Stressed Moms Carry Babies on the Right

A new British study suggests that mothers who cradle their baby on their right side may be struggling with extreme stress. Previous research has shown that the majority of mothers prefer to cradle their baby on their left side, even if they aren't left-handed. Durham University researchers asked 79 new mothers to pick up their babies and cradle them in their arm. They also completed a survey on their mental state. The findings demonstrated that 86 percent of mothers who exhibited no signs of stress or depression in the survey preferred to hold their babies to the left, while 32 percent of mothers showing signs of elevated stress held their babies on their right arm.