How Do I Know if My Baby is Hungry?

How Do I Know if My Baby is Hungry?
Babies need to feed a lot in the early days. The more you feed your baby, the more milk your body
makes. Your baby has many ways to tell you they are hungry. These signs are called feeding cues.
Your baby is hungry when you see these feeding cues:
• Rapid eye movements
• Stretching, moving arms and legs
• Bringing hands to mouth
• Sticking out tongue and licking lips
• Sucking motions or sounds
• Rooting (opening the mouth, searching
to suck, and sucking on contact)
• Turning head back and forth
• Soft cooing or sighing sounds
Your baby is full when:
• Your baby closes their mouth
• Your baby turns away from your breast
• Your baby looks relaxed and calm
Following your baby’s feeding cues will:
• Help breastfeeding go well
• Help you get to know your baby
• Allow your baby to build trust, and allow mom to gain confidence
• Build a positive feeding relationship which supports child growth
Remember…
• Your baby should feed at least eight times or more in a 24 hour day, until about 6 weeks of life.
• It is normal for some babies to have many feedings in a short period. They may sleep longer
between feeds at other times. This is called cluster feeding. This is more common in the later
afternoon or evening.
• Skin-to-skin contact lets mom learn baby’s feeding cues.
• Crying is a late sign of hunger. A baby crying from hunger may be too upset to settle down
to feed. Get to know your baby’s early feeding cues.
• Your baby will have growth spurts. These happen at around two to three weeks, six weeks,
three months and six months. Growth spurts typically last 2 to 3 days. Your baby may feed
more often at these times and your breast milk will increase to meet your baby’s needs.
For more information please contact the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at 613-580-6744 to
speak with a public health nurse.
07/2012
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