Why does holding a baby, any baby, feel so wonderful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's an evolutionary adaption that keeps adult humans from killing their infant offspring during the hellish days weeks months of relentless crying and constant demands of care.

Some individuals in a species have more capacity for care of non blood relations than others. Genetic variation, nothing more.

It's this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love holding babies too. It’s hard to resist asking strangers to hold their babies while making googly eyes towards them.

I held my seatmate's baby on the plane this past weekend. She was going to him into the lav with her! Nope, hand over the baby, lady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Babies are adorable. Their soft hair, their smiles, their tiny little hands and feet. Agree, OP!

Don't forget their chubby limbs and sweet smiles.

[Anonymous]

I love babies too, but only after they can support their own heads! I'll always offer to hold a 6-12 month old on my lap. I love that age so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an evolutionary adaption that keeps adult humans from killing their infant offspring during the hellish days weeks months of relentless crying and constant demands of care.

Some individuals in a species have more capacity for care of non blood relations than others. Genetic variation, nothing more.

It's this.

Well clearly not or all the women on this thread lacking the adaptation would murder their children which they obviously don’t. I am a SAHM of older kids and I have seriously considered essentially becoming a nanny but in my own home so that I can care for a baby again. Probably won’t do it, but it sounds wonderful to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an evolutionary adaption that keeps adult humans from killing their infant offspring during the hellish days weeks months of relentless crying and constant demands of care.

Some individuals in a species have more capacity for care of non blood relations than others. Genetic variation, nothing more.

It's this.

Well clearly not or all the women on this thread lacking the adaptation would murder their children which they obviously don’t. I am a SAHM of older kids and I have seriously considered essentially becoming a nanny but in my own home so that I can care for a baby again. Probably won’t do it, but it sounds wonderful to me.

Not sure if you're religious, but some churches have a baby room staffed by volunteers on Sundays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an evolutionary adaption that keeps adult humans from killing their infant offspring during the hellish days weeks months of relentless crying and constant demands of care.

Some individuals in a species have more capacity for care of non blood relations than others. Genetic variation, nothing more.

It's this.

Well clearly not or all the women on this thread lacking the adaptation would murder their children which they obviously don’t. I am a SAHM of older kids and I have seriously considered essentially becoming a nanny but in my own home so that I can care for a baby again. Probably won’t do it, but it sounds wonderful to me.

There's still a biological drive to protect, even if it's not warm and fuzzy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Babies scare me. I have twins and that baby stage is a blur of no sleep, multitasking and constant exhaustion for me. I don't feel like I ever got truly comfortable with babies or experienced that stage as peaceful.

That's why we love OTHER PEOPLE'S babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have always loved it, since I was young and my daughters are the same. It is the best drug in the world. Our neighbor’s just had a baby and I am reminded of this yet again.

What a stupid question. Are you bored?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have always loved it, since I was young and my daughters are the same. It is the best drug in the world. Our neighbor’s just had a baby and I am reminded of this yet again.

What a stupid question. Are you bored?

Somebody needs to hold a baby! It will improve your mood tremendously!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's how their heads smell, and their little hands and feet, and fat little thighs, and their bellies, and how they sleep so deeply, and and and and... I'm basically counting the days to become a grandma.

Wow, what fantasy is this? Both my babies were terrible sleepers. It's why I don't like babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an evolutionary adaption that keeps adult humans from killing their infant offspring during the hellish days weeks months of relentless crying and constant demands of care.

Some individuals in a species have more capacity for care of non blood relations than others. Genetic variation, nothing more.

It's this.

Well clearly not or all the women on this thread lacking the adaptation would murder their children which they obviously don’t. I am a SAHM of older kids and I have seriously considered essentially becoming a nanny but in my own home so that I can care for a baby again. Probably won’t do it, but it sounds wonderful to me.

There's still a biological drive to protect, even if it's not warm and fuzzy.

+1 -- I am one of the PPs who just is not into other people's babes and does not really care to hold them. But also if a baby cries out in pain or a small child falls down I am out of my seat and across the room before you can blink. I've very relieved when the child's actual parents step in to deal with it or reassure everyone they are okay so I can go back to my conversation or lunch or whatever but the instinct to protect and help very young children is innate especially once you've had a kid.

I will save your baby from drowning but I don't want to hold your baby at a BBQ unless strictly necessary. Kthanks!

[Anonymous]

It's interesting to me how many people like that baby smell. I liked it with my own baby but don't really like it with other babies. First of all half the time that smell is simply Dreft and I think it's just triggering a sense memory of loving your own baby. But also even that underlying baby smell isn't great to me.

And then there's the fact that babies often smell like poop or spit up milk which happens to trigger some not great sense memories for me. I major pet peeve of mine is when someone asks me to hold their baby and then the baby poops and I say "smells like they need a diaper change" and the person does not immediately take the baby. Especially because a lot of infants are prone to diaper blowouts. I got pooped and peed on plenty with my own kid but I really do NOT want your baby's $hit on me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have always loved it, since I was young and my daughters are the same. It is the best drug in the world. Our neighbor’s just had a baby and I am reminded of this yet again.

It's because it makes your uterus flip. The same as when Darryl held baby Judith on the Walking Dead. Gets all your "knock me up!" hormones flowing.

[Anonymous]

I would only write this online but I don’t like holding other babies unless they are super cute and chonky. I think holding babies is annoying actually.

I loooooooveed holding my own babies. When they cried I’d just rock and breastfeed. No one else seems to have a rocking chair and I hate bouncing babies up and down and soothing them. They usually sound hungry to me too but clearly I can’t breastfeed and they are all on feeding schedules. For my own kids (had 3) I always thought if they cried they were usually hungry or tired.