Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

So I was always told that babies suck their hands when they are hungry and I have been using that as a feeding cue with DD. This weekend, though, she has begun to suck her hands after pushing away a bottle and falling off of the breast. One time she was sucking her whole fist and I went to the bathroom to make a stop before I sat down and nursed her (because it could be a while) and when I came back she was asleep.

How do I know when she is really hungry now? Will she cry if she is hungry? She is 8 weeks old.

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

As they get a little older they start to use their mouth to learn and explore everything (including their hands.) She's at the age where she "found" her hands and they will be in her mouth ALOT. One she hits 3 1/2 - 4 months and she can grab toys they will go in her mouth, often with the fist.

Does DD follow any kind of routine yet? My DD tends to be hungry every 3 or 4 hours. I usually just give her the bottle around that time or she'll cry and let me know if I'm taking too long

Message edited 4/11/2007 9:14:36 PM.

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

it could just be habit

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

Does she take a pacifier? Sucking is also a soothing method for babies...

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

So I tried giving her a pacifier and she sucked for a while and spit it out and fell asleep. I guess it is just a habit. It sure makes it hard to know when to feed her. I don't want to let her cry but I don't want to always be shoving a bottle or boob in her mouth.

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

Re: Finger and Hand sucking not always hunger?

My DD does that too now. She is 2 weeks older than yours. She also sucks her top lip. I just feed my DD every 3-4 hours like Charly said. She will definitely cry when she is really hungry. Plus, she gets more fussy than normal.

Babies like to suck from what im told and its quite normal for them to suck their hands. I feel like everyday, now that she is getting older, that she does something new.