A little while back, I had the pleasure of working with a lovely family during a breastfeeding consultation. They’d been navigating the early days of feeding with incredible intuition and care. As we sat down to assess a breastfeeding session, I noticed something fascinating. The father, who was assisting with positioning, opened the baby’s hand and gently pressed on the palm. The couple turned to me and said, “This is his ‘push to start’ button! We notice his suck improves whenever we press on his palm.”
I couldn’t help but smile! These observant parents had discovered one of their baby’s feeding reflexes without even realizing that’s what it was. They had tuned in to what worked best for their baby and found an incredible little trick.
The Science Behind the "Push to Start" Button
What these parents had unknowingly tapped into was the link between the palmar reflex (a natural reflex in newborns where pressure on the palm elicits a grasping motion) and the sucking reflex.
Research confirms this link (if you want to get into the details, check out the references at the end of this post). It’s been shown that when babies are sucking they have stronger palmar reflex. Many of us in the field of lactation, myself included, have also observed this phenomenon in reverse - gently pressing a baby’s palm often seems to strengthen the sucking reflex.
The role of a baby’s hands in the feeding process goes even further. Not only do their hands help stabilize them during the feeding, making it possible for them to feed more effectively, but their hands also play a role in increasing milk flow. When babies knead or press the breast with their little hands while nursing, this gentle massaging motion actually increases maternal oxytocin-the hormone that triggers milk letdown (or milk release). So, when you see those tiny hands at work, know they’re doing more than just playing—they’re helping to ensure a steady flow of milk!
Feeding Instincts in Nature
This reflexive behavior isn’t just limited to human babies—it’s something you can observe in nature, too. Kittens, for example, have a habit of kneading their mother while nursing. When I first saw this, I thought, “Ouch! Kittens have claws! That’s got to hurt!” I wondered how hurting their mother during feeding could possibly be beneficial for their survival. But here’s a little tidbit about me: my family and I love to foster kittens. After fostering several litters, I not only observed kittens kneading their mother while feeding but also experienced it firsthand when motherless kittens practiced kneading on me. I was surprised by how gentle it is! The kittens instinctively pull their claws back and perform a very sweet, rhythmic, massaging motion.
While I’m not a vet or an expert in cat physiology, I think it’s safe to say this kneading motion likely helps kittens get more milk, much like a baby massaging the breast helps human mothers with milk production.
The Power of Parental Intuition
My experience with that lovely family reminded me of how amazing new parents are. They might not be aware of all the research about infant feeding, but their instincts and observations often lead them to the best solutions for their baby.
As a lactation consultant, I often see parents using their deep intuition to care for their baby’s unique needs, and it never ceases to amaze me. This is just one more reminder that parents truly are experts when it comes to their own babies.
Have You Found Your Baby’s "Push to Start" Button?
If you haven’t yet discovered your baby’s “push to start” button, give it a try! The next time you’re working on a latch or if your baby seems a little slow to start sucking, try gently pressing their palm against your chest or breast and see how they respond. You may find that this small action helps engage their sucking reflex, and it could be just the little nudge they need.
Parenting is a journey of discovering what works for your baby—and every discovery, big or small, is worth celebrating. Let me know if you try this trick and how it works for you and your baby. I’d love to hear your story!
For more information on utilizing your baby's reflexes to improve breastfeeding, feel free to explore my complimentary latching guide!
(Story shared with permission from the family who inspired this post. A big thank you to them for letting me share this sweet moment.)
References:
Bernadett Berecz, Mel Cyrille, Ulrika Casselbrant, Sarah Oleksak, Henrik Norholt, Carrying human infants – An evolutionary heritage,Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 60, 2020, 101460, ISSN 0163-6383, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101460.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638320300886)
Bieber, I. Grasping and sucking. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 91(1):1-8, January 1940.
Brown, J.V. and Fredrickson, W.T. (1977), The relationship between sucking and grasping in the human newborn: A precursor of hand-mouth coordination?. Dev. Psychobiol., 10: 489-498. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.420100602
Futagi, Yasuyuki, Toribe, Yasuhisa, Suzuki, Yasuhiro, The Grasp Reflex and Moro Reflex in Infants: Hierarchy of Primitive Reflex Responses, International Journal of Pediatrics, 2012, 191562, 10 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/191562
Lenard, H.-.-G., von Bernuth, H. and Prechtl, H.F.R. (1968), REFLEXES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO BEHAVIOURAL STATE IN THE NEWBORN. Acta Pædiatrica, 57: 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1968.tb04676.x
Matthiesen AS, Ransjö-Arvidson AB, Nissen E, Uvnäs-Moberg K. Postpartum maternal oxytocin release by newborns: effects of infant hand massage and sucking. Birth. 2001 Mar;28(1):13-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1523-536x.2001.00013.x. PMID: 11264623.
Stephen L. Buka, Lewis P. Lipsitt, Newborn sucking behavior and its relation to grasping, Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 14, Issue 1, 1991, Pages 59-67, ISSN 0163-6383, https://doi.org/10.1016/0163-6383(91)90055-W (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016363839190055W)
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