Understanding the baby’s needs can be very challenging for new parents, especially during the first months. Does he need breastfeeding? A diaper? Is he in pain? These are questions that cross parents’ minds whenever their newborn is crying.
It is even more difficult when your attempts to calm your baby fail. Our world is still new to him, and parenting is new to you. During the first few months, both of you need time and patience to get used to the changes around you.
However, as time goes by, you will start to notice that there are signs for each feeling your baby is experiencing. Actually, your baby reacts differently to hunger than he would to pain.
Yet, knowing the signs is not enough. Because afterward, even more questions will arise. From wondering how many times per day your newborn needs breastfeeding, to whether or not it is enough to nourish him? Parenting can be tough.
But the sooner you learn the signs your newborn conveys the better, right? For this reason, we wrote this article for you to introduce you to each symptom, in order to make the journey slightly easier for you.
There is a common misconception that the ultimate sign for your baby’s hunger is crying. Although crying is one of the signs, it is a late one. In fact, there are early signs for when your newborn is hunger, before reaching the crying stage.
According to an article published by the Department of Health, Government of Western Australia (1), parents must be aware of these early signs. These can include :
Mouth opening
Sucking thumb
Restlessness
We will guide you through each one of the symptoms in detail to help you put an end to your struggle, and your baby’s as well.
Mouth Opening
From birth to six months old, when your baby needs breastfeeding, you will repeatedly notice how they keep opening their mouth. This is your call to feed him or her.
They may look like they are searching for your breasts with their mouth while keeping it wide open when you hold him close to you.
Mouth movements accompanied by head motions are your newborn’s way to communicate with you and tell you that he is hungry. These signs reflect the discomfort your baby’s going through with an empty stomach.
Smacking Lips or Sucking on Fist or Thumb
As reported by the Centers Of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2), sucking on clenched fists and licking or smacking lips is one of the early signs of baby hunger.
As parents, it is important to keep an eye on your baby’s behavior.
Even the smallest gestures can be their way of sending you hints of what they truly need.
Need not to worry, your ability to interpret these messages correctly and with more accuracy will come over time.
Furthermore, these tips will be of good help to you the more attention you pay to your little angel.
Hold your newborn close and breastfeed him whenever these signs become more frequent before he or she reaches the point of crying.
Restlessness
I think we can all agree that hunger can be a real cause of restlessness for us grown-ups, so why would it be any different for your baby? Hunger might wake your baby up from their sleep and ruin their healthy sleep cycle.
It can also be an explanation for your newborn’s constant movements in his crib, at the time he is supposed to be deep asleep. If neglected, this simple signal can be an obstacle in the way of your baby’s development and healthy growth.
Hence, we encourage you to track his moves in order to detect his hunger cues.
Crying
There you have it, the scary stage.
This is when your little angel turns into a source of loud noises.
While all crying may sound the same, if you pay a bit more attention, you will start to notice that it differs based on their physical state.
Hunger crying is unique. As the American Academy Of Pediatrics explains: « a hungry cry is usually short and low-pitched, and it rises and falls » (3). Of course, it should be every parents’ concern not to leave their baby until they are at this level of hunger.
However, we admit that detecting the cause of your baby’s crying only from its frequency or length is not easy, and can even be impossible in some cases. Thus, we insist on focusing more on the early signs we mentioned previously.
This simple advice will allow you to stay away from wondering about the cause behind your newborn’s crying, and the stress you can feel during such moments.
A Word From Us
In spite of the fact that parenting is difficult, there is nothing that can bring your heart more joy than welcoming your little one into this world.
The elation and excitement you will be feeling from this new experience will make you forget about the struggles, or at least motivate you to endure it. The sleepless nights and exhausting days are all worth it in the end.
The solid bond and precious moments you will be sharing with your newborn will give you the strength to push through the difficult moments this journey will throw your way.
As parents, whether new or not, it is important to remind yourselves and each other that you are not alone in this.
Support each other during this phase to promote a healthier environment for your newborn, and realize that what you are going through is completely normal. Parenting is not an easy mission, it comes with huge responsibilities, mistakes, and many ups and downs.
What matters is that you are learning in the process. No one gets it right from the first try.
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