Learning to breastfeed or bottle feed your newborn can be challenging, especially while you are recovering from delivery and also while getting to know your baby. Your baby has many ways of communicating that will soon become familiar to you.
Learning your baby's signs of hunger and signs of fullness is very helpful in knowing your baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. This is also the beginning of building healthy eating behaviors with your child. Responding to a baby's hunger and respecting a baby's fullness teaches your baby awareness of her own hunger and fullness cues right away and helps develop healthy eating behaviors for the coming months and years.
How do I know when my baby is hungry? Great question! Luckily there are many useful signs your baby will give you about hunger.
When you notice these signs of hunger and respond, your baby doesn't have to escalate to the upset, crying phases of hunger. Getting a newborn to latch at the breast or take a bottle calmly is much more difficult when a baby is crying and upset. Recognizing and responding to these early hunger cues will help keep feeding time peaceful for your baby and also for you, but will also build great communication between the two of you!
Signs that your infant is hungry
making sucking noises
sucking on hand or wrists
baby is tense - arms or legs are bent
moving mouth or moving tongue
searching for nipple (rooting)
more alert, awake
If your baby has finished nursing or has finished a bottle and is still showing these signs of hunger, this means your baby likely needs more to eat. Don't force more formula or additional nursing but offer again and allow your baby the opportunity to continue eating.
If you're concerned that you may have low breast milk supply and your baby is still hungry when your breasts feel empty, speak with your pediatrician right away and refer to Is my infant getting enough breast milk for help.
What are the signs of fullness in an infant? Great question! Luckily they are easy to read once we get familiar with infant fullness cues.
Signs that your infant is full after a feeding
slower sucking
stops sucking
turns away from the breast or bottle, may use tongue to push nipple out of the mouth
might push away from the breast or bottle
becomes relaxed - fingers not clasped or in fists, arms relaxed not clenched, calm
may fall asleep
Instead of forcing a bottle to be finished (returning the nipple to baby's mouth after it's pushed out), letting your baby decide when he is done with a feeding helps build healthy eating skills of stopping when full and being aware of the sense of fullness. Watching for healthy growth and weight gain, frequent wet and dirty diapers, and following signs of hunger and fullness is a better guide than encouraging your baby to finish a set number of ounces of formula or breast milk. By doing this, you are responding to your baby's needs for healthy eating and healthy growth.
There are some exceptions to these guidelines, such as infants with slow weight gain, overly sleepy babies who aren't finishing feedings, and babies born prematurely. Healthy growth and weight gain should always be the goal. Speak with your pediatrician right away if you have any concerns that your infant isn't eating enough. Watching for healthy growth and weight gain, frequent wet and dirty diapers, and following signs of hunger and fullness is a better guide than encouraging your baby to finish a set number of ounces of formula or breast milk. By doing this, you are responding to your baby's needs for healthy eating and healthy growth.
Want to a free printable resource of the signs your baby is getting enough breast milk plus a page of helpful info on establishing your breast milk supply?
Do you have questions on formula measuring, mixing, and making bottles? Check out all the quick tips on formula here.
Do you have questions on what to expect with newborn breastfeeding and during the first year of feeding your baby (formula, breast milk, first foods, and meal times)? I have helpful resources in my shop including FREE printable pages on tips for early breastfeeding success and signs your baby is getting enough breastmilk along with a thorough resource to guide you through the first 6 months of infant feeding.