Why Babies Nurse for Comfort—and Why It’s Completely Normal

This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or IBCLC with concerns specific to your baby.

There’s a moment most breastfeeding parents recognize instantly. Your baby has just eaten. Their diaper is clean. They aren’t crying. You try to lay them down—and suddenly they’re rooting again, searching, fussing softly. You latch them back on, and within seconds their body relaxes. Their breathing slows. Their hands uncurl. They fall asleep.

And that’s usually when the doubt creeps in.

Are they actually hungry?

Am I creating a bad habit?

Are they using me as a pacifier?

What’s happening in that moment isn’t a feeding problem. It’s regulation. And it’s one of the most biologically normal behaviors of infancy.

Babies are not wired to nurse only for calories. From birth, the act of sucking is closely tied to the nervous system. Sucking activates oxytocin and endorphins in both baby and parent—hormones responsible for calm, bonding, pain relief, and stress reduction.¹ This is why babies often seek comfort at the breast even after they’ve eaten. Their bodies are doing exactly what they were designed to do: returning to a state of safety.

Comfort nursing does not mean your baby isn’t getting enough milk. It does not mean you’ve lost control of your feeding relationship. It does not mean you’re creating dependence. In fact, the opposite is true. Responsive feeding—meeting a baby when they signal a need for connection—supports secure attachment, which is linked to improved emotional regulation and greater independence later in childhood.² Babies who are comforted consistently don’t become fragile; they become confident.

Many parents notice that comfort nursing comes in waves. A baby who once fed efficiently may suddenly want the breast constantly. This often coincides with developmental leaps, teething, illness, overstimulation, or changes in routine. During these phases, your baby’s brain is undergoing rapid growth, and the nervous system needs more help settling. Nursing becomes the fastest, safest way to regulate through that flood of new input. These phases feel intense—but they are temporary.

Even when your baby is nursing mostly for comfort, your body is still responding hormonally. Stimulation at the breast continues to trigger prolactin and oxytocin release, supporting ongoing milk production and let-down. Comfort nursing plays a real role in maintaining supply, particularly during growth spurts and periods of frequent feeding.³

That said, something being normal does not mean it is always easy. Comfort nursing can be physically tiring and emotionally overwhelming, especially during long nights or periods of constant contact. You are allowed to acknowledge both truths at once: that this behavior is developmentally appropriate, and that it can be exhausting. Some families choose to rotate in other forms of soothing, involve a partner more, or set gentle limits when needed. Supporting your baby does not require erasing your own needs.

One of the most harmful myths parents still hear is that comforting a baby too much will make them dependent. In reality, young infants cannot manipulate. They can only communicate. When a baby seeks the breast for comfort, they are not asking for a behavior to be reinforced—they are asking for regulation. And when that request is met, their nervous system learns that the world is predictable and safe.

Your baby will not remember how many ounces they took. They will not remember how often they nursed. But their body will remember this: when they were overwhelmed, someone responded.

Comfort nursing is not a problem to solve. It is a relationship unfolding.

References (AMA Style)

1. Uvnäs-Moberg K, Handlin L, Petersson M. Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Front Psychol. 2015;5:1529.

2. Feldman R. Oxytocin and social affiliation in humans. Horm Behav. 2012;61(3):380-391.

3. Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387(10017):475-490.