Signs that baby is hungry

Babies communicate - regardless of age. They communicate with their bodies and with sounds. Also when it comes to hunger. My recommendation is always to have as much peace as possible with an absolute minimum of guests and plans for the first 4-6 weeks of your baby's life. Because it takes time to get to know your baby's signals. And babies are safe when they are met in their communication and needs - just like the rest of us are. So take the time to get to know your baby's nonverbal language by spending lots of present time with your child.

There are several signs of hunger in babies. They typically come in a specific order, starting with being slightly hungry - and perhaps still half asleep - and then gradually having a greater and greater need for food until the here and NOW stage is reached.

Baby's signals in relation to hunger are as follows:

-Starting with rapid eye movements under the eyelids -maybe baby is half asleep, this is early hunger

• Baby licks his lips, makes sucking movements - baby may still be half asleep, still early hunger
• Baby is bouncing a little or maybe a lot with his arms and legs - baby is waking up here or maybe is fully awake, still early hunger
• Baby begins to turn his head to the sides and search for the breast with his mouth, the slightly older babies often put their fingers in their mouth - most babies are awake at this point, baby is moderately hungry
• Restlessness and whining - baby is wide awake and hungry
• Restlessness and crying in between - baby's need for the breast increases
• Persistent crying, perhaps drooling - here and NOW hunger
• Screaming, maybe red-headed - "too late" hunger understood as baby is now so hungry and frustrated that it may be difficult to put baby to the breast. You may want to try calming baby by letting baby suck on your (or your partner's) little finger while you get ready to switch from little finger to breast. The "vupti vupti" part comes with practice 😉 It can also help to express a few drops of breast milk and let them drip into baby's open, screaming mouth. This will often cause baby to stop, lick the milk, and then it's time to be ready with the breast before baby starts screaming again.

Ideally, baby should be put to the breast as soon as he/she shows signs of hunger. That said, don't beat yourself up if baby starts crying from hunger every now and then. It has happened to all of us more than once - including me and my breastfed babies. Practice - both you and your partner - in spotting baby's signs of hunger. Look down in the stroller when you sense baby is about to wake up, possibly have baby sleep in a carrier in the same room as you during the day to start with and have baby sleeping close to you at night. This can be in a bedside bed, in a baby nest between your heads or a 3rd solution that works for you. If you catch baby's signs of hunger at night before baby reaches the crying stage, then it is my experience that baby falls asleep faster and stays asleep. I am not saying that you should sleep with one eye open, jump ready to grab a hungry baby. But know both signs that your baby is hungry and then learn your baby's personal version of the signals. When you know them, you will register them more easily and quickly - even when you are sleeping.

With that said, it is important to remember that the breast is not just about food for the baby. Breastfeeding is also about security, regulation of the nervous system, bonding, calm, comfort and coziness. Here the baby's signals may be a little different. For example, whining or restlessness without searching for the breast, smacking, sucking or licking the fingers.

I'm rooting for you, and I know you're doing your best. And that's just how parenting is. We all do our best and learn a lot along the way!

I'm rooting for you!