April 2013 Moms

Hunger cues?

edited July 2013 in April 2013 Moms
It used to be easy to see when DS was hungry, but now that he's older (3.5ish months), it's harder to discern. Is sucking on his hands still a hunger cue, or is he just discovering his hands and likes to suck? He doesn't really root anymore like he did as a newborn. I nurse and a, glad to feed him whenever he is hungry, but sometimes I worry that I am just shoving my boob in his mouth whenever he gets fussy and maybe he's not hungry all the time. He has gained weight really quickly and I think is between 14.5-15 lbs right now. I just want him to be healthy and happy. He eats a lot during the day, like every 1.5-2 hours for a good amount of time at each feeding, but he does STTN (8:30 pm until 7 am). 


So other moms, how do you tell when your baby is hungry? Am I just worrying about nothing? I know everyone says "you can't over feed a breastfed baby," but I don't really know if that's true... Especially since I am going back to work in a couple weeks and he will be on bottles during the day.
Amanda

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Re: Hunger cues?

  • leasajleasaj member
    We are going through the same things....hands in mouth constantly. It makes it so hard to tell now.
  • I can't tell but really havent ever been able to. I just watch the clock. If its been 1.5hr or longer And she starts getting cranky I try to nurse.

    Sleep ques I see without question but hunger ques I suck at seeing

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  • We just stick to the schedule. If he eats a lot at a particular feeding, then I feed him again after 3 hrs, but if he took less than normal I feed him after 2. 1/2. He does really well with the schedule and is quite the little chunker!
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  • Wondering about this over here too -- not only is he discovering his hands, but he's teething, so hands are constantly in mouth.  I'm FF, so I try to plan for him eating every 3-4 hours... he does have kind of a different cry when he's hungry, more of a moan than a cry with tears, but I don't like to let it get to that point!

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  • Kate_CKate_C member
    I don't think you can over feed when nursing because baby controls whether he's nursing for comfort or to make the milk flow. With a bottle, baby doesn't have the ability to turn off the flow so there is arguably a risk of over feeding.

    If nursing calms him down, whether for comfort or eating, use that boob! If you can tell baby is just comfort nursing and you want your boob back, you can try switching to a pacifier. Maybe a growth spurt? DD seems to be attached to me lately pretty much all evening long. I like playing with her little fingers and toes while she nurses though, so it's all good.
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  • edited July 2013
    Kate_C said:
    I don't think you can over feed when nursing because baby controls whether he's nursing for comfort or to make the milk flow. With a bottle, baby doesn't have the ability to turn off the flow so there is arguably a risk of over feeding. If nursing calms him down, whether for comfort or eating, use that boob! If you can tell baby is just comfort nursing and you want your boob back, you can try switching to a pacifier. Maybe a growth spurt? DD seems to be attached to me lately pretty much all evening long. I like playing with her little fingers and toes while she nurses though, so it's all good.

    Unfortunately he has gone from being ambivalent about the pacifier to all-out HATING it. I don't mind nursing all the time, but he has never turned down the boob in his entire life (maybe once or twice when he was a day or two old bc he was sleeping), and it just seems like he's always drinking. I worry that nursing is becoming his only way to comfort and that he will associate food with comfort. I am probably being ridiculous...
    Amanda

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  • I FF so it might be different. I always thought I was shoving a bottle in his mouth whenever he got ancy. Usually every 1-3 hours. He's pre teething so his hands are always in his mouth and he's drooling like crazy.
    Whenever he starts to get fussy I will try other things first. Check his diaper, play with him, get up and move around. If he's rubbing his eyes and yawning I know it's nap time. If all else fails I know that it's time to eat. Sometimes it's within an hour of his last feeding and he's ready. If that's the case I will try other things first. If not, it's just that he's hungry again :)
  • Ugh trying to figure it out here too! He used to be so easy! Play... Get sleepy... Nurse to sleep. Well now he HATES going to sleep, and seems to be associating nursing with going to sleep, so I've been trying to nurse when he first wakes up, or after he falls asleep I shove a boob in his mouth and he'll usually latch and eat, then continue said nap. I also watch the time for help, if it's been 3 hours he's likely hungry.
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  • Kate_C said:

    I don't think you can over feed when nursing because baby controls whether he's nursing for comfort or to make the milk flow. With a bottle, baby doesn't have the ability to turn off the flow so there is arguably a risk of over feeding.

    If nursing calms him down, whether for comfort or eating, use that boob! If you can tell baby is just comfort nursing and you want your boob back, you can try switching to a pacifier. Maybe a growth spurt? DD seems to be attached to me lately pretty much all evening long. I like playing with her little fingers and toes while she nurses though, so it's all good.



    Unfortunately he has gone from being ambivalent about the pacifier to all-out HATING it. I don't mind nursing all the time, but he has never turned down the boob in his entire life (maybe once or twice when he was a day or two old bc he was sleeping), and it just seems like he's always drinking. I worry that nursing is becoming his only way to comfort and that he will associate food with comfort. I am probably being ridiculous...

    I'm not sure how to bold from my phone but the associating food with comfort thing is something I was thinking just last night. At this early of an age do you think it's possible to start that 'habit'?

  • Since my son is fussy all the time now. I know he is hungry when he just doesn't stop being fussy, usually with tears. He gets hungry every hour to every four hours so it is hard to predict anything with him.
     
     
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  • Sounds crazy but I'm still using those baby words that a few people posted about before... I can usually tell right away through her voice if she is hungry or tired, but even if I can't tell, doing the math like PP suggested works too.
  • Kate_C said:
    I don't think you can over feed when nursing because baby controls whether he's nursing for comfort or to make the milk flow. With a bottle, baby doesn't have the ability to turn off the flow so there is arguably a risk of over feeding. If nursing calms him down, whether for comfort or eating, use that boob! If you can tell baby is just comfort nursing and you want your boob back, you can try switching to a pacifier. Maybe a growth spurt? DD seems to be attached to me lately pretty much all evening long. I like playing with her little fingers and toes while she nurses though, so it's all good.

    Unfortunately he has gone from being ambivalent about the pacifier to all-out HATING it. I don't mind nursing all the time, but he has never turned down the boob in his entire life (maybe once or twice when he was a day or two old bc he was sleeping), and it just seems like he's always drinking. I worry that nursing is becoming his only way to comfort and that he will associate food with comfort. I am probably being ridiculous...
    I'm not sure how to bold from my phone but the associating food with comfort thing is something I was thinking just last night. At this early of an age do you think it's possible to start that 'habit'?

    I really don't know. DH is overweight, and while I am at a healthy weight, staying thin has never been easy for me. I really don't want my son to have unhealthy body image or weight issues, so I guess I am more prone to worrying about this kind of thing,
    Amanda

    ******************************

    Nov siggy challenge: animals eating Thanksgiving food


    BabyFruit Ticker
    Rhys - born 04.17.2013
    Harry - born 04.18.2016
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