---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you hold an infant, hold him not…"
description: "\"When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart.\" — Magda Gerber"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png"
---

#  When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body…

![“When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart.” quote by Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png)

> “When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart.”

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Caring for a baby requires physical presence, mental focus, and emotional connection, fostering secure attachment.

**In simple terms:** Hold a baby with body, mind, and heart for deep connection.

Key Takeaway

Engage fully with infants, not just physically.

Themes

parenting attachment mindfulness emotional intelligence

Mood

calm nurturing

Type

instructional philosophical

When to use this quote

- newborn care
- daycare
- parent‑child bonding
- early education

Key Concepts

developmental psychology secure attachment

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you practice mindful holding daily?
- What benefits arise from emotional attunement?

A Different Perspective

Parents may struggle to maintain mental presence amid distractions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart and mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-and-mind/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind and heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-and-heart/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [Anything that's expanding the mind and heart is happiness. But it's not a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/anything-that-s-expanding-the-mind-and-heart-is-happiness-but-it-s/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [Art is mind and heart and touch as much and more than it is mere instrument, technique - without which however it cannot exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/art-is-mind-and-heart-and-touch-as-much-and-more-than-it-is-mere/)

[Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/)

> [A mind that's open to everything means being peaceful, radiating love, practicing forgiveness, being generous, respecting all life, and most important, visualizing yourself as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/a-mind-that-s-open-to-everything-means-being-peaceful-radiating-love/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Inspiration is that state in which mind and heart are connected. When you feel inspired you find yourself thrust into a world where ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/inspiration-is-that-state-in-which-mind-and-heart-are-connected-when/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Write to the mind and heart, and let the ear Glean after what it can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/write-to-the-mind-and-heart-and-let-the-ear-glean-after-what-it-can/)

[Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/)

> [When mind and heart come together, mind serves consciousness instead of serving itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/when-mind-and-heart-come-together-mind-serves-consciousness-instead/)

[David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/)

> [It's the age-old battle between mind and heart, which seldom want the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/it-s-the-age-old-battle-between-mind-and-heart-which-seldom-want-the/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [When you put your hands and mind and heart into the knowing of a thing ... there is no room in you for fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/when-you-put-your-hands-and-mind-and-heart-into-the-knowing-of-a/)

[Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/)

> [The mind and heart is the field upon which war is waged within us. If we can stop that internal fear-based battle, then those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-strong/the-mind-and-heart-is-the-field-upon-which-war-is-waged-within-us-if/)

[Brenda Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-strong/)

> [“... the roots of security and resilience are to be found in the sense of being understood by and having the sense of existing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/the-roots-of-security-and-resilience-are-to-be-found-in-the-sense-of/)

[Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/)

> [I have battled clinical depression and have come out of the other side. I've been free of it for many years now. Finding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/i-have-battled-clinical-depression-and-have-come-out-of-the-other/)

[Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/)

> [“Who you allow into your life, mind and heart are among the most important decisions you will ever make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/who-you-allow-into-your-life-mind-and-heart-are-among-the-most/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [7 Billion people on this earth and my mind and heart is stuck on you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/7-billion-people-on-this-earth-and-my-mind-and-heart-is-stuck-on-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There are limits to coping, set by ones mind and heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-limits-to-coping-set-by-ones-mind-and-heart/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Charity must become a fundamental state of mind and heart that guides us in all we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/charity-must-become-a-fundamental-state-of-mind-and-heart-that-guides/)

[Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/)

## More by Magda Gerber

> [I wish children could grow according to their natural pace: sleep when sleepy, wake up when rested, eat when hungry, cry when upset, play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/i-wish-children-could-grow-according-to-their-natural-pace-sleep-when/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. It is a small window of time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/childhood-is-not-a-race-to-see-how-quickly-a-child-can-read-write-and/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [An infant always learns. The less we interfere with the natural process of learning, the more we can observe how much infants learn all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/an-infant-always-learns-the-less-we-interfere-with-the-natural/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [By closely supervising our infants, by allowing them to do what they are capable of, by restraining ourselves from rescuing them too often, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/by-closely-supervising-our-infants-by-allowing-them-to-do-what-they/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [What infants need is the opportunity and time to take in and figure out the world around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/what-infants-need-is-the-opportunity-and-time-to-take-in-and-figure/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [All children accomplish milestones in their own way, in their own time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/all-children-accomplish-milestones-in-their-own-way-in-their-own-time/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [Every baby moves with more ease and efficiency if allowed to do it at his own time and in his own way, without our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/every-baby-moves-with-more-ease-and-efficiency-if-allowed-to-do-it-at/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [When you approach your baby with an attitude of respect, you let him know what you intend to do and give him a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/when-you-approach-your-baby-with-an-attitude-of-respect-you-let-him/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [Much harm has been done in the name of love, but no harm can be done in the name of respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/much-harm-has-been-done-in-the-name-of-love-but-no-harm-can-be-done/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [Remember, nobody can make another person fall asleep. How to relax and let sleep come is a skill your child, like everybody else, must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/remember-nobody-can-make-another-person-fall-asleep-how-to-relax-and/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [The more we do, the busier we are, the less we really pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/the-more-we-do-the-busier-we-are-the-less-we-really-pay-attention/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [“If one were to list all the cruelties and maltreatments, both physical and emotional, that parents and adults inflict on children under the guise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/if-one-were-to-list-all-the-cruelties-and-maltreatments-both-physical/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [We not only respect babies, we demonstrate our respect every time we interact with them. Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/we-not-only-respect-babies-we-demonstrate-our-respect-every-time-we/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [Allow the child to be authentic, to move, to feel the way they move, appreciating them for what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/allow-the-child-to-be-authentic-to-move-to-feel-the-way-they-move/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

> [I have spent my adult life trying to figure out why parents and society put themselves into a race -- what's the hurry? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/i-have-spent-my-adult-life-trying-to-figure-out-why-parents-and/)

[Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

[Explore all 36 Magda Gerber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Magda Gerber"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-just-with-your-body-but-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-just-with-your-body-but-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/magda-gerber-17618_body_when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-jus_765513.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart.” — Magda Gerber",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Magda Gerber",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you hold an infant, hold...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-just-with-your-body-but-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/when-you-hold-an-infant-hold-him-not-just-with-your-body-but-with/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
