Your baby was born with a set of newborn reflexes that control his movement.
As your baby develops and grows, these reflexes will gradually start to disappear.
Once they disappear, your baby will be in control of his movements and any arm waving or leg kicking will be voluntary.
The Moro Reflex
This reflex is also known as the startle reflex. The reflex is present at birth, peaks throughout your baby’s first month and will start to disappear at two months.
The Moro Reflex is most often seen just as your baby falls asleep. Your baby will flail his arms as if startled. You can reassure your baby by placing a calm hand on his head or chest which will allow him to fall back asleep.
The Rooting Reflex
This reflex will initially help your baby to breastfeed by having him turn towards anything that strokes his cheek and “search” until he finds the object.
Although the Rooting Reflex lasts for four months, babies get the hang of breastfeeding quickly and will move to the breast without searching in no time.
The Walking Reflex
Babies are born with a natural instinct to step forward. Although your baby is nowhere near strong enough to support his weight, if you had to hold him with his feet touching the floor, he would step forward.
The Grasp Reflex
Ever wondered why a baby grasps anything you put into his hand? The Grasp Reflex is present at birth and fades at approximately five or six months.
While the grasp is strong, you can coax your baby into releasing his grasp by stroking the back of his hand.
The Sucking Reflex
This reflex is linked to the Rooting Reflex and will see your baby suck instinctively on anything that touches the roof of their mouth. The Sucking Reflex stimulates the way your baby naturally eats.
Lara Bestbier
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