Top Signs That Your Baby Is Hungry

It can be difficult to figure out what your baby needs as they can’t communicate it to you in words. Particularly sometimes babies will cry and be hard to soothe when they are hungry and don’t know how to tell you. Here are top signs to look out for that your baby may be hungry:

Observe Their Body Language

Your baby will likely give you some obvious signs that they are hungry even if they can’t speak yet. Look for:

• Arousal – babies will often become more awake, move their arms and legs and sometimes become more vocal when they are hungry.
• Turning to the Breast or Bottle – they may turn their head towards your breast or a bottle if you put it close to them.
• Sucking on Their Hands – younger babies do this unconsciously and can be a sign they need to feed.

Routine Feeding Times

You may find that your baby’s hunger patterns follow a regular pattern when established. This may also depend on their age. Newborns may need to feed every one to three hours while older babies may be able to last up to four hours. Have a look at when your baby routinely feeds which may be a sign they are hungry.

Crying

Once your baby starts to cry, it can be very hard to soothe them. Before it gets to this point, look for the signs like the others we looked at and feed them before they get to this point. Therefore, babies who cry a lot can be a sign your baby is hungry and needs to be fed.

General Unsettledness

Your baby may become more generally unsettled or fussy than usual if they are hungry. This is an instinctive behavior to help ensure they are fed as it can be harder to look for other signs of hunger when they are so unsettled. Again, take notice of these signs before your baby starts to cry and it can also signal they may need a nap.

Watching for these signs and watching out for your baby’s usual hunger patterns will help you to ensure they are always fed when they need to be. Plus, it may help reduce their overall crying if you can detect they are hungry early on before it gets to the crying point.