Newborn Feeding Milestones: Weeks 1-2

Newborns are known for eating, sleeping, and 💩ing! They seem to do these on repeat and it’s all a part of growing and developing. Amidst the endless cycles of these basic activities lies a truly remarkable feat: the innate ability of newborns to feed. It’s pretty remarkable if you stop and think about it. From the moment they enter this world, they possess an instinctual knowledge of how to nourish themselves, a skill vital to their survival and growth. Let’s dive into newborn feeding milestones and how they do this.

The Rooting and Sucking-Swallowing Reflexes

Babies are born with the ability to smell and find their food source. From birth, the mother’s milk smells like amniotic fluid, which draws the newborn to the breast. Newborns can crawl to the breast, that’s right, newborns can crawl to the breast when placed on the mother’s chest. There are two other remarkable reflexes that play a pivotal role in keeping newborns well-fed-

1. Rooting Reflex: You may have noticed that when you touch or stroke near a baby’s mouth when they’re hungry, they turn towards the tactile stimulation. This instinctive response is known as the rooting reflex. It’s nature’s way of guiding them to their source of nourishment, setting the stage for successful feeding experiences.
2. Sucking-Swallowing Reflex: The coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing is quite complex. Thankfully it’s orchestrated by the sucking-swallowing reflex, which develops in utero. This intricate dance ensures that your little one can effectively draw milk, swallow it, and breathe without any struggle. Understanding this reflex helps us appreciate the complexity of newborn feeding.

The Art of Newborn Feeding

Feeding might seem like a simple act, but for a newborn, it’s a series of intricate steps that are vital to nourishment and growth. Let’s break down this beautiful process into five steps:

1. Orienting with Rooting Reflex: Instinctively, newborns turn towards the nipple, guided by their rooting reflex that helps them find their food source.

2. Leading with Chin and Extended Neck: With the nipple in sight, babies extend their necks and lead with their chin, ensuring a comfortable latch. When breastfeeding, the chin helps extract milk by applying pressure to the milk glands.

3. Open Wide with Gaping Reflex: The gentle tickle of the nipple against the baby’s philtrum triggers the gaping reflex, prompting them to open their mouth wide, ready to accept nourishment.

4. The Dance of the Tongue: Tongue placement is crucial. Newborns lower their tongue to the floor of their mouth, extending it over the lower gum and lip, creating an optimal position for effective feeding (all babies are tongue thrusters).

5. Cupping, Grooving, and Sucking: As the baby closes their mouth, their tongue forms a delicate cup, cradling the nipple. The remaining part of the tongue creates a groove to secure the milk, initiating the rhythmic sucking motion that sustains their eating.

What surprises you most about the newborn feeding milestones? Let us know below ⬇️