Crying is a significant way newborns communicate, but when it comes to hunger, crying is your baby’s “last straw.” Learn early hunger cues to set you and your baby up for success; Latching a crying baby is much more difficult.
Look for these movements that typically indicate hunger:
Lip smacking or suckling sounds
Sticking tongue out
Rooting (turning head and opening mouth)
Bringing hands to mouth
Squirming body; appears restless
Last call: crying, fussy
Generally, these hunger cues progress from “early hunger” to “late hunger,” meaning a baby might start by suckling or sticking their tongue out. However, they’ll escalate to rooting, squirming, and fussiness before crying if they don't get a feeding.
Even if you just fed your baby, you can still respond to early hunger cues. Back-to-back feedings in newborns are common, called “cluster feeds.” They often happen during the evenings and will present as several feeding sessions close together for several hours. While exhausting, cluster feeds are developmentally normal. The World Health Organization recommends feeding your baby “on demand,” or as they show those hunger cues.