Your baby might be sucking their hand for a couple of key reasons: hunger or self-soothing.
Here’s a breakdown of the common reasons:
- Hunger Cue: Hand-sucking can often be an early indicator that your baby is hungry. It's their way of signaling that they need to be fed. According to the reference, constant hand-sucking may be a sign that they're not receiving enough nutrients.
- Self-Soothing: Babies also use hand-sucking as a way to comfort themselves. It's a natural reflex that helps them relax and fall asleep.
Therefore, pay attention to the context. If it's close to feeding time or your baby is showing other signs of hunger (rooting, fussiness), offer a feeding. If they seem tired or overstimulated, they might be using hand-sucking to calm down.
