You have just changed your baby's diaper, and went to bed, to finally rest. Suddenly, you hear a loud wail. Your baby is crying, again! This time, it is the hungry cry.

But what if we tell you that you no longer have to disrupt your rest with your baby's cry for hunger? This is only possible when you already know when to feed your baby. Babies cannot tell when they are hungry, so more often than not, parents may miss to understand they are hungry, until the hunger cry starts. But there are some cues you can look for to feed your baby!

Hunger Cues In Your Baby

Increased Activity

Your baby might become more alert and active. Thinking about food can make babies excited, so you may notice them moving around more than usual.

Head-Turning

Babies often turn their heads from side to side as if searching for food.

Mouth Movements

Look for signs like opening and closing their mouth, resembling a tiny bird waiting to be fed.

Rooting Reflex

Turning their head toward the breast, chest, or bottle is a classic hunger cue.

Sucking Motions

Babies may make sucking motions with their mouths, even if they don’t have a pacifier or bottle nearby.

Lip Smacking or Drooling

Increased drooling, lip-smacking, or sticking out their tongue are all signals they’re getting ready for a meal.

Sucking on Hands or Clothing

Your baby might start sucking on their fingers, hands, or even their clothes as a sign of hunger.

Clenched Fists

Watch for little fists clenching in frustration and impatience.

Focused Eye Contact

Babies who recognize their primary feeder might stare and follow you around the room with their eyes.

Facial Expressions

A furrowed brow or a distressed look might be your baby’s way of saying, “When’s the next meal?”

The “Neh” Sound

According to Dunstan baby language, the sound “neh” just before crying often means hunger.

Also remember that hunger pangs are strong enough to wake most babies, even from deep sleep. However, if your baby consistently sleeps for extended periods, it’s important to ensure they’re feeding frequently enough for their age.

For newborns, it’s generally recommended that they don’t regularly sleep longer than 4 hours at a stretch. Occasional long naps are fine—especially if they give you a much-needed rest! However, if your baby frequently sleeps through feeding times, consult your pediatrician to determine if gentle wake-ups for feeding are necessary.

How do you know your baby is feeding well enough?

It can be difficult to ensure that your baby is well fed, especially if you are breastfeeding, or when your baby is not of the age when he can talk. However, there are signals too for this, in fact your baby also learns how to signal that they need more milk or food.

It also depends on the age. For instance, a newborn will feed often, usually every 2 to 3 hours and sometime smore often. They feed up to 12 times every 24 hours. As your baby grows, their tummies grow too, in fact the tummy grows form a size of cherry at birth to walnut in 3 days. In a week, it is at the size of plum and in a month, it is of the size of a large chicken egg.

The "I am not hungry right now" signs for babies are:

• releasing or pushing away the breast or bottle
• closing their mouth and not responding to encouragement to latch on or suck again
• open and relaxed hands (instead of clenched)
• relaxing their body and even going a little limp
• looking around and showing interest in playing or other things
• looking content and maybe even smiling
• appearing happily drowsy and ready to go back to sleep

On Wednesday, the Integrated Health & Wellbeing (IHW) Council on Wednesday released a national white paper urging significant policy reforms to tackle one of India's most overlooked public health challenges: infertility.

The policy includes insurance coverage for fertility treatment, public financing through government health schemes, and fertility benefits at the workplace.

The recommendations were disclosed at the 7th India IVF Summit & Awards 2026, held on World IVF Day, where the IHW Council also launched Mission Fertility 2.1, a national initiative aimed at making fertility care more affordable, accessible and equitable.

The white paper, 'Beyond the Burden of Infertility in India: Towards Reproductive Equity through Mission Fertility 2.1', argues that infertility should be recognised as a core reproductive health issue.

Developed in partnership with IIHMR Delhi, the report draws on evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO), National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other published research.

The proposal comes at a time when India's total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1. This has renewed conversations around reproductive health, declining birth rates and support for couples who wish to conceive but are battling infertility.

Five Key Reforms Proposed To Tackle Infertility

The white paper outlines five recommendations to improve access to fertility care:

1. Recognise infertility as an essential reproductive health condition.
2. Expand public awareness through ASHA workers, schools and workplaces, while giving greater attention to male infertility.
3. Reform private insurance by reducing waiting periods and improving coverage for fertility treatment.
4. Modernise reimbursement under government health programmes like CGHS and ESIC, and strengthen public financing through public-private partnerships.
5. Encourage employers to include fertility benefits within workplace wellness programmes.

The report also recommends creating a Fertility Benefit Package under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) for economically vulnerable families.

It cites public financing initiatives in Goa, Sikkim and West Bengal as examples of how government-supported fertility care can improve access.

Also read: Delhi HC Allows HPV Vaccine Drive To Continue Due To No 'Immediate Safety Risk'

'Fertility Care Should Not Be A Privilege'

Releasing the white paper, Smt. Baby Rani Maurya, Cabinet Minister for Women Welfare, Child Development and Nutrition, Government of Uttar Pradesh, joined fertility specialists, policymakers, researchers and industry representatives at the summit.

Experts at the summit said advances in clinical fertility technology have not been matched by public awareness, leading many couples to seek medical help only after delays.

Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar, President of the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), said, "Today is much more than a celebration of a scientific achievement. It is a celebration of hope. India is no longer merely following global advances in IVF. India is helping create them. IVF is not about laboratories or incubators. It is about families waiting to hear a heartbeat, and every patient deserves compassion and the very best science we can offer."

Shivani Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV), said stigma continues to delay diagnosis and treatment.

She said, "The gap between what medical science can offer and what many couples can actually access remains one of the biggest challenges before us. Awareness has not progressed at the same pace as science. Fertility conversations remain surrounded by silence and stigma, and by the time couples seek help, valuable time has often been lost."

Meanwhile, Dr Hrishikesh Pai, Founder and Managing Director of Bloom IVF Group and Immediate Past President of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), stressed that expanding access should be the next priority for India's fertility sector.

He said, "India has grown from ten IVF centres in the early days to nearly five thousand today, and the next phase of this journey has to be about access, which rests on four pillars: awareness, availability, affordability and assurance of ethical, quality outcomes."

For decades, fertility has largely been viewed as a woman's responsibility. From tracking menstrual cycles and undergoing repeated tests to managing treatments, much of the focus has traditionally fallen on women.

However, medical science tells a different story. Male factors contribute to nearly 40–50% of infertility cases, making it clear that fertility is a shared journey that deserves equal participation from both partners.

Despite this, many men hesitate to discuss fertility or undergo evaluation due to stigma, misconceptions, or the belief that infertility is a woman's problem. This delay can postpone diagnosis and treatment, adding unnecessary emotional stress to couples who are already navigating a difficult path.

Reasons Behind Male Infertility

Environmental exposures and certain medical conditions may also affect sperm health. The encouraging news is that many of these causes are treatable or manageable when identified early.

A fertility assessment is not only straightforward but also essential. A simple semen analysis often provides valuable information about male reproductive health and can help guide the next steps in treatment.

When both partners are evaluated together from the beginning, the process becomes more efficient, avoiding unnecessary investigations and ensuring that the right treatment plan is developed sooner.

Also read: From Hope To Parenthood: How IVF And Embryology Are Changing The Fertility Journey For Couples

Importance Of Fertility Treatment

Equally important is the emotional role men play throughout fertility treatment. IVF can be physically demanding for women, but the emotional burden is shared by both partners. Feelings of anxiety, disappointment, hope, and uncertainty are common. Open conversations, shared decision-making, and emotional support can strengthen relationships and help couples cope better with the ups and downs of treatment.

World IVF Day serves as an important reminder that infertility is not about assigning blame—it is a medical condition that affects couples together. Breaking the silence around male fertility is essential to reducing stigma and encouraging earlier intervention.

When men become active participants rather than silent spectators, they help create a more supportive, compassionate, and successful fertility journey. Fertility care is most effective when both partners stand side by side, facing the challenge together with understanding, empathy, and shared responsibility.

By Dr Tejas Gundewar, Fertility Consultant, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune

The process of becoming parents is one of hopes, anxieties, and numerous waits for many couples. Infertility does not only refer to a medical problem but is a psychological and sociological problem that can influence relationships, confidence, and overall psychological state of an individual. The World Health Organization states that about one out of six individuals experience infertility at some point in life.

Infertility Needs Couple-Based Evaluation

Infertility cannot be considered a problem for women only from the perspective of obstetrics and gynaecology. Infertility problems in women can be associated with ovulatory disorders, PCOS, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, fibroids, decreased ovarian reserve, or declining quality of eggs due to the advanced age of the woman.

In men, infertility may relate to low sperm count, impaired sperm mobility or morphology. Correct diagnosis is the key point of developing the appropriate treatment program.

Also read: 'You Are Just Tired': When Postpartum Depression Goes Unnoticed At Home

IVF: A Scientific Pathway to Parenthood

With the emergence of in-vitro fertilization, known as IVF, people can now have children even if they do not possess the ability to conceive through natural means.

This technique is achieved through stimulation of ovaries, egg collection, fertilizing collected eggs using sperm in laboratory conditions, and implantation of a healthy embryo into the womb. Nonetheless, this method is not a simple one-time process but rather a medically guided journey. Every treatment is based on individual factors of the woman.

Embryology: The Silent Backbone of IVF

Embryology in the modern age has revolutionized the results of IVF procedures. Embryo selection can be done through procedures like ICSI, blastocyst culture, grading of embryos, cryopreservation and, in some cases, genetic screening to select healthier embryos.

ICSI is especially helpful in the case of male infertility, in which a single sperm is introduced into an egg.

Also read: Miles Apart, But Planning A Family Together: The Fertility Reality Of Long-Distance Marriages In India

Safer Pregnancy, Not Just Positive Pregnancy

The purpose of IVF is not just conception but the creation of a successful and safe pregnancy. In the past, many embryos were used to increase the chances of conception, but that caused complications with either twins or triplets. But now, because of better screening, fewer embryos can be transferred where appropriate, thus decreasing pregnancy risk. According to CDC figures, 37.5% of ART cycles ended in live-birth delivery.

The advances in IVF and embryology have revolutionized fertility treatments into an arena of hope and possibilities. With proper counselling, couples can embark upon their fertility journey with certainty. Being parents was once the dream of many people; however, with the advancements in the scientific field, science is now enabling many couples to fulfill this dream.

By Dr. Nisha Mangal, Senior Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur