During the earliest stages of a child’s life, their time tends to be split between sleeping and eating with other bodily functions being done during one of those two activities. However, as your baby begins to get older, it may not be as clear to you when they are hungry. It doesn’t matter if they are breastfed or bottle fed, all babies exhibit certain behaviors when they want to eat. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of these signs and some of them can be easily missed if you are not looking for them. Keep reading to learn some of the newborn hunger cues so you can figure out the best time to feed your baby.
Crying
While crying is one of the most prominent newborn hunger cues, it is also one that you don’t want reach because it is one of the later signs of hunger. Hunger cries tend to be low-pitched and short with a rise and fall pattern to them. Once your baby begins exhibiting this cue, they may be too stressed to feed without a fight.
Rooting
Rooting is an excellent way to tell if your child is ready to eat. Before four months of age, stroking a baby’s cheek will elicit a natural reflex to turn toward the stimulation and make sucking motions. After they reach four months, they may still continue this action, but it becomes voluntary rather than a reflex.
Restlessness
Another of the easy to see newborn hunger cues is that babies tend to become wiggly when they are hungry. You may notice your child awakes very suddenly and begins moving around a lot or they may not want to go down for a nap. The extra movement may be accompanied by their hands being raised to their face. You will typically see restlessness before your baby begins to cry.
Resources
For additional information on newborn hunger cues, visit one of the links below.
http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/hunger-cues/
http://www.llli.org/nb/nbjulaug03p126.html
https://www.enfamil.com/articles/hungry-or-full-how-tell-birth-6-months