Then, unexpectedly, the recording stopped.
For a moment, Strong thought she had failed.
She has recalled thinking something along the lines of, “Oh, gosh, maybe they don't like me.”
That reaction is understandable.
For an actor auditioning for a role—especially one who knows that another famous performer may be under consideration—having producers suddenly interrupt a take can feel like a terrible sign.
But the reason was completely different.
According to Strong, the producers told her there was a new mother in the studio and that her crying had caused the woman to lactate. Strong later retold the story with humor, explaining that she ultimately interpreted the bizarre interruption as a positive sign.
And she got to keep the job.
The story has since circulated widely as one of the strangest anecdotes associated with animated voice acting.
Could Hearing a Baby Cry Really Trigger Milk Release?
This is where the story becomes more interesting than simply a funny Hollywood anecdote.
The human body has a highly coordinated system for breastfeeding.
One of the key hormones involved is oxytocin.
Oxytocin plays numerous roles in the human body, but during breastfeeding it is particularly important because it helps cause the milk-ejection or “let-down” reflex. When oxytocin is released, specialized cells surrounding the milk-producing structures in the breast contract, helping milk move into the ducts so it can be released.
The reflex does not necessarily require the baby to be physically nursing at that exact moment.
The body can learn associations between feeding and sensory cues.
A mother may experience a let-down response when she sees her baby, touches the baby, thinks about feeding, smells the baby—or hears the baby cry.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information's educational material on breastfeeding physiology specifically describes hearing a baby's cry as one of the sensory cues that can become associated with the oxytocin reflex.
That means the basic premise of Strong's anecdote is physiologically plausible.
A breastfeeding mother's body does not necessarily wait for physical stimulation from the infant before beginning the milk-ejection process.
The brain can anticipate feeding.
The Science Behind the “Let-Down” Reflex
The milk-ejection reflex is sometimes called the “let-down reflex.”
It involves communication between sensory signals, the brain, hormones, and the breast.
When a baby feeds, sensory stimulation sends signals toward the mother's brain. The hypothalamus and pituitary system then participate in the release of oxytocin. The hormone travels through the bloodstream and contributes to contraction of the cells surrounding the milk-producing alveoli.
The result is milk moving toward the nipple.
But sensory cues can become conditioned triggers.
For some mothers, simply hearing their baby cry may be enough to initiate this process.
A classic study published in the British Medical Journal examined oxytocin and prolactin responses in breastfeeding women. Researchers found that oxytocin levels increased before suckling began, and in several participants the rise occurred in response to the baby crying. The researchers concluded that the milk-ejection reflex can occur before physical suckling.
That distinction is important.
The story should not be interpreted to mean that every woman who hears a baby cry will automatically produce milk.
It doesn't work that way.
Instead, it illustrates how powerful and conditioned the breastfeeding response can become in some lactating mothers.
Why Baby Cries Are Such Powerful Sounds
A baby's cry is not just another sound.
For parents and caregivers, it can function as an alarm signal.
Human infants depend heavily on adults because they cannot independently meet most of their basic needs. Crying therefore became an extremely effective communication mechanism.
Hunger, discomfort, pain, fear, cold, loneliness, tiredness, and the need for physical contact can all be associated with infant crying.
The adult brain is highly responsive to these sounds.
Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined behavioral and neurological responses to infant cries. In a large international sample of new mothers, researchers found consistent caregiving responses to infant vocalizations. Brain-imaging work also showed activity in regions associated with auditory processing, movement, and caregiving intentions.
More recent research has gone deeper into the biological mechanisms.
A 2023 study published in Nature investigated how infant cries can influence oxytocin-related neural circuitry. Researchers found that infant vocalizations can activate oxytocin neurons in maternal mice, helping explain how auditory signals from offspring can influence maternal physiological and behavioral responses.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health highlighted the study as evidence that infant cries can influence oxytocin systems involved in maternal behavior.
Importantly, the animal findings do not prove that every detail of the same neural pathway works identically in humans.
But they add to a larger body of evidence showing that infant cries are biologically meaningful signals, not merely annoying noises.
Strong’s Performance Was Still Extraordinary
The science explains why a real infant's cry could potentially trigger a breastfeeding response.