How do I know.........?

Question

How do I know if he's hungry or not?

He cries and then I think he might be hungry, so I try to feed him and he sucks for a second or two and then starts crying again. Does that mean hes not hungry? Why would he start sucking and then pull away choking and cry?

How do I know if he's hungry? His diaper is changed, he has been burped, he has been played with. He is 8 weeks old and I feel like such a horrible mom because I can't figure out what he needs.

Answer 1

I think that you are doing all you can, sometimes is isn't clear even for an experienced mom to figure these little people out.  Now if he is not eating to the point where you are worried for his health-losing weight even, go to the dr.  You will know if he is hungry because it has been a couple of hours since his last feed, he is gumming his fist, turning his head to your chest when you hold him.

You could have a strong let-down, that is why he seems to be choking and pulling off, you could try to let your milk rush out on to a towel and then offer again.  Sorry if you are bottle feeding, this info would not apply.  Keep up the good work, sometimes mothering is hard.

Answer 2

I know what your talking about. I have Boy/Girl twins who are 7 weeks old. Sometimes it drives me crazy because I just don't know what they want. Like the other person said, you should really try a pacifier. They really help. It's a self-soother. You should try the soothie pacifiers. They are the only ones that my babies will use. They stay in their mouths easier than the others.

Also, you may already be doing this, but it's worth a try, is he on a schedule? My babies eat every 3 - 3 1/2 hours. They wake up about 10 mins. or so before it's time. They are like little alarm clocks.  A schedule is the ONLY way I keep my sanity.

I hope everything goes well with your baby.

Good Luck! :)

Answer 3

It might take you a while to learn his different cries.  A lot of times you wont know why - I used to have to walk around with my son because just holding him would not work

>:0[

As long as he doesn't have a fever I would say there is nothing medically wrong but gas will hurt them too.  

Answer 4

try just rocking him.. baby cry for everything and then nothing. you went though the steps diaper is changed,  burped,  played with.

could be tired and fighting it. or nothing at all just wants to cry.. baby go though that to.

Answer 5

I used to feel this way as a dad, but my wife and mother of my 3 children taught me that there is always a reason theyre crying.  Sometimes it is just difficult to tell.

-Could be hungry

-Could need diaper changed

-Could be sleepy

-Could be too hot or too cold (this is often a problem)

-Might want attention/play time

I'm definitely no natural at it, but my wife has a motherly instinct.  Although her natural instinct was strong, it has grown even more with time.  Be patient and I'm sure you will do well.  I'm sure you will raise a happy healthy child!

Answer 6

There are so many different reasons he could be crying. Just remember that you are a new mom trying to learn your babies different cries just as your baby is a new person trying to learn how to get his needs met and what this new world is that he has been brought into. Don't stress out or he can sense that and will be stressed as well. I know....easier said than done.  Hopefully you have a good doc that you can talk to and express your concerns. Your doc is a good resource and to confirm that your baby doesn't have colic or anything else wrong.  Keep up the good work....the best thing is that you are showing you are a loving mother by seeking advice!

Answer 7

I hate to say but have you tried a pacifier. Just because he is sucking on the bottle doesn't mean he is hungry he might just want the comfort of  the sucking reflex.

Answer 8

I was having the same problem with my now 10 week old baby girl. I found that there were a couple of problems. One, she was having difficultly because she was getting air bubbles from crying and two, my milk was letting down so fast that she couldn't swallow fast enough.

I solved the first problem by comforting her and calming her down before I put her on the breast and then burped her every 5 or so minutes if she had cried a lot previous to eating. I solved the second problem two ways, first I expressed some milk so that the let down wasn't so forceful and then I fed her for a couple of days semi-inclined with her laying on top of my tummy so that she had to work against gravity to get milk and that slowed the milk down and in two days it adjusted the amount of milk that I was producing as it seemed to be that I was over producing milk before that.

It could be that he also just wants the comfort of sucking without wanting milk, try offering your pinky finger as a pacifier instead of your boob. I wouldn't suggest an actual pacifier yet because that could be confusing for him to go from pacifier to boob cause he's so young still.

Congrats on your little one, and know that your not a bad mom, you both are still getting use to each other. You'll get it worked out.

Answer 9

You may not have the right size nipple on the bottle sense he is chocking on it.   I would  also ask a doctor if he does this all the time.  He may be like my son who had to be taught how to suck the nipple.  As far as feeling like a horrible mom Don't.  It takes time but eventually  you will know what his cries mean.  Every mom I know has gone through this including me.

Answer 10

he may have colic or gas talk to your doc also try and warp him up in his Blake and rock him. just cause your not sure whats wrong that don't make you a bad mom. just relaxes  

Answer 11

He may still have an air bubble stuck in his tummy. My son burps a few times and still gets them stuck. It could also be gas. If it continues I would try some Mylicon. I use it for my son when he is really fussy. The best way to tell if he is hungry is to watch the time between feedings. They usually want to eat every 2-3 hours. Most important..don't look down on yourself. It is still new to both of you. You are doing great :)

Answer 12

I agree with some of the others - it sounds like an overactive letdown.  I went through the same problem with my daughter around 7 weeks or so.  Kellymom.com has some good tips on how to deal with it.  It was a rough two weeks or so to get past it but now she does just fine.  Check out this link for some help...

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-l...

Answer 13

Try the paci.  Are you breast or bottle feeding?  If using bottles, maybe he doesn't like the nipple, or the hole is too big.

Answer 14

Baby's do that sometimes,my son had us runing around like chickens with are head cut off the first couple times that he did that but after a while I learned that there was nothing I could do so I would just put him in his swing and let him cry and after a while he would stop crying.

Answer 15

Hes only 8 weeks and still trying to figure the world out. He will cry for what seems like no reason whatsoever at times. Its not your fault.  

Answer 16

It takes some time to get to know your baby's cries. Sometimes babies cry for no reason.  Try rocking him in a rocking chair or let him suck your finger.  fingernail down and then it is like a nipple.  He could also have gas. My baby dosent feed well if he has to f**t and he pulls away.  Just bicycle his legs for a while and see if that helps!  Good luck!

Answer 17

sounds like gas. After feeding make sure he burps. put him in the foot ball carrier hold or sit him up and lean him forward, he should burp.

I have a 9 week old and sometimes, he will suck and suck and suck and still not satisfied, sometimes I am feeding for 3-4hours in the afternoon.

So sometimes I give him a bath or wash him down with a cloth and t relaxes him and he goes to sleep.

Answer 18

If he pulls away choking, it could just be that your milk is coming out too fast.  Just wait a couple mins and try again when he does this.  If he still won't eat then maybe it's gas.  Sometimes when babies have gas it makes their tummies hurt and they might want to eat to make it feel better.  You could try a couple things to see if he'll pass gas and maybe he'll feel better.  Try alternating between bicycling his legs and pushing his knees against his stomach and then straightening his legs back out.  

You are NOT a horrible mom!  Babies are really hard to figure out sometimes and they are a LOT of work.  Trust me, you'll figure out what he wants before too long.  I think my daughter was almost 4 months old before I automatically knew what was wrong when she cried.  If you're not sure if he's hungry or not, try to keep track of when he eats.  Babies his age will want to eat anywhere from every 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or so.  Usually I would just try to feed my daughter about every 2 hours instead of waiting for her to cry.  If she didn't eat much, I'd just wait a little while and try again.  If you're breastfeeding, this really helps keep your supply up, too.  Hope this helped!  

Answer 19

You may be trying to feed him too soon for his little tummy. When he starts to cry do you have one of those baby holders that fit over your shoulders but you put your baby close to your chest. I found that my baby loved it and when she was awake I always talked to her or just the touch of my hand seemed to comfert her.

Answer 20

First of all do not feel like a horrible mom. Babies do not come with a manuel and they cannot tell was what they want.

If he continues crying after youve checked everything. Try undressing him (weather permiting)

Rock him, is he pooping? He could be constipated. Are you nursing or bottle feeding? If you are bottle feeding maybe he is getting to much or not enough milk with each suction.  

Answer 21

had he got a soother?  i felt like a 'bad mum' when i didnt no wot my child wanted, but apparently you learn, sometimes they just need a cuddle, i'm not into cuddling all the time but sometimes they just need a reassuring hug