Getting to know how newborns communicate

It is a mistake to confuse lack of language with lack of communication skills.

Although human babies do not begin to speak recognisable words until around the second year, they very clearly communicate their needs and feelings from the moment of birth. However parents can’t download a translation app so learning what babies are telling us takes a bit of time.

Newborns really only have a few simple needs. They need food, sleep and comfort. Most of their simple communication expressions focus on these.

Feeding cues are the behaviours babies exhibit in the time between waking and attaching to the breast. The longer the delay between these two states, the more extreme those cues become to attract the mother’s attention.

Tired signs are what we see in a baby coming to the end of an awake period. Newborns need support to transition into sleep and in most cases, that happens at the breast. Feeding to sleep is normal, natural and intentional.

Discomfort from an uncomfortable nappy, position or environment will be shown both physically and with sound. The longer the time until the discomfort is eased, the stronger the protests will become to gain attention.

You can respond quickly to your infant’s calm communication by keeping them close, day and night. Babywearing, co-sleeping, contact napping and aiming to be within arm’s reach of your baby most of the time help you see and hear the subtle signs your baby is seeking your support. The further away your baby is, the more energy they need to expend to get your attention. Sharing a space with your baby in the early weeks is generally more helpful than having them in another room and relying on a baby monitor. SIDS risk is higher when babies are separated for sleep, both day and night.

Because newborn infants have no concept of their mother being a separate entity, their anticipation upon waking is that she will be there, in touch and in view. The can look puzzled if they open their eyes and discover that warm chest belongs to their father, grandmother or other caregiver. They will even nuzzle and sweep their face seeking the breast. It is important those supporting a breastfeeding mother transfer the baby to her without too much delay, the help the baby remain calm and quickly reach the breast.