The Breast Crawl
What is it?
The initiation of breastfeeding often begins within the first moments after birth. When a newborn is placed skin-to-skin on the mother ’ s chest, they exhibit an instinctive behavior known as the 'breast crawl. ' During this process, the baby uses natural reflexes to move toward the breast, locate the nipple, and begin nursing. This early skin-to-skin contact and self-directed feeding behavior play a crucial role in establishing breastfeeding and supporting maternal-infant bonding. The breast crawl is survival instinct that allows babies to “find the food” and crawl up to the mother ’ s breast. If the mother was unable to nurse her baby for any reason immediately following birth, a baby can still find the breast by rooting, crawling and scent. Newborns are not meant to be immobilized and swaddled all the time. Let your baby crawl, learn your scent, practice skin to skin, and use those post-birth hormones to your advantage! The Golden Hour immediately after birth is a sacred time when birth hormones peak: Oxytocin for bonding and adrenaline for energy. This is the physiology of birth in action.
5 Fun Facts About the Breast Crawl
The initiation of breastfeeding often begins within the first moments after birth. When a newborn is placed skin-to-skin on the mother ’ s chest, they exhibit an instinctive behavior known as the 'breast crawl. ' During this process, the baby uses natural reflexes to move toward the breast, locate the nipple, and begin nursing. This early skin-to-skin contact and self-directed feeding behavior play a crucial role in establishing breastfeeding and supporting maternal-infant bonding. The breast crawl is survival instinct that allows babies to “find the food” and crawl up to the mother ’ s breast. If the mother was unable to nurse her baby for any reason immediately following birth, a baby can still find the breast by rooting, crawling and scent. Newborns are not meant to be immobilized and swaddled all the time. Let your baby crawl, learn your scent, practice skin to skin, and use those post-birth hormones to your advantage! The Golden Hour immediately after birth is a sacred time when birth hormones peak: Oxytocin for bonding and adrenaline for energy. This is the physiology of birth in action.
5 Fun Facts About the Breast Crawl
- Without any assistance, this process may take about 45 minutes for baby to reach the breast!
- This independent movement helps baby activate certain reflexes and synapses in the brain which are important for brain development!
- Baby ’ s movements and kicks work to stimulate mom ’ s placenta to detach (It’ s all part of the perfect design!) This is why women ’ s nipples get darker in pregnancy.
- Newborns have poor eyesight, and the darker nipples help baby locate the breast- just like a target!
- The colostrum produced by mom ’ s nipples at birth smell like abiotic fluid, so baby knows where to go!