Newborns And Hunger: What's Normal?

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to eat frequently. They also go through multiple stages of rapid growth, or growth spurts, which increase their appetite. During growth spurts, babies need to eat more often and for longer periods to fuel themselves. This is called cluster feeding, and it's completely normal. During this time, babies may eat every 30 minutes to an hour, and it usually lasts a few days. Newborns should be fed on demand, and parents should look out for hunger cues such as rooting, crying, and putting hands near the mouth.

Cluster feeding

Signs Your Baby is Cluster Feeding

• They are feeding more frequently than usual, often every 30 minutes to an hour.
• They are fussier than usual, which can indicate a growth spurt.
• They settle down quickly after eating. If they are still upset after feeding, they may be hungry for something else.
• They display hunger cues such as moving their mouth, making sucking motions, smacking or licking their lips, bringing their hands to their mouth, sucking on their fingers or fists, clenching their fists, or rooting (turning their head towards anything that touches their face and opening their mouth as if searching for a nipple).

How to Cope with Cluster Feeding

• Remind yourself that cluster feeding is normal and healthy for your baby's development.
• Eat a healthy diet and make sure you are getting enough calories and hydration.
• Take breaks when you can and ask for help from your partner, friends, or loved ones.
• If you are concerned about your milk supply, talk to your baby's doctor or a lactation consultant.

When to Seek Help

While cluster feeding is normal, there are some signs that may indicate an issue. Contact your baby's doctor if you notice the following:

• Your baby is breastfeeding nonstop and continues to show signs of hunger.
• Your baby cries unless they are breastfeeding.
• Your baby shows signs of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), becomes lethargic, or has tremors after long periods of nonstop nursing.
• Your baby is not gaining weight or producing enough wet and dirty diapers.

Growth spurts

Babies go through multiple stages of rapid growth called growth spurts. During these periods, they need to eat more often and for longer to fuel their development. Growth spurts typically occur when babies are about 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months old.

• Crying
• Putting their hands near their mouth
• Sucking on their hands or clothing
• Turning their head from side to side
• Rooting (turning their head towards anything that touches their face and opening their mouth, looking for a nipple)

During a growth spurt, your baby will likely engage in cluster feeding, which is when they feed several times over a few hours. This type of feeding is completely normal and helps boost your milk supply to meet your baby's growing needs. Cluster feeding usually lasts for a few days to a week.

While growth spurts can be exhausting, it's important to ensure you're getting proper nutrition, water, and rest to get through this demanding period. Remind yourself that cluster feeding is a normal and healthy part of your baby's development, and all those extra feedings are helping your baby get the nutrition they need to grow.

Non-nutritive sucking

Newborns have a natural sucking instinct, which is a reflex in the first six months of their life. This sucking reflex helps them relax, self-soothe, and sleep better. This is called non-nutritive sucking, which means sucking that doesn't have a primarily nutritional purpose. It is used as a way to explore the environment, such as sucking on individual items and trying out their taste and texture. Non-nutritive sucking is mainly about comfort and reducing anxiety in babies. It is also used to stimulate the sucking impulse in low-birth-weight or premature infants.

The need for non-nutritive sucking begins to decrease from the first year of life as the child starts to talk, walk, and eat more solid food. However, there is no fixed rule for this, as it depends on the child's physiological and emotional development.

Hunger cues

Babies should be fed when they indicate they are hungry. Crying is often a late sign of hunger, and it can be harder to latch a baby once they have started crying. It is beneficial for both mother and baby if the mother can recognise the baby's earlier hunger cues.

Newborns and babies under the age of 6 months may indicate that they are hungry by:

• Putting their hands in or near their mouth
• Waving their hands toward their mouth
• Turning their head toward the breast (or anyone’s chest area) or a bottle
• Puckering or smacking their lips
• Clenching their fists
• Sucking on their fingers or fists
• Opening and closing their mouth
• Becoming more alert and active
• Fidgeting or squirming
• Hitting the person carrying them on the arm or chest repeatedly
• Fussiness or fast breathing
• Moving their head frantically from side to side

Older babies and toddlers up to the age of two may be more expressive in their signs that they are hungry:

• Pointing at or reaching for food
• Getting excited or loud when they see food
• Opening their mouth when they see food or are offered some
• Gesturing or making noises to let you know they’re hungry

Newborns to 2-month-olds need to eat 8-12 times each day, or about once every 2-3 hours. Some breastfed babies may eat every 30 to 90 minutes and up to 15 times a day. If your baby is not waking up on their own for feeding during the first few weeks, you should wake them to eat on schedule.

If you are formula feeding, your baby will likely drink 1.5 to 3 ounces at each feeding. After about a month, they’ll start eating at least 2 ounces at each feeding. As breastfed babies get the hang of nursing, they’ll get more milk from you, too.

How to Tell if Your Baby is Full

Signs that your baby is full include:

• Pulling away from your breast or bottle
• Falling asleep during a feeding
• Shaking their head or keeping their mouth closed
• Turning away from your nipple
• Relaxing their body and opening their fists

Overfeeding

While it is rare, it is possible to overfeed a baby. Overfeeding a baby can cause discomfort as they may not be able to properly digest all the milk or formula. They may also swallow air, which can cause gas and increase discomfort in the belly, leading to more crying. An overfed baby may also spit up more than usual and have loose stools.

Signs of Overfeeding

It's important to pay attention to your baby's hunger cues to determine when they have had enough to eat. A baby who is hungry will latch on to the breast or bottle and suck continuously. As they start to get full, they will take longer pauses between sucking. A baby who is full will turn away from the breast or bottle and not want to suck anymore.

How to Avoid Overfeeding

Respect your baby's feeding cues. If your baby turns away from the bottle or breast before finishing, accept that they are full and don't force them to finish. It doesn't matter how many ounces they finish at each feeding—what matters is that your baby is healthy and happy overall.

Weight Gain and Overfeeding

Don't rely on weight as an indicator of overfeeding. Instead, spitting up could be a sign that your baby has had too much to eat. However, keep in mind that spitting up is also a typical infant reaction or reflux.

Frequently asked questions