baby 'eating' hand/ always mean hungry?

courtneyklv · January 2012

I just fed her an hour ago..she ate a lot..about 90-100ml.

My mom is visiting and says that when baby makes this signal, she is always hungry. Is this true? Should I just feed all day whenever this motion is done?

Had to ask....ugh....

pregnantchica · January 2012

If she's sucking on her fingers, to me, that is a sign of hunger.

HisKonstantine · January 2012

Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

Julia_JJ · January 2012

Nope - only when they're relatively young (i.e., newborns, younger than 6 weeks or so). Lip smacking is still a reliable indication of hunger; sucking on hands or fingers could just be using them as a pacifier.

Mary Berger · January 2012

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

I have noticed that sometime our LO does it after a feeding if he has a little gas or needs a burp. I think he can tell that he's tummy just doesn't feel right. I try burping, paci then feed if nothing works.

HisKonstantine · January 2012

Mary Berger:

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

I have noticed that sometime our LO does it after a feeding if he has a little gas or needs a burp. I think he can tell that he's tummy just doesn't feel right. I try burping, paci then feed if nothing works.

Yep. Burp first, then paci, then bottle. When it comes back to another bottle, it always amazes me at just how much she can put in her tiny tummy. I find myself saying, 'You can't possibly still be hungry." pretty frequently. "Uhh yeah, mom. I am. Give me a bottle and I'll show you." Stick out tongue

courtneyklv · January 2012

My mom and mil are staying with me and act like not feeding her enough!!!

EveryNameIWantIsTaken · January 2012

I would say with as young as your daughter is that yes, she probably is hungry. When they get a bit older they sometimes want to just suck. And at even a bit older than that they find their hands and then all they do is put them in their mouth. At less than 2 weeks though, she's probably hungry.

alyss0nl · January 2012

hand sucking is a sign that teething will happen in a couple weeks. that and they are discovering their hands and want to chew on them.

alyss0nl · January 2012

90-100 mL is plenty for a 1 week old.

blu-eyedwife · January 2012

alysson.lawless:
hand sucking is a sign that teething will happen in a couple weeks. that and they are discovering their hands and want to chew on them.

I doubt her one week old is teething.

My guy did the hand in mouth thing when he was tired also.

turner215 · January 2012

My LO did this from day one. Its a comfort thing for her. She will spit out the paci and just want to suck on her hand. she wont take the boob so she isnt hungry. Babies have to get used to being outside the womb and if they sucked on their hands in the womb they will probably do it outside as well because its familiar and comforting. If LO isn't showing other signs of hunger your probably fine. Offer a paci. Dont just jump to your not feeding enough, because you CAN overfeed. They will stop when they are full but just like an adult sometimes we dont know we are full until we are overfull and uncomfortable.

To be safe call your pedi in the AM and ask. They should give you a good answer and that should quiet your mom or mil about your parenting skills.

good luck

ReneeRN · January 2012

EveryNameIWantIsTaken:
I would say with as young as your daughter is that yes, she probably is hungry. When they get a bit older they sometimes want to just suck. And at even a bit older than that they find their hands and then all they do is put them in their mouth. At less than 2 weeks though, she's probably hungry.

Ditto This.

Accounting Chick · January 2012

alysson.lawless:
90-100 mL is plenty for a 1 week old.

Gotta love the one-size-fits-all comments.

I agree with PP's suggestions to try burping, then paci, then bottle. My son was a big boy when he was born and was consistently eating 90-120 mL of EP'd milk by 1 week. There were even a few times when he took more than 120 mL around weeks 2 & 3. It seemed like so much, but it was what he needed! That being said, when he sucked on his hand, it was more him wanting to suck than hunger for the most part and a paci usually satisfied him.

jnealet · January 2012

ReneeRN:
EveryNameIWantIsTaken:
I would say with as young as your daughter is that yes, she probably is hungry. When they get a bit older they sometimes want to just suck. And at even a bit older than that they find their hands and then all they do is put them in their mouth. At less than 2 weeks though, she's probably hungry.
Ditto This.

I agree with this too.

ar52kortlang · January 2012

I would say try and feed when you see this and try to eliminate that she is hungru when she sucks her hands. My LO does this and we have tried to feed her and sometimes shes hungry and sometimes not... She usually is trying to self soothe.

mben1119 · January 2012

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

But your LO is much older than hers. At just over a week old, it means she's hungry.

buskey2011 · January 2012

My son does this and my doctor also told me this is a soothing technique,

raepny2 · January 2012

courtneyklv:
My mom and mil are staying with me and act like not feeding her enough!!!

My MIL and mom were the same! They didn't stay here, but everytime they visited they asked...Are you sure he isn't hungry?? Ugh...who is spending all the time with him and knows his cues?? Not them!

mrswhiskey · January 2012

my son sucks on his fingers all day but he is at the age where he is discovering his mouth and how to get things there. He eats plenty.

jiffy-pop · January 2012

Babies find comfort in sucking so she is either doing it for comfort or maybe gas. Babies can't tell the difference between the feeling of gas and the feeling of hunger.

PMTeagle · January 2012

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

This.

HisKonstantine · January 2012

mabenner1:

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

But your LO is much older than hers. At just over a week old, it means she's hungry.

C has been doing this since the day we got home from the hospital.

tetedefromage · January 2012

My baby has been sucking on her hand a lot lately, when she's having a crying fit usually. I'll try to feed her, but that'll just make her more upset. Then I'll offer the paci...sometimes she'll take it, but not usually. So I don't know...maybe it's just a comfort thing. But my LO is 6 weeks, not 2 weeks!

lilwildthing · January 2012

My DD was born with suck blisters on her hands because she sucked them so much while in the womb. Some babies just have a strong sucking reflex. I agree with trying to burp and a paci too. Then try feeding again.

FabulousMrs.P · January 2012

Not always. If my daughter has just eaten, then sometimes she just wants to suck on something (like her paci) before going to sleep. Usually I give her the paci, swaddle her, and she goes right to sleep.

OurJellybean · January 2012

My lo loves chewing her hand but I'm sure it means she's hungry, I feed her and she stops sucking it. I feed her a lot in the day but she sleeps all night now

junebugrbig · January 2012

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

THIS

jenb_99 · January 2012

Not always. My LO eats his hand when he's hungry, but also when he's sleepy or needs to burp. When it's for hunger, it's always accompanied by his distinct hunger cry.

beachgirl24 · January 2012

mabenner1:

HisKonstantine:
Not always. If Charlotte has recently eaten and is doing that, I'll give her a paci to see if she just wants to suck. Usually that'll do the trick and she'll just suck for about 10-20 minutes. If she won't take the paci, she's still hungry.

But your LO is much older than hers. At just over a week old, it means she's hungry.

Agree with PPs saying that every baby is different, but my guess would be YES your baby is still hungry, based on your ticker about her age. Our LO didnt use his hands to self-soothe until 8-10 weeks, I think, which made things confusing because before that, the only time he put his hands in his mouth was when he was hungry. But then gain he is EBF and that is a different factor. I would check with your pedi but my guess would be yes, still hungry.

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