Can You Spoil a Baby?

"No, babies need to have their needs met, be held, and loved. Secure attachments, beginning in infancy, are necessary for a child to feel secure, safe, and confident. This will benefit a child's long-term healthy growth and development in social, emotional, and cognitive skills."

— Christine Kyriakakos Martin, author of You've Got This! Keys to Effective Parenting for the Early Years, early education consultant, mom of three, and grandmother of two

"The answer to this question really depends on the age of the baby. You cannot spoil a newborn. Newborns need to feel secure and loved. You will not spoil your baby by holding him or her too much. It is important to teach your baby the skill of getting him or herself to sleep without being held. By about 6 months, this becomes really important."

— Dr. Laurene Fleischer, board-certified pediatrician at ProHealth Pediatrics in Huntington, NY, and mom of two

"Yes, you can absolutely spoil a baby. And I'm 100% guilty of it. I would run every time my little guy cried. I would continue holding him when I knew it was a good time to put him down. And I'm paying for it now that we're sleep training. (Sigh.) But, to be honest, I wouldn't have changed a thing. All those baby snuggles were totally worth it!"

— Kristina Nagle, Mom.com team and mom of three

"Food spoils; babies do not. I strongly recommend you hold, hug, cuddle, and kiss your baby as much as you can. It’s good for you and baby."

— Wendy C., mom of three

"You can never spoil a baby. They like routine, so as long as there's one established for feeding and sleeping, carry him all you want, cuddle, love him. This time is so short, you don't even realize it until you have a big 4-year-old and are missing the tiny baby."

— Yuliana Delgado, Mom.com team and mom of two

"Short answer, no. Babies only cry when they need something. I wore all of mine. They are well-adjusted and appropriately independent."

— Christina Crabtree, mom of five

"Never! But you can teach bad habits, especially when it comes to sleep training. We had to learn the hard way — but it's different for every family and every child."

— Dana Hewitt, mom of four

"Nope. Nada. Absolutely not. These sweet little ones spent 9+ months having every need immediately met in their mama's womb. Imagine what a shock entering the real world is. Babies need every ounce of love and comfort we can give along with ample support to make the transition earthside as easy as possible."

— Gretchen Bossio, blogger and mom of four

"I think there's a limit of spoiling your babies. You definitely have to make sure you don't do it at all times. Putting down boundaries from the beginning of their lives is very important. Even that small, they realize what they could get away with, and you don't want to be raising a brat."

— Ileana Delgado, mom of two

"Absolutely not. Babies need to be held, and it is a joy to hold a baby, so it's a win-win. Don't ignore your baby's cries. Schedules and rules are for later. Just stare into each other's eyes and snuggle for as long as you can. That phase is over lightning fast."

— Amy Wruble, mom of two