If we observe the hands of babies, we can interpret some signs through them. Babies put their hands in their mouths frequently to indicate that they are hungry, when they have discomfort from teething or simply because they are discovering their little hands, their first toy.
The baby’s hands play an important role when it comes to feeding. The baby practices putting his hands to his mouth since he is in the womb and at birth, if the mother’s breast is not in contact with his face, he will try to use his hands to locate the nipple and bring it closer to his mouth.
Puts his fist in his mouth
When the baby is hungry he cannot tell us in words, but he sends us signals through his behavior so that the parents can know it.
These first signs include agitation, nervousness and if we touch their cheeks they turn their heads and open their mouths looking for food. But did you know that their hunger levels can also be identified by looking at their hands ?
Although it is not always out of hunger, putting a fist in their mouth is another early sign that the baby wants to eat .
Knowing this, we can interpret this gesture so that the baby does not arrive distressed when taking the breast or the bottle. As soon as we identify it, we put the baby to the breast or give it the bottle to avoid crying and unnecessary stress.
When breastfeeding, let his hands touch your breast. Don’t try to move them away, lower them, or place them under a blanket; the natural breastfeeding position is arms forward. Otherwise, you will feel disoriented.
While you feed him, you can caress his little hands and if you bring a finger to the palm of his hand, your baby will hold it tightly, a primary reflex that disappears around five months of life.
Baby’s hands when feeding
Not only is it common for the baby to put his hands to his mouth when he is hungry, but his fist is usually clenched as a sign of the tension in his body.
As you begin to feed, that tension decreases and you begin to relax . Relaxation begins with your face, then your shoulders relax, and finally your fists open.
The baby’s body ends up so flabby and relaxed that it often ends up falling asleep at the breast or taking a bottle.
In Babies and more | Five signs (other than crying) that tell you that the baby is hungry
