Dr Suvarna is a Consultant Neonatologist at Rosewalk hospital
Even before your baby can talk, he or she will show signs of hunger or fullness. Understanding your child's signs of hunger is important so that you can put him or her to the breast while he or she is still calm. This technique is called responsive feeding.
Here, you must watch out for any hints that your baby might give and respond promptly to him or her. In this type of feeding, you feed the baby in the right way and let him or her stop when they are full.
Responsive feeding is very important for the overall development and nourishment of the child. All you must do here is provide and the rest, your child will decide. Always keep an eye out for some sign of hunger too. The little ones have their own way of letting you know by becoming more active or alert or when they try to keep their eyes open.
Some of the other signs are when they put their hands to the mouth, turn their head towards the breast, have clenched hands and hands more drawn towards the mouth & chest or when you notice them crying when there is a delay in feeding.
Every crying child is not hungry and every hungry child does not necessarily cry. Every time the baby puckers or smacks lips doesn’t mean the baby is hungry. It has to be correlated with the interval between the last feeds and the baby's urine output. Such action in a baby immediately or within one and half hours of last feed, with good urine output, rules out hunger. That’s when it has to be ignored.
Signs that baby is full
When the stomach is full, the baby gets distracted easily and turns its head from the breast. They even close their mouth, unlatch often, and slow down while suckling. The most common sign is that they relax their hands, open their fingers, and then try to spit. So, always keep an eye out for these signs.
Myth: Baby is hungry; the feed is insufficient.
Reality: Hunger is the last reason for the baby to cry
Most mothers are confused about why their baby is crying when they are not hungry because hunger is the last reason for the baby to cry. But there are several other reasons why your little one may start crying. Some babies want body touch, and they want to be picked by their mom and dad. Sometimes the uncomfortable clothes/overwrapping and wet/ dirty diapers can lead to crying. During colds are the most common reason. Shed eyelashes mostly irritate the eye, or maybe it is infantile colic.
What to do when the baby cries?
One of the most common questions of parenthood is what to do when a baby cries? You may receive different answers, remember, everything is completely okay with your baby. So when your baby cries, don't panic and take a deep breath. Sometimes they need attention and love. Your baby might also be crying because of lack of sleep, noise, Just relax and try to find the real answer.
A baby who is otherwise well between crying episodes, thriving well, and has no localized abnormality on physical examination doesn't need further evaluation. If your baby is crying without any reason, give your baby adequate skin-to-skin contact and practice kangaroo care with the mother or any family member. After that, learn to clothe the baby appropriately. Do not swaddle the baby too tight and try to watch for overheated surrounding temperature. Keep checking soiled nappies and practice skincare hygiene. Use saline nasal drops to clear the blocked nose. If you think your baby has fallen from anywhere, check for any injury.
Colic is not a diagnosis. It is a clinical condition. Please consult a physician if necessary. Do not use any home remedies or herbal preparations for the same.
Practice Pearls
There is no medicine to stop any baby from crying. Bottle feeding is not the answer to every crying baby. Try to understand your baby, give warmth and touch, and when it is needed. Finally, take the doctor's advice when needed.