How does your LO let you know it's time to eat?

carolinakiwi

I feel stupid asking this, but how do you know when your LO wants to eat?  Do they cry, just make fussy noises?

I still am struggling with myself between feeding on demand and sticking to a routine/schedule (every 3-3.5 hours).  There have been a few times that I've woken DS up from his nap during the day (about 1.5-2.5 hours in) so that he can eat and get as many calories in as he can before bedtime.

I don't always wake him, but have done it several times.  But lately I've been letting him go almost 4-5 hours between feedings (usually more in the morning time for his second feeding of the day b/c he usually spends 45 min to an hour on the breast first thing in the morning).

But sometimes I think DS could sleep for over 3 hours.  And since lately I have woken DS up after his first morning nap I am not seeing how long he can really go between feedings.......like today, I woke him up after it had been just over 4.5 hours since he had eaten.

Because I have been trying to stick to an approximate 3-4 hour routine lately, DS hasn't needed to let me know that he's hungry. I told DH that next week I want to truly go with the flow and follow DS's lead and see when he lets us know it's time to eat and how long he wants his naps to be.

humynone

We didn't wake or push feeding schedules after LO regained her birth weight, though past a 4-5 hours during the day I'd probably offer. At first she had a different "leh leh leh" cry when hungry. Later it turned to fussiness, then smacking her lips together, and now she just totters up grabs my shirt and smashes her mouth into it. lol

carolinakiwi

humynone:

We didn't wake or push feeding schedules after LO regained her birth weight, though past a 4-5 hours during the day I'd probably offer. At first she had a different "leh leh leh" cry when hungry. Later it turned to fussiness, then smacking her lips together, and now she just totters up grabs my shirt and smashes her mouth into it. lol

hehe.....love this!  I look forward to when my DS can do that. :-)

Linds619

When my little guy is hungry he does any, or all of the following: roots around, spits out his pacifier, lifts his head up and looks around (kinda like doing tummy time on his own), and, of course, is inconsolable.  Nothing else works, walking around, singing, talking, changing positions, etc.  Sometimes he is fine until I pick him up and, I don't know if it's because he smells me or what, he immediately wants to BF.