Decoding Baby's Feeding Cues

What do all those baby movements mean? Are they hungry, tired, cold? Feeding cues for newborns are easy to spot when you know what to look for!

Your Baby's Feeding Cues

Feeding your baby on cue is important in maintaining your milk supply. This is especially true in the early days of nursing while your milk supply is building in the first 4-6 weeks of life.

Knowing how to tell when your baby is cueing to eat can sometimes be tricky. Here are the feeding cues to look for. For newborns my general guidance is if they are awake - they are hungry!

Early Cues "I'm hungry"- stirring, mouth opening, turning head to side, rooting

Mid-cues "I'm really hungry" - stretching, hand to mouth, increased physical movement

Late-cues "Calm me first, then feed me"- crying, agitated body movements, hand to mouth

Ways to calm your baby before feeding - skin to skin, talking/singing, cuddling, stroking