Using newborn cues and body language to understand your baby’s needs

By paying attention to these cues and signs, you can better understand and respond to your baby’s needs, helping them feel more secure and supported. This understanding can also boost your confidence in your parenting skills.

Healthy, full-term newborns are healthy generally have the capacity to “organize their neuro-behaviours,” which includes their breathing, movement, muscle tone, gastrointestinal system, and their ability to self-soothe or self-regulate. These babies tend to go through clear transitions between different stages of sleep and alertness and their responsiveness to sounds and visual stimuli.

Pre-term babies, however, often display weak and less organized neuro-behaviours. For example, they may spend more time in active sleep, characterized by moving, squirming, and twitching. These behaviours can be harder for parents to interpret, making it more challenging to meet their baby’s needs As a result, parents may feel less confident in their parenting skills.

Understanding and responding to your baby’s cues and body language is crucial for meeting their needs effectively. The following cues can guide you in understanding your baby’s needs and respond appropriately.

Cues when a newborn is tired:

Staring into the distance
Jerky movements
Yawning
Losing interest in people or toys
Fussing
Sucking fingers

Cues when a baby is hungry:

Getting restless
Moves lips
Making sucking noises
Turning towards the breast

Cues when a baby is ready to play:

Eyes wide and bright
Eye contact with caregiver
Smiling
Smooth or movements with arms or legs
Reaching out to caregiver

Cues when a baby needs a break:

Turning head away from caregiver
Squirming or kicking