Understanding Hunger Cues: A Guide to Responsive Feeding for Babies and Beyond

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “hunger cues?” Do you know your own hunger cues? For some of us– this is hard to identify. Often, that is because we were fed on schedules as babies and children and were not taught to feed ourselves based on our cues, but rather based on external factors such as time, family or school schedule or calories. Adding to this, do you have tell-tale signs that you are experiencing hunger that those closest to you can identify? Maybe you get grouchy, or you start opening the refrigerator to rummage for just the right food. 

Babies signal to us when they are hungry– and our job in the initial days and weeks as we are figuring out timing, frequency and volumes of feedings that are appropriate for each baby is to learn their hunger cues! Believe it or not, crying is the last hunger cue! 

Babies start crying from hunger when earlier signals have been missed. A baby who is crying from hunger may not be able to get themselves organized well enough to latch and maintain a suck, swallow, breathe rhythm that leads to a satiated baby and a robust milk supply. 

If crying is a late cue, how else do we know that our baby is hungry? There’s a spectrum of cues you may be able to identify in your baby! The hungrier a baby is, the more difficult feeding may become. A baby may eat larger volumes than needed when they are super hungry too, leading to gastrointestinal difficulties like gas, spitting up and silent reflux. 

And what about those bazillion app options that help you track how often a baby feeds? Almost all of my clients use them, and many say they are helpful for coordinating feeds with their partner and answering questions posed by pediatricians and other providers tasked with giving baby feeding advice. But I notice these apps cause way more anxiety than ease and instead of focusing on hunger and satiety cues, families end up describing what their baby “should” be doing based on what the app says and aren’t able to tune into hunger cues as well. 

So what’s the best approach to baby feeding? There’s a saying in the lactation support world. Watch the baby, not the clock! This will go a long way to establishing a positive feeding experience and reducing feeding anxiety.