As a new parent, it can be tricky to know exactly what your baby’s wants and needs are at any given moment. Let's be honest, they don't exactly have the best communication skills….... or do they??
A common question I get from new parents is “How will I know if my baby is hungry?”. Newborns (fresh out of the oven) will typically want to breastfeed every 1.5-2 hours. Biologically speaking, babies know exactly what they need to do in order to bring in your milk, so bringing your baby to the breast often is essential in those early days and weeks. Eventually, as breastfeeding becomes easier and your milk supply is established, they will go an average of 2-3 hours between feeds. However, each baby has their own individual wants and needs, so how can you know whether they’re hungry or full?
Babies are designed to give us a multitude of signals or cues. The cues start off small and almost in-perceivable, and they gradually build to a point where baby is past the point of hungry and acting more like a ravenous sabretooth tiger who hasn’t seen a meal in weeks. The key to a calm baby (and calm mommy!) is to catch these hunger cues early:
**If your baby is at this point, chances are you may have missed a lot of hunger cues. Trying to feed through this phase can present some challenges. Some babies need to be calmed down before attempting to latch onto the breast.
A full baby is a happy baby, and a happy baby equals a happy mommy. So how do you know if your baby is done feeding?
You are the expert when it comes to your little one and I promise you that learning your baby’s cues does get easier with time. Happy feeding!