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Baby Knows Best: Understanding Your Baby’s Appetite

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August 11, 2021 Infant

When Karen’s baby girl was a newborn, she breast-fed her but didn’t know how much she was drinking. She also couldn’t tell when she was hungry or full. Karen kept watching and eventually figured out her baby’s signals. Karen, like many moms, had questions about her baby’s appetite and feeding during the first six months.

What is appetite?

Your baby’s appetite is what drives her eating and stops it when she is full. This appetite balance depends on many things, which act together to help your baby eat and grow:

  • A complex system of hormones
  • Her developmental stage
  • Her genes
  • Your interactions with her
  • Social influences

Activity

While young babies aren’t super-active, before you know it they will be crawling and then walking. This increase in activity can trigger a bigger appetite.

Hormones, simplified

Hormones act on their own, based on a sense of fullness and hunger felt in the stomach. When your baby is hungry, certain hormones are released from the stomach and tell the brain it’s time to eat. After your baby eats, different hormones travel through the body which signal fullness. This tummy-hormone-brain system is there when your baby is born, making sure eating helps growth and development. Many other factors may affect your baby’s appetite.

Sleep

Often, babies are up during the night because they are hungry. That hormone system works around the clock, triggering hunger and making baby cry for a feeding. After all, that feeding before bedtime has made its way through the tummy, and the tummy is ready to be filled again. As your baby grows, he will be able to sleep longer without eating, but young babies need to be fed often.

Growth and development

Growth and appetite are closely linked. When your baby is growing, her appetite kicks in to make sure she eats enough food. Likewise, later on when your child becomes a toddler, growth slows down and you may see decreases in her appetite, which is often part of the reason for picky eating during toddlerhood.

Early flavor preferences

Babies are born with a natural preference for sweet and fat flavors, and eventually they learn to like salt. Research tells us that the more sugar, fat and salt exposure baby gets early on, the greater liking they have for these foods later. Stay away from too many sweets and fatty foods during the first two years when your baby is doing the important job of learning
about flavors.

Physical considerations

Babies have tiny tummies, and they don’t hold a lot of food at once. That means your baby will be hungry throughout the day. As baby grows bigger so does her tummy, allowing more liquid or food to be eaten. This helps to keep her fuller for a longer time. By the time your baby is 6 months old, she will likely be able to drink a 6 to 8 ounce feeding.

Parent Interference

Parents can influence baby’s appetite in negative ways by pushing baby to eat more than they are hungry for, or not letting a baby finish eating, which may teach baby to overeat or undereat. Examples of this are making your baby finish the bottle or baby food jar, or stopping a feeding too early. These interactions may teach your baby to eat beyond her natural appetite or leave her hungry and wanting more.

Understanding your baby’s appetite can help you be better at feeding her!

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SIDE-LYING HOLD

Side-Lying Hold

  1. For the right breast, lie on your right side with your baby facing you.
  2. Pull your baby close. Your baby’s mouth should be level with your nipple.
  3. In this position, you can cradle your baby’s back with your left arm and support yourself with your right arm and/or pillows.
  4. Keep loose clothing and bedding away from your baby.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • You had a C-section
  • You want to rest while baby feeds
  • You are breastfeeding in the middle of the night
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
CROSS-CRADLE HOLD

Cross-Cradle Hold

  1. For the right breast, use your left arm to hold your baby’s head at your right breast and baby’s body toward your left side. A pillow across your lap can help support your left arm.
  2. Gently place your left hand behind your baby’s ears and neck, with your thumb and index finger behind each ear and your palm between baby’s shoulder blades. Turn your baby’s body toward yours so your tummies are touching.
  3. Hold your breast as if you are squeezing a sandwich. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Instead, bring your baby to you.
  4. As your baby’s mouth opens, push gently with your left palm on baby’s head to help them latch on. Make sure you keep your fingers out of the way.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby is premature
  • Your baby has a weak suck
  • Your baby needs help to stay latched
  • Your baby needs extra head support
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
CLUTCH OR “FOOTBALL” HOLD

Clutch or “Football” Hold

  1. For the right breast, hold your baby level, facing up, at your right side.
  2. Put your baby’s head near your right nipple and support their back and legs under your right arm.
  3. Hold the base of your baby’s head with your right palm. A pillow underneath your right arm can help support your baby’s weight.
  4. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Bring baby to you instead.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • You had a C-section
  • You have large breasts
  • You have flat or inverted nipples
  • You have a strong milk let-down
  • You are breastfeeding twins
  • Your baby likes to feed in an upright position
  • Your baby has reflux
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
CRADLE HOLD

Cradle Hold

  1. For the right breast, cradle your baby with your right arm. Your baby will be on their left side across your lap, facing you at nipple level.
  2. Your baby’s head will rest on your right forearm with your baby’s back along your inner arm and palm.
  3. Turn your baby’s tummy toward your tummy. Your left hand is free to support your breast, if needed. Pillows can help support your arm and elbow.
  4. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Instead, bring your baby to you.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby needs help latching on
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
Laid-Back Hold

Laid-Back Hold

  1. Lean back on a pillow with your baby’s tummy touching yours and their head at breast level. Some moms find that sitting up nearly straight works well. Others prefer to lean back and lie almost flat.
  2. You can place your baby’s cheek near your breast, or you may want to use one hand to hold your breast near your baby. It’s up to you and what you think feels best.
  3. Your baby will naturally find your nipple, latch, and begin to suckle.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby is placed on your chest right after birth
  • You have a strong milk let-down
  • You have large breasts
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position