Even sick or premature babies can communicate their needs, so take time to watch your baby and learn to recognise what they like and dislike. You will soon learn to respond to your baby’s behaviour, enabling you to develop a loving bond with them.
Traffic light system
This traffic light system will help you to understand when your baby wants your attention and when they need rest.
Red for stop
Signs that your baby is letting you know they are distressed and need a break
- Tachypnoea (fast breathing)
- Apnoea (stop breathing)
- Colour change
- Hands on face, ears or eyes
- Raised hand in ‘stop’ position
- Crying, whining or fussing
- Arching their back
- Sneezing or coughing
- Vomiting
- Hiccuping
Amber for caution
Signs that your baby is likely to need a change from what is happening
- Looking away
- Turning head away
- Putting hands up to face
- A dull looking face or eyes
- Yawning
Green for go
Signs that your baby wants to interact
- Stable heart and respiratory rate
- Good temperature control
- Sucking or hand/fist to suck
- Looking at you
- Alert but relaxed facial expression
At a glace feeding cues
- Early cues – these mean ‘I’m hungry’
- Mid cues – these mean ‘I’m really hungry’
- Late cues – these mean ‘I’m really upset’