It's World Breastfeeding Week, and my social media feed is full of beautiful photos of tiny, swaddled newborns.
We've come to see these images as completely normal... but should we?
This week I've been exploring what we know about newborn babies' (and their birthing parent's) incredible, innate reflexes that support breastfeeding, and how hats and swaddling can sometimes get in the way.
The Breast Crawl -
This is a reflex where a newborn is placed skin-to-skin with their birthing parent after birth, and they will use their senses to crawl towards the nipple.
It's called the Breast Crawl, and it's not a race: it can take around an hour.
Hands Matter -
Watch other mammals feed their young and you'll notice they use their paws. Kittens knead to help stimulate milk flow. Human babies aren't so different.
Free hands help babies: find their way to the breast; achieve a deeper, more comfortable latch; explore and steady themselves; influence milk flow by gently pressing or pawing at the breast.
When hands are tucked away inside a blanket, babies lose one of the tools nature gave them.
Gorgeous Baby Smell -
Research suggests that covering a baby's head with a hat may reduce a parent's opportunity to smell their newborn. That familiar newborn scent is more than just lovely: it plays a role in bonding and may support oxytocin release, the hormone that helps both love and milk flow.
Finding the Right Fit…
Learning to breastfeed is a process for both parent and baby. I often think of it as two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle gently working out how they fit together. Some people call it a dance.
A tightly swaddled baby may find it harder to extend their head back for a wide, effective latch, while parents may find it more difficult to bring their baby in close against their body.
Of course, every family is different, and there are situations where feeding positions or approaches need to be adapted. But for many babies, skin-to-skin, free hands, and freedom to move are exactly what biology intended.
Perhaps this World Breastfeeding Week, alongside all those gorgeous newborn photos, we can also normalise images of babies feeding with their hands free, hats off, and nestled skin-to-skin with the people who know them best.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Chloe x