Signs Baby is Full: Newborn Full Cues
Summary
- Monitor baby's full cues: closing mouth, getting distracted, turning away, relaxing, slowed sucking, and drowsiness.
- Feeding amounts for babies will be different depending age, sleep schedule, and feeding method (breast or bottle).
- Pay attention to changing cues as baby grows.
Before they can talk, baby tells you they’ve had enough breastmilk or formula in the form of newborn full cues. Here we’ll take a look at the signs baby is full and feeding can stop.
💡 Learn more about baby’s hunger cues, or what these newborn hunger cues may look like if baby is in the NICU!
If you’re a new parent, you may start to pick up on your newborn’s hunger cues. You can tell when they start to get fussy, move their lips, or cry out to be fed. But once baby starts a feeding session, you may wonder, what are the signs that baby is full?
First, it helps to know how much a newborn baby will typically have when feeding. Remember, every baby is different. There are many factors that play a role in when baby will be full. Baby’s age, size, sleep schedule, and even if they are breastfed or bottle fed may impact how much they feed and how often.
Generally, this is how much baby will feed:
- In the first week after birth, baby will usually eat 1-2 ounces per feed. This may increase to up to 3 ounces per feed in the first few weeks.
- About 2 months after birth, baby typically increases to up to 5 ounces per feed.
- By 6 months of age, baby typically increases to up to 8 ounces per feeding. Once again, this may differ per child.
So what are the signs that baby is full, and can stop feeding?
You may be able to tell baby is done feeding by looking for baby’s full cues. In the first 6 months, the signs that baby is full may look like baby:
- Closing their mouth
- Seeming distracted or no longer interested in feeding
- Turning their head away from the breast or bottle
- Relaxing their hands, arms or legs
- Slowing down or stopping sucking
- Appearing drowsy or starting to fall asleep
As baby gets older and their communication skills improve, their full cues may change as well. The signs that baby is no longer hungry may become more clear as they learn how to best tell you that they are done. An older baby or child may show they are full if they:
- Push their food away
- Close their mouth when food is offered
- Turn their head away from food
- Use their hands or make sounds to ask you to stop feeding them
It’s important to pay attention to baby’s full cues and listen to them when they want to stop eating, just like it’s important to listen to baby’s hunger cues when they want to feed. This helps them learn when they are hungry and full.
If baby seems to always be hungry after feeding, talk to a healthcare provider to make sure baby is getting enough during feeding.
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