Learning to feed is an important milestone, most full term babies are able to feed right from birth but preterm babies or sick babies may need time and support as they learn to feed. Baby’s cues help us to know when baby's are ready to start feeding and how to progress their feeding. Cues during the feed can also tell us when a baby wants to stop feeding.
At first babies may only manage small sucks or licks so feeds will be topped up by the feeding tube. Cues are a baby’s way of talking, such as facial expressions, breathing, posture, movement and wakefulness. Your baby’s cues and medical needs help guide their feeding and will change as your baby learns and grows.
