It is not okay to lift a baby under the armpits especially if they are not yet able to support their head and neck.
Lifting a baby under the armpits can injure the baby's shoulders and arms and cause brain injury if the head dangles and flops around.
When a baby is held under their arms their head is not supported and most of their body is hanging in space and it also interferes with breathing.
Once your baby gets older and is a year old or older then it can be more safe to lift the baby under their armpits but not when they are under a year old.
When caring for a newborn you have to be very gentle and use gentle and supportive movements.
As long as you use gentle, supportive movements and never shake the newborn you're not going to hurt them during diaper changes, bathing, feeding or holding them.
You should always be extremely gentle with the newborn and support their head and neck and use soft movements and avoid any rough handling.
Babies are very fragile and can be easily injured by any forceful actions.
Never shake a baby even when done playfully as it can cause serious brain damage and always cradle the baby's head and neck when lifting or holding them as the baby's neck muscles are not fully developed.
You can stop supporting babies head around 3 to 4 months of age when they have developed enough neck strength.
Some babies can support their own head by 3 months and others not until 4 months of age.
In the first month of the baby's life they will often be able to lift their head up briefly and turn it from side to side when on their tummy.
By 4 months of age your baby will be able to hold up their head and chest by pushing off the ground using their arms.
By 4 months of age your baby will also probably hold their head steadily when they are placed in a sitting position.
And by 6 months of age your baby will likely also be able to hold their head strong and steady.
When a baby's head flops back it can cause the baby's brain to rock inside their head and can bruise the baby's brain or even tear delicate blood vessels.
Shaking a baby can also cause the head to move back and forth quickly and lead to more serious problems.
Shaken baby syndrome can occur when a baby's brain shifts quickly inside their skull and result in tears to the fragile blood vessels.
Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome are irritability, tiredness, breathing problems, loss of consciousness, blindness, motor deficits and even learning disabilities.
It's important to support your baby's head and neck until they can support it themselves.
To support your baby's head and neck you can scoop the baby up with one hand and support their head, neck and spine and tuck your other hand under the baby's bottom for support.
Holding a baby in a sitting position for short periods of time is not bad and is not likely to cause any harm.
However when holding a baby in a sitting position the baby should have good head control and be able to stabilize their bodies.
Propping your baby up in a sitting position and holding them in a sitting position before they are able to stabilize their bodies can put pressure that is harmful on their spine.
If you sit a baby up too early it can interfere with the baby's development and can be dangerous.
Sitting or propping your baby up too early can place harmful pressure on the baby's spine and can lead to spinal cord injury.
Also forcing your baby to sit before their brain has fully developed can lead to and cause brain damage.
sitting your baby too early can also prevent the baby from developing the trunk and head control they require to creep, crawl and sit up safely.
When you sit your baby up too early it can also reduce the amount of time the baby spends on their tummy which is where the baby develops their important reflexes.
Choking is also another possible hazard and risk of propping your baby up to sit too early as the baby can drop their head forward while they feed and choke.
The youngest baby should sit up is 4 months old.
However most babies sit up independently between 6 months to 9 months of age.
At 4 months babies can often hold their head steady without support.
At 6 months babies can sit with some help.
At 9 months babies can sit up well enough without support and can get in and out of a sitting position but may still require some help.
At 12 months babies can get into a sitting position without help.
You can help your baby learn to sit by giving your baby daily tummy time and allowing them to practice sitting while they lean against you.
Babies will begin sitting with support once the baby has good head and neck control, which is usually around 4 to 5 months of age.
And between the ages of 6 and 8 months old, babies will get the hang of sitting independently.
Then by 9 months of age, the baby will be able to get themselves into a sitting position.