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Baby care tip #17 – Insist on a breast crawl right after your baby’s birth

This is an amazing practice that helps a newborn bond with the mother and initiate smooth breastfeeding.

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Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : February 12, 2016 5:55 PM IST

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You might have little or no say on the events that follow after your arduous process of labour and childbirth. But make sure you ask your doctor or the attending staff well in advance to allow your baby a breast crawl right after the birth, once she is cleaned. A breast crawl is when your newborn starts crawling and finds your breast to latch on, all by her own, when placed on your chest. This is one way to initiate fuss-free breastfeeding right from the start. Also, the skin-to-skin contact that the baby gets right after the birth can initiate bonding between the mother and baby. Here are few tips to help a new mum bond with her baby.

The benefits of breast crawl

While most hospitals in India don t insist on this practice, there are a host of benefits that both the mother and the baby can get from a breast crawl, some of them are:

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  • Breast odour acts as a strong stimulus for the baby to reach the nipple. The smell mimics the odour of the amniotic fluid. Reaching out for the nipple indicates that the baby s sense of smell is well developed.
  • Nipple massage by the baby s hand releases the hormone called oxytocin in mothers, which further helps in contraction of the uterus, expulsion of the placenta and also prevents anemia in mothers.
  • A breast crawl indicates that the baby s shoulder, neck and hip muscles are aptly developed to help her move.
  • Since she is most alert and responsive, a breast crawl in a way gives her senses a jolt.
  • In fact, studies have shown that allowing the baby to crawl on the mother s chest helps her develop her reflexes better and makes breastfeeding a smooth experience [1]. Here are 10 breastfeeding myths busted.

Baby Care Tip 16

Image source: Getty Images

Reference

Widstr m AM, Lilja G, Aaltomaa-Michalias P, Dahll f A, Lintula M, Nissen E.Newborn behaviour to locate the breast when skin-to-skin: a possible method for enabling early self-regulation. Acta Paediatr. 2011 Jan;100(1):79-85. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01983.x. Epub 2010 Sep 14. PubMed PMID:0712833.

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Debjani Arora

Debjani Arora

Debjani is a new mother, a Bengali who likes north Indian food and has a sweet tooth she loves to nurture. Having worked with magazines like Mother & Baby India, Health & Nutrition, The English daily and The Asian Age , she loves writing, reading, traveling ... Read More