Mothers cradle babies on the left side because
it helps them to better understand their child’s emotional and physical
needs, University of Sussex psychologists claim.
Research by Victoria Bourne and Dr Brenda Todd indicates that left
cradling is the best way for a mother to notice and respond to a baby’s
behaviour, such as tears, laughter or big yawns. The position directs
important infant responses to the right side of the mother’s brain, the
hemisphere used for emotional response. Left-sided cradling provides an
advantage in the bonding process by giving the mother fast intuitive
access to the baby’s requirements.
Get the full story here:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/media/media383.shtml
Mothers cradle babies to their left side for a better bonding experience
Because the head is closer to the heart on the left side, therefore more similar to the comfort of the womb experience? Works for Dads, too, I can verify after 5 kids. Don’t need a Sussex psychologist to tell me that. Do it often enough, the baby’s content and it becomes 2nd nature. The other benefits flow from that. Plus it leaves the right hand free to do other things, so, most people being right-handed will prefer to leave that free while holding the baby. I even developed a technique to cradle the baby to the left and hold a bottle in the left hand to feed whilst operating the TV remote :).
I don’t know why academics find this so necessary to investigate and publish on.
Practical experience beats academic research *most* of the time!