Most mums would give their right leg to be able to translate their baby’s cries.
Is she hungry, bored, tired or simply wanting a cuddle?
Cues are your baby’s way of trying to tell you what she needs or wants.
Although it may take a few weeks to get to know your baby’s cues, or non-verbal language, if you do some baby-watching, you will be amazed at the signals you’ll be able to pick up from your baby.
If your baby could talk, this is what she’d be telling you:
‘I’m hungry mummy'
Babies give a lot of subtle cues that they are ready to feed, long before they begin to cry – from rooting with their mouths to making sucking noises and trying to suck on their fists, as well as little noises that say, ‘I’m working up to a cry’.
Crying is a late hunger cue, so recognising the earlier cues from your baby when her little belly is only starting to rumble, could be very helpful.
‘Play with me’
Tiny babies have very short periods where they can actually ‘engage’ and interact with you, but as she grows, your little one will be able to play for longer periods and her signals will become much clearer.
When your baby wants you to play, her eyes will become wide and bright and she may purse her tiny lips as though she is saying ‘ooh’ as she turns towards your voice or looks at your face. Movements of her arms and legs will be smooth (as opposed to jerky) as she reaches out to you – she might grasp your finger or hold onto you.
If you respond, your baby will make eye contact and smile, coo, babble or talk. These signals, or ‘engagement cues’ are your baby’s way of saying, ‘Please play with me mummy'.
Give me a break
When your baby needs a break from what she is doing, she will give very clear ‘disengaging’ signals such as looking away or turning her head away, squirming or kicking, coughing, spitting up or arching her back. Some babies will even put up their hand in a sort of ‘stop’ sign.
More subtle cues that your baby is tiring from playing or needs a change of pace or perhaps a change of activity, may be yawning, wrinkling her forehead or frowning, and hiccuping.
I’m sleepy
None of us like being kept awake when we are craving sleep, so rather than waiting until your baby is ‘past it’, put her to bed as soon as she shows sleepy signs.
These will include becoming quiet, losing interest in people and toys, making jerky movements (in small babies) or becoming very still (these babies relax and fall asleep easily), yawning, frowning or knotting her eyebrows, clenching her fists into tight balls, rubbing her eyes and ears and fussing.
If you miss this window of opportunity, your baby is likely to become grumpy and find it difficult to settle. If you miss your baby’s tired signs, she may become hyped up and will be much harder to settle.
