to hold your little one. I’m right-handed, so it has always made sense for me to naturally hold my child on my left side. Since my right side is dominant and stronger, I could do other things (like write a note or pull something out of the microwave), and use my weaker side for wearing my baby. As it turns out, though, there’s an instinctual reason why you hold your baby on your left — and it has nothing to do with which side you favor.
Left-cradling bias is a real thing, and it’s why many moms (and dads) hold their babies close to them on their left side. Being able to see your baby on the left allows the right side of your brain to process the information, “which is associated with emotion and the perception of facial expression”, a study in Science Daily found.
In fact, children who were asked to hold a doll and cradled it on the left showed higher social abilities than those who held the doll on their right side.
Essentially, by wearing your baby on the left, you’re more likely to understand her social and emotional needs. It also helps to strengthen your bond to your baby, too. So whether you hoist your baby on your hip or cradle him close to you, be sure to do it on the left side — and let the love flow.