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

Pain in the breast region is not uncommon during the first few weeks following childbirth; however, the presence of breast pain coupled with fever or redness might indicate something more severe.

The early weeks of motherhood involve a lot of learning, and feeding your baby through breast milk is one of them. Some degree of breast tenderness and engorgement is normal while the body adjusts to its new role; however, there are certain symptoms that extend beyond that. The following are six examples:

Mastitis

Mastitis is one of the most frequent complications associated with breasts in nursing women. The condition arises due to the accumulation of milk in the breast and causes inflammation.

The signs of mastitis include a red and warm swelling in the breast, accompanied by fever, chills, and pain all over the body. In severe cases, without proper treatment, mastitis may lead to an abscess that needs draining.

Blocked Milk Duct

Most blocked ducts can be cured with home remedies such as the use of warm compresses prior to breastfeeding, massaging the lump toward the nipple area, and frequent nursing or pumping to keep the milk flowing.

Nevertheless, if there is persistence of the lump for more than a few days, worsening pain or increasing size of the lump, fever, chills, or reddening of the skin, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Also read: Breastfeeding Can Help Prevent 400,000 Child and 140,000 Maternal Deaths Annually, Says WHO

Breast Abscess

An untreated infection can progress into a pocket of pus beneath the skin. This presents as a painful, fluctuant lump, often with fever and visible redness.

An abscess typically requires drainage along with antibiotics, making timely diagnosis essential to avoid more invasive treatment later.

Engorgement With Complications

Engorgement itself is a normal part of milk coming in, usually settling within a few days. But severe, one-sided swelling with fever or skin that appears shiny, tight, and increasingly painful may point to a secondary infection rather than simple engorgement and warrants a check-up.

Also read: World Breastfeeding Week: How The First 1,000 Days Of Breastfeeding Shapes A Child's Health For Life

Nipple Infection Or Thrush

Cracked or damaged nipples can become a gateway for bacterial or fungal infection. Persistent burning pain, deep breast pain during or after feeds, or visible discharge can indicate an infection that needs targeted treatment rather than home remedies alone.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Also read: NHS Breast Cancer Screening Misses 95% Of High-Risk Young Women In UK: Why Personalized Care Could Be Key

While uncommon in postpartum women, inflammatory breast cancer can mimic mastitis, presenting with redness, warmth, and swelling. What sets it apart is a lack of response to antibiotics within the expected timeframe. Any breast symptom that doesn't improve after a course of appropriate treatment should be re-evaluated, and imaging considered.

New mothers are often told that some discomfort is just part of the journey. While that's true to an extent, it's also easy to overlook signs that something more serious may be going on. A fever above 101°F, redness that's spreading quickly, a lump that's getting bigger, or symptoms that don't improve after 48 hours of home care shouldn't be ignored.

Getting medical attention early can help prevent complications, protect the mother's health, and make it easier to continue breastfeeding.

Adolescents living with chronic skin conditions who spend more time on screens may be at greater risk of struggling with body image, self-esteem, and overall quality of life, according to a new study.

The research, published in the journal Children, found that longer daily screen time was associated with poorer dermatology-related quality of life and more likelihood of body image issues among teenagers, especially with skin issues.

The findings underscore the growing concerns about the impact of digital media on young people's mental wellbeing, particularly those already coping with visible health conditions.

Researchers analysed adolescents with chronic skin disorders and explored how screen use related to their emotional wellbeing, body image, anxiety, and life satisfaction.

They found that teens reporting greater impairment in dermatology-related quality of life also experienced significantly lower self-esteem, a more negative perception of their bodies, higher anxiety, poorer overall quality of life, and lower life satisfaction.

Those who spent more time using screens generally reported worse outcomes across these measures.

"Longer screen time was associated with poorer dermatology-related quality of life and less favourable psychosocial outcomes," the study authors wrote, suggesting that digital media habits plays a huge role in influencing adolescents wrestling with chronic skin disease.

Why Skin Conditions Make Teens More Vulnerable?

Dermatology-related quality of life refers to how much a skin condition affects a person's everyday life beyond physical symptoms.

It includes emotional wellbeing, confidence, relationships, mindset, school or work performance, and participation in social activities.

A poor dermatology-related quality of life generally indicates that a skin disease is having a greater psychological and social impact on one's mental health.

Experts say adolescence is already a period when individuals are conscious about appearance. Their skin plays a major role in shaping their self-confidence.

Conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, or vitiligo can make young people more conscious of their appearance, and constant exposure to carefully curated or filtered images on social media may intensify those feelings.

The study suggests that excessive screen use, particularly social media, could pave the way for comparison in appearances, making it harder for teenagers with skin conditions to maintain a positive body image.

However, the researchers did emphasise that the findings show an association rather than proving that screen time directly causes poorer mental health.

Even though this is just an observation, it brings our focus on the broader impact of social media on young people's minds.

Also read: Why Monsoon Weather Triggers Acne: Expert Treatments That Actually Work

Screen Time And Mental Health

The findings are consistent with previous research linking excessive recreational screen time with poorer mental health, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction among adolescents.

Other studies have also shown that image-focused social media platforms may contribute to unrealistic beauty standards and unhealthy appearance comparisons.

Cosmeticorexia Could Fuel The Problem

Also read: Cosmeticorexia: The Dark Side Of Teenagers' Obsession With Flawless Skin

The findings come at a time when teenagers are obsessed with the idea of perfect skin.

Thanks to growing popularity of complex and elaborate skincare trends on social media, perfect skin has become the ultimate beauty goal for many teenagers.

Cosmeticorexia is an example of a psychodermatological disease, where psychological problems manifest through dermatological conditions. The constant pursuit of flawless skin can lead adolescents to adopt harmful skincare practices that ultimately damage their skin rather than improve it.

But experts are warning that this obsession is fueling a worrying condition known as cosmeticorexia, where young people use anti-aging and active skincare products far beyond what their skin needs, increasing the risk of irritation, allergies, and long-term damage.

In terms of health and nutrition, the first 1,000 days of a child's life lay the foundation for lifelong growth, and development. The first question that pops up in every parent's mind is whether they should to stick to exclusive breastfeeding or alternate it with mixed feeding.

While breastfeeding remains the most effective way to give a baby the healthiest start, there are a few myths surrounding mixed feeding that need to be debunked.

As we observe World Breastfeeding Week 2026, the theme "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works" reminds us that breastfeeding is one of the most important phases of health in children's lives.

Breastfeeding Vs Mixed Feeding

HealthandMe spoke to Dr. Priya Bansal, Senior Consultant, Gyanaecology and Gynae Oncology, Medanta, Noida and Dr Barkha Pandey, HOD Paediatric Department, MBBS, MD Paediatric, Park Hospital, Palam Vihar about the myths surrounding breastfeeding vs mixed feeding.

Dr Priya Bansal said that when we talk about infant feeding, it's important to move away from the idea that there's a "right" or "wrong" choice for every family. She explains, "While exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is the ideal recommendation because of its well-established health benefits, the reality is that every mother's journey is different."

Explaining the benefits of breastfeeding, Dr Barkha Pandey spoke about why breast feeding is the gold standard.

Dr Barkha Pandey further added, "Exclusive breastfeeding is the best feeding practice for all healthy infants during the first six months of life. This means only breast milk—no water, formula, animal milk, or other foods unless medically indicated. Breast milk provides all essential nutrients, along with antibodies and bioactive factors that protect against infections, support brain development, and promote healthy growth.

Dr Bansal went on to explain about the times when new mothers adopt mixed feeding. Dr Pandey said that there are situations where mixed feeding is necessary, and supplementation should never be seen as failure.

Dr Bansal said, "Some women may experience delayed milk production, have underlying medical conditions, or need to return to work earlier than planned. In such situations, mixed feeding can be a practical and safe option when introduced with the right medical guidance. What concerns us more is when formula is started because of misconceptions like assuming the baby isn't getting enough milk without any medical assessment."

Also read: World Breastfeeding Week: How The First 1,000 Days Of Breastfeeding Shapes A Child's Health For Life

How Long Should You Breastfeed Your Baby?

There are many doubts about how long you should continue to breastfeed your baby. Most experts agree upon the six-month rule of breastfeeding for well-rounded development of the baby, Dr Pandey clarifies if you should keep going even after six months.

She said, "At six months, complementary foods should be introduced to meet increasing nutritional needs. However, breastfeeding should continue alongside complementary feeding until at least two years of age and beyond, for as long as mother and child wish. Even after solids begin, breast milk continues to provide nutrition, immunity, and emotional security."

Both the experts stress upon the fact that while exclusive breastfeeding is the way to go, the priority is always safe, adequate nutrition and supportive, non-judgemental care. When supplementation is needed, parents should be guided with reassurance and clinical guidance, not guilt.