Reader quesition: "How do I know if my baby is full?"

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A Mommy Monday reader wrote in to us about her fussy baby. She is breastfeeding her 12 week old baby 8 times a day, and is not sure if him falling asleep while feeding because he is full. Her question is, "how do I know if my baby is full?"

Here are some guidelines as to the behaviours baby’s and young children display when they are full.

Age	Satiety behaviour
1 to 3 months	Baby draws head away from nipple Falls asleep during a feed When mother attempts to reinsert nipple, baby closes lips tightly Baby bites nipple, purses lips, or smiles and lets go
4 to 6 months	Released nipple and withdraws head Fusses or cries Obstructs mouth with hands Baby pays more attention to his/her surroundings then feeding Bites nipples
7 to 9 months	Changes posture Tightly closes mouth Shakes head (as if to say ‘no’) Plays with utensils and plate Throws utensils
10 to 12 months	Above mentioned behaviours along with: Sputters with tongue and lips Hands bottle, cup or plate over to mother

 

References

Mahan, LK and Escott-Stump, S. Krause’s Food and Nutrition Therapy. 2008. 12^th Edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.