Babies come into the world ready to communicate with us. It’s our job to carefully observe their body language and cries to determine what they are trying to tell us. One of the first things we need to learn from newborns are their hunger cues. Being fed is essential to their survival and babies know they are dependent on us to nourish them.
There are several cues babies give to show us they are hungry and if we do not pick up on their early cues they will resort to crying. Crying is always the last signal babies give and requires us to help them regulate before nursing can begin, so it is important to watch for the earlier cues and not wait until the baby is super hungry and getting upset.
The following are hunger cues to watch for indicating your baby is ready to nurse:
Sucking on hands
Smacking lips/ sticking tongue in and out
Rooting
Bobbing head
Bird mouth
Getting restless
Crying
When you notice your newborn starting to give hunger cues, bring him/her to the breast right away.
*Note: some babies are so subtle with their cues that they can get missed altogether so you might need to initiate by offering the breast every 2-3 hours if your baby is not indicating hunger.
Be extra observant of your baby when in social situations or a different environment as some babies will want to nurse more often while others will be too overwhelmed and just sleep. If your baby is in the latter category you will want to initiate nursing and might find it helpful to take your baby to a calm and quiet room where they can nurse in peace.
Comments