Ever wonder why babies immediately relax when rocked? It's not merely a trick to comfort infants, it's science! From womb to crib, gentle motion calms their nervous system, enhances sleep, and even helps digestion. As a parent, you quickly understand that sleep is one of the most precious presents for you and your baby. Yet, getting a little one to fall and remain asleep is more often easier said than done. One of the oldest and most effective techniques for soothing infants is rocking—a motion that has been used across generations and cultures. But why do babies and young children find such deep comfort in being rocked? The answer lies in biology, neuroscience, and a bit of evolutionary instinct.

Since the earliest days of life, infants are subject to continuous motion. Within the womb, the subtle swaying brought about by a mother's movement creates a rhythmic and calming atmosphere for a growing fetus. This is mostly because of the natural respiratory movements of the mother, as the diaphragm contracts and relaxes, subtly moving the baby in a rocking motion.

This prenatal rocking is an important aspect of fetal development, regulating the nervous system of the baby and soothing his or her nerves. After birth, this familiar feeling does not go away. Instead, it remains a serious source of security and comfort. For this reason, babies tend to react so favorably when they are rocked back and forth in their parent's arms, swayed in a baby hammock, or bounced up and down in a cradle.

How Does Rocking Impact Baby's Brain?

Studies revealed that movement engages the vestibular system, one tasked with equilibrium and spatial perception. When being rocked, such a system gets triggered, resulting in signals reaching the brain to facilitate relaxation and sleepiness. Gently rocking babies has also been discovered to alter brain waves such that it copies the initiation stages of slumber, simplifying the act for babies.

In addition to putting babies to sleep, rocking activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the division of the nervous system that supports rest, digestion, and relaxation. This has the effect of decreasing stress hormones like cortisol while stimulating the production of calming neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine. The end result? A quieter, happier baby who is better able to sleep through the night.

Benefits of Rocking for Infant's Sleep and Development

Rocking is not merely for assisting babies to sleep; it is beneficial in numerous other ways that support general well-being. Among the major benefits are:

1. Better Quality of Sleep

The rhythmical movement of rocking facilitates infants to move to a deeper sleep state. It is especially useful for newborns and infants, who spend a large part of their sleep phase in light sleep stages. Through deeper sleep, infants wake up less often and have more restful nights.

2. Minimized Sleep Disturbances

Because rocking emulates the feel of being inside the womb, it provides a soothing and safe place. It limits sleep interruption and facilitates it is simpler for infants to get across sleep patterns without waking altogether.

3. Improved Digestion and Relieved Colic

Several parents attribute their use of rocking to be the best colic soother, and research supports them. Gentle motion gets the digestive system going and keeps gas from accumulating, making digestion easier for the baby. It can be particularly helpful for babies with reflux or digestive upset.

4. Lower Stress and Anxiety

Rocking gives a soothing, rhythmic experience that facilitates babies in self-regulating their feelings. By lowering the levels of stress hormones and inducing relaxation, rocking makes babies feel secure, safe, and peaceful—a very important factor in healthy emotional growth.

Why Rocking Comforts Older Children Too

Although the requirement for constant rocking will lessen as a child becomes older, a lot of toddlers and even bigger children prefer soft motion. That is why rocking chairs, swings, and even slumbering car rides can be soothing to small children.

For kids with sensory sensitivities or neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, rocking may be especially helpful. The repetitive action aids in regulating sensory input, allowing a feeling of control and calm in potentially overwhelming settings.

Best Methods to Incorporate Rocking into Your Child's Daily Life

If you wish to benefit the most from rocking for your infant or young child, the following are some efficient methods to help include it as part of your day-to-day routine:

Baby Hammocks & Swings: These swing gently to imitate the comfortable motion of lying in the womb, and they are great resources for calming your baby and sending them off to sleep.

Rocking in Your Arms: Simply rocking your baby in your arms is the easiest and most comfortable method of calming them.

Rocking Chairs & Gliders: Ideal for reading bedtime stories or cuddles before a nap, rocking chairs offer comfort to both parent and child.

Babywearing: Carrying your baby in a sling or carrier while moving naturally throughout the day offers a continuous and comforting rocking motion.

There is a reason that rocking has endured as one of the most reliable ways to calm babies and toddlers. It acts on ancient biological impulses, activates the nervous system in a soothing manner, and offers several developmental advantages. Whether in a parent's arms, a crib, or a rocking chair, soft motion is an elemental and powerful source of solace for children everywhere.

Danica McKellar, American actress said she was embarrassed to admit that she liked tasting her placenta. While she did not go into childbirth thinking she was going to taste her placenta, she says she is glad she did so.

She said this while explaining her surprising postpartum culinary experience in a conversation with Bobby Bones on The BobbyCast.

"My doula said, do you want to taste the placenta? I'd just given birth. And I'm like, sure. I mean, you're not even, you're not in your right mind. She gave me a piece of it. Bobby, it was like the best filet mignon that I have ever tasted. But more," she said.

She continued that she was embarrassed about how much she loved it. "It was bizarre. I thought, what is this, some sort of weird satanic...Am I a cannibal?"

She is now mom to 15-year-old son Draco Verta, who she shares with her ex-husband and composer Mike Verta.

Why Do People Eat Placenta?

A 2014 BBC report notes that placenta sustains life in the womb and leaves the mother once it has served its purposes after the childbirth. The nutrients that have passed from mother to fetus over the months of pregnancy are still packed inside the placenta and should not be wasted. Instead, the raw placenta, many believe, could provide what the mother needs to recover from childbirth and begins breastfeeding.

Some women, as the BBC report notes, are also choosing to drink the placenta in a fruit smoothie within hours of giving birth. While others keep it cool and send it off to be dried and made into capsules, or ripping chunk of it and placing it by their gums.

As per Mayo Clinic, some people believe that eating placenta can help them recover from postpartum depression. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning against taking placenta capsules. The warning was based on the case in which newborn developed an infection called group B streptococcus after the mother took placenta capsules.

The mother was thought to be infected with group B strep bacteria that came from the placenta because the capsules tested positive for the bacteria. Then the infection spread to the infant. Group B strep can cause serious illness in newborns. That may include a severe infection called sepsis. Group B strep also can lead to meningitis. Meningitis is an infection that affects the lining of the brain and spinal cord.

This infection happens when one processes their placenta and it could expose the placenta to bacteria or viruses.

Placenta And What It Holds

The placenta contain several hormones, including oxytocin, estrogen, progesterone, and relaxin. It is also rich in protein, amino acids, and minerals. However, the claims of people saying that it is healthy and should be consumed after delivering a child to avoid postpartum depression have not been fully tested. There are however cases where animals other than humans eat placenta after birth as it could reduce there labor pain. However, the same has not been proven in humans.

Leucovorin, a high-dose vitamin - folinic acid, were mostly used for treating toxic side effects of chemotherapy, until last year when the White House touted it as a potential treatment for some children with autism. New prescriptions for leucovorin double within weeks of announcement and parents have been trying hard to get it prescribed. This is also because many doctors have been hesitant to prescribe a chemotherapy medicine for childhood autism. They have also stated that not enough evidence is available to prescribe this drug officially.

CNN reported that in Austin, Texas, Meagan Johnson spent four days calling pharmacies across the region searching for leucovorin for her three-year-old son Jack, who has autism. She contacted nearly 40 pharmacies around her home in Pflugerville, hoping to locate the medication.

The effort came after a neurologist agreed to prescribe leucovorin on a trial basis. Johnson’s hope was simple: even a small improvement in her son’s communication would mean a lot. At age three, most children can say hundreds of words, but Jack speaks only about 20, many of which only his mother understands.

However, getting the prescription turned out to be far harder than obtaining it.

Across the United States, pharmacies have been reporting growing difficulty keeping leucovorin tablets in stock. Online support groups for parents of autistic children are now filled with posts from families searching for the medication or asking where it might still be available.

Although leucovorin is not approved specifically for autism, some small studies have suggested that it may help certain children who have unusually low levels of folate in the brain. Families who have tried it report possible improvements in language and social interaction.

A study published in The Lancet found that prescriptions for leucovorin doubled within weeks of the public remarks and remained elevated through early December. Researchers analysed electronic medical records covering nearly 300 million patients to identify the trend.

Experts say such spikes can quickly strain the supply of inexpensive generic drugs.

A Classic Demand-Driven Shortage

Pharmacy supply specialists describe the leucovorin situation as a demand-side shortage. Unlike manufacturing disruptions, these shortages happen when demand rises faster than manufacturers can increase production.

Generic drug manufacturers typically plan production schedules a year or more in advance. Because leucovorin had historically been a niche medication, companies were not prepared for a sudden surge in prescriptions.

As demand increased, pharmacies began running out of tablets. Many manufacturers have placed the drug on allocation or backorder, meaning pharmacies can only order limited quantities.

To ease the pressure, the US Food and Drug Administration allowed temporary imports of leucovorin tablets from Canada and Spain. However, the drug has not yet been officially listed on the FDA’s national drug shortage database, a designation that could trigger additional measures to boost supply.

Families Searching For A Treatment

For parents like Johnson, the debate over research evidence matters less than the possibility of progress.

After days of phone calls, a CVS pharmacist finally located a supply at another branch nearly an hour away. Johnson drove the distance to pick up the medication and gave Jack his first dose that same evening.

The moment brought relief, but also frustration.

Drug shortage advocates say the situation was predictable. Because leucovorin is inexpensive and historically prone to shortages, any sudden increase in demand could easily disrupt supply.

Still, families continue to search for it.

Imagine standing at the starting line of a race, dressed properly with the best running shoes and ready to give your best. Yet, as the race begins, you notice that while half of the runners beside you have a clear path ahead, yours is filled with obstacles -- a dirty diaper, a crying baby, piles of laundry, a sink full of dishes, an empty fridge, cooking to be done, and countless other responsibilities.

If you pictured that correctly, you have just imagined the race of a man (with a clear road) and a woman’s race — more precisely, the race of a mother.

In 2019, the chairman of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra, famously posted on the social media platform X, featuring the race of a working man and a woman, sparking a conversation on gender equality.

On International Women’s Day, women are given flowers, cake, or chocolates as a matter of appreciation for their seemingly multi-talented roles, but hardly does that go into consideration by families, partners, and workplaces.

Sanjana (name changed), a marketing professional from Bengaluru, was overjoyed as she held her first baby after a bout of four years of trying, several treatments, and constant pressure from family and society.

Speaking to HealthandMe, she said that the joy, however, was short-lived when she decided to get back to work.

“I had to figure out the support system -- what will I do, what will my husband do, and from what time to what time I need to keep a nanny. When I joined, I realized there was zero flexibility. I couldn’t leave work before completing a nine-hour shift and had to travel two hours back and forth. I was exhausted by the time I got back home, but nothing was ever ready for me to relax. It felt like the beginning of another shift after getting home.

"The baby would be eagerly awaiting me, and my mother's guilt was at its peak, so even though I was physically exhausted, I would still want to give him my time. Since I could never pick my baby up or get him or his meals ready for daycare, I felt guilty asking my husband to do more,” she told HealthandMe.

Shopping for groceries, refilling the baby’s necessities, making sure food is cooked as per everyone’s taste, and ensuring the baby’s routine isn’t disturbed are major responsibilities of most mothers.

“For a new-age mother, every day is a battle between love and responsibility. She meets deadlines with sleepless eyes and hugs her child with a tired heart. Judged at work, questioned at home -- yet she shows up. Not perfect, not rested, but relentless,” said Shivangi (name changed), an IT professional from Delhi.

While a woman’s quiet strength is often marked as victory, facing warzone-like situations every day -- from boardrooms to bedtime stories, meeting deadlines and doctor visits, balancing ambition, and affection -- takes a heavy toll on her mental and physical health.

HealthandMe spoke to Mimansa Singh Tanwar, Clinical Psychologist and Head of the Fortis School Mental Health Program at Fortis Healthcare, on the struggles of new mothers.

“New mothers often find themselves stretched thin while balancing the constant nurturing needs of the child and trying to realign their life with a change in their self-identity. This is a period of huge transition, both emotionally and physically, where new mothers tend to experience feelings of guilt for not being able to do enough for the child or not doing it the ‘right’ way. They often find themselves divided between work and the child’s needs once they resume work. It’s important to be gentle with yourself and accept that you don’t have to do everything perfectly,” Tanwar said.

“Being a mother is itself a moment of pure joy, but for many new mothers, it is also the beginning of a relentless balancing act. There are significant underlying hormonal and neurochemical changes that affect mood and behavior. Sleepless nights, multiple feeding schedules, household expectations, multitasking, and trying to match the ‘ideal perfect mother’ image can have a significant impact on the mind.

"Mothers often put their own needs quietly at the bottom of the list, which affects their overall well-being,” Dr. Sameer Malhotra, Principal Director - Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, told HealthandMe.

Is There a Motherhood Penalty?

Several studies have pointed out how returning to the workplace as a new mother can be a vulnerable time for women. Many are likely to face baby blues, characterized by feeling weepy or anxious. Maternal labor force participation also sees a dip after motherhood.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Development Economics showed that motherhood caused a sharp decline in employment in Chile, with 38 percent of working women leaving the workforce and 37 percent still out a decade later.

Global estimates by UN Women and the International Labor Organization (ILO) showed that more than 2 million mothers left the labor force in 2020.

During the pandemic, about 113 million women aged 25–54 with partners and small children were out of the workforce in 2020. This figure is astonishing, particularly when compared to their male peers (13 million of whom were out of the workforce, up from 8 million before COVID-19).

A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Sociology found that mothers face penalties in hiring, starting salaries, and perceived competence, while fathers can benefit from being a parent. Mothers were six times less likely than childless women and 3.35 times less likely than childless men to be recommended for hire. Mothers were also recommended a 7.9 percent lower starting salary than non-mothers.

How Mothers Can Help Themselves

Tanwar urged women to “be gentle with yourself and accept that you don’t have to do everything perfectly.”

Other measures include:

• Setting small, realistic goals
• Resting whenever possible
• Asking for help
• Sharing responsibilities with family members
• Staying connected with supportive family or friends
• Talking openly about your feelings to ease the load

“Simple self-care, even a few quiet moments each day, helps restore calm and energy. It is important to remember that looking after yourself is a key part of caring well for your baby,” Tanwar said.