How do babies communicate? Babies may not be able to talk or express verbally about what they want but through some form of “babies language” from the facial expression, change of emotion and physical movement you can eventually tell what exactly they need.
At first you will be puzzled and lost about what to do especially you are a first time mum. Eventually, you will be able to pick up the signal overtime. This article is written to share with you about useful insight on how do babies communicate with you? If you are new parents out there, please read on.
How do babies communicate?
No. 1 Cry
Do you know that cry is one way of babies’ communication? Babies will not cry for no reason. This is the fastest way for your baby to let you know how he/she feels. Here are some most common reasons why they cry:
Hungry
Babies will cry for food. Newborn babies will cry for food at certain time such as hourly or bi hourly after the previous feed. You will notice that the cry is soft and short for over a second and if you do not feed him right away, the cry is usually getting louder and more intense. Generally this sort of cry after offering your breast or bottle feeding right away will calm them down straight away. After the feed, they will be happy and not long after they will fall asleep again peacefully.
Never assume that picking up your babies right away will spoil them. Crying for too long may not be good for their brain development.
For the first few months of life, respond to your babies’ need as fast as possible, to let them know you will always be there for their need.
Pain
This kind of cry may come more suddenly. If it is not long after the previous feed, check your baby from head to toe.
Is it due to soiled diaper? The mixture of stool and urine can be irritating to your babies skin. Burning sensation may cause discomfort and pain if you do not clean off frequently.
Is your baby overfeeding? Sometime overfeeding of milk may cause discomfort to your baby’s stomach too.
Is your baby gassy? Remember to burp him/her after the feed. Massage the little tummy before the bath can help relief gassy issue too. Some people believe that maternal diet may have an effect on nursing babies and upset their stomach if consume certain food like chocolates, dairy, citrus juice etc. Try to avoid taking them for a week and see any improvement on gassy issue.
Is it due to colic? Babies will cry for unknown reasons during the evening time and usually they cry out loud which can last for few weeks, almost happen at the same time, at least 2-3 hours in a day. Find out my previous article about colic.
If you observe there are other issues such as fever, blood stool, low appetite or other sign that show she/he may be sick, consult Pediatrician immediately.
Tired or very sleepy
Babies cannot be soothed to sleep by themselves. We will have to help them. If your baby get overtired, he/she will get cranky and fussy. Soothe them to sleep before they get overtired by all mean.
Check also the clothing, if it is too tight or too hot/cold can cause crankiness too.
No. 2 Smile and laugh
Do you realize that sometimes when we have an eye contact with the baby, smiling and speaking softly with loving words and he/she will return a smile back at you? This could be a sign of contentment. He/she feels safe and secure whenever he/she sees you and he/she will definitely get the message that mommy or daddy loves him/her.
No. 3 Rooting reflex
The rooting reflex is one of newborn reflexes which happen naturally at birth. When something touches his/her cheek or mouth, the newborn will turn his/her head to that direction which help to locate his food. It is commonly seen if you are breastfeeding your baby, he/she will automatically turn to you and want to nurse. Just a simple touch of the cheek will prompt him to turn to the breast or bottle.
No. 4 Startle reflex
Have you noticed babies sometimes jerk and spread out their arms and legs whenever there is a sudden noise or movement? A loud cry usually follows. It is a natural response since birth that the babies feel scared and startled because they so used to be in a womb, feeling secure and warm. To recreate the security of the womb, you need to swaddle your baby with a comfy blanket or place a little pillow on his/her chest. Make sure the pillow does not block the airway.
No. 5 Rubbing eyes or eyes
Have you seen babies rubbing their eyes and ears sometimes with their hands and start getting a bit cranky? It is a sign of tiredness and they want to let you know that they are sleepy now. As soon as you see this happening, better get them to bed. Babies has not yet learned how to soothe themselves to sleep so we have to help them.
However, if they keep rubbing ears with fussiness and higher body temperature, it could be due to ear infection and you shall visit Pediatrician for confirmation and treatment.
No. 6 Arching of the back
It is an action when you see your baby is in discomfort position or condition. If he/she has a reflux, it is usually arching his/her back and followed by crying. They will arch their back when they are in discomfort position, adjust the positioning if necessary.
Sometimes, babies will arch their back when they are full and they try to move away from the bottle or breast.
Conclusion
These are the common languages babies are trying to communicate with you. From the facial expression, babies emotion, and movement, you will eventually understand and act accordingly.
I hope this article is giving you better understanding about how do babies communicate. Please share your experience or valuable opinion about the other language your babies do to communicate with you other than the above. Write your comment in the comment box below. We will love to hear from you.
Happy reading!