the “breast crawl”
You probably already know that babies are born with a strong instinct to nurse but did you know just minutes after birth they are capable of wiggling their way to their mama’s breast all on their own?! This is called the “breast crawl.”
The best way to ensure your baby has the opportunity to try this is to give them plenty of skin-to-skin immediately following birth (as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics anyways). According to babygooroo.com, it’s helpful if the birthing parent lays in a semi-reclined position using their arms to support baby so they do not roll off their chest. Talking to baby and stroking them gently are two other things you can do to encourage this natural instinct.
I was able to experience the breast crawl firsthand after the birth of my own daughter and it was magical. If you’ve never seen a minutes old baby army crawling up to the nipple it’s definitely worth a google. There are so many sweet videos out there including this one created by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). Just be warned… if you are like me and you start googling breast crawl videos you will end up down a rabbit hole with major baby fever.
Information from www.babygooroo.com
Rachel is an award-winning birth photographer located in Eugene, Oregon. When she’s not taking pictures of babies being born she’s hanging out with her own babies, husband, dogs, cat, and two frisky pygmy goats.
