The first few weeks of parenthood are an adjustment, to say the least. Your entire life is altered by the tiny, wrinkly body you tote everywhere. There are so many things to learn. One of those big learning struggles is learning how to determine if your baby is hungry. These tips will help you know when to feed your baby.
Not sure how to determine whether your baby is hungry or not? Feeding a newborn can be tricky, whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Extreme sleepiness and fussiness can further complicate the issue. Learn how to determine if your baby is hungry before the crying starts and save a little of your sanity.
A Sleeping Baby Does Not Mean a Satisfied Baby
Newborns will often sleep right through their hunger, only waking when they are really hungry. By this time, your infant is probably screaming and almost inconsolable. The crying can give your baby gas, which will only make the rest of your day a more difficult. Waiting until your baby is extremely hungry can also make for poor weight gain and even weight loss. So how do you determine if your baby is hungry when they are sleeping? Watch for these signs:
Lip smacking in their sleep
Suckling motion in their sleep
Restlessness without waking
Digit sucking in their sleep
These signs don’t always mean that your baby is hungry, but more often than not, in those first few weeks, this is how your baby will let you know they need to eat while they are still sleeping.
Other Signs That Your Baby is Hungry
There are other methods for determining if your baby is hungry. If you are holding your baby and they turn towards your nipple with their mouth open, they are hungry. Newborns are instinctively drawn to the breast, so this applies to newborns that are formula fed as well.
If your baby is inconsolable, they may be hungry, even if they just ate. During growth spurts, babies eat more. But remember, a fussy baby is a starving baby. It should not take your baby crying to determine if your baby is hungry.