Communication in Babies

Parents/guardians may find that they struggle with understanding the wants and needs of their baby. This can be especially true (and frustrating!) during their earliest stages of infancy when it seems that all they do is eat, sleep, and cry.

However, when you learn to observe their behaviors you will find that your little one, is in fact, constantly communicating! Babies are ready communicators from birth, able to utilize their primary methods of vocalizations, facial expressions, and body language to express themselves to us.

1

Perhaps the most obvious yet most overlooked form of communication babies use is that of body language. We can infer a lot from the way that a little one moves or how they are presenting! A baby's body may convey:

• Relaxation

• Excitement

• Sleepiness

• Frustration

• Hunger

Through many different movements, babies express emotion and even intent (Ex: A baby may push around or thrash their limbs about in frustration with an outfit or swaddle. They may reach or grab around in curiosity, or wave their arms and legs in excitement). Emotions may seem easier to determine than needs such as hunger or rest, but it is important to be able to recognize the signs. When babies are hungry they display hunger cues such as:

• Smacking lips

• Rooting

• Clenching fists

• Sticking tongue out

• Putting hands in mouth

• Headbutting or "pecking"

• Crying

When they are sleepy they display characteristics of exhaustion like:

• Rubbing eyes

• Pulling at hair/ears

• Yawning

• Zoning out

• Red eyes

• Crying

These are important yet generally unnoticed cues that when detected can help parents to better understand how to care for their baby. As your awareness heightens and you begin to better understand your baby, you may find that frustration dissipates and you feel more confident in your parenting.

2

Babies use their facial expressions widely and often, especially after the 3-month mark. It may seem much easier to determine what baby is trying to convey, however with a range of expressions such as:

• Pouts

• Grimaces

• Smiles

• Blank stares/hyper-focus

• Frowns

Things may get confusing (Ex: Baby looks upset during a generally calm or happy moment.) and leave you unsure of what to do for baby in a moment of expression. In many instances, simply doing nothing can be the right thing. Babies are constantly learning, they are observing and taking in information about how to interact with their newfound surroundings, and as they do, life elicits emotion from them. It makes sense to us that if they touch something scratchy, they may grimace and make noise to express their distaste. If they find a certain toy particularly amusing they may smile, if they are uncomfortable they will fuss and pout.

But what about the blank stares? This can be a cause of worry for some parents but remember there is a difference between being mesmerized and being nonresponsive. A nonresponsive baby may be cause for concern as by definition they aren't responding as they should (for their age/developmental stage) to one or more sensory stimuli. But a mesmerized or very quiet baby is often captivated somehow and trying to process a lot of information at once.

3

We are probably most familiar with a baby's vocalizations. These come in the form of:

• Grunts

• Growls

• Laughs

• Coos

• Gurgles

• "Fussing"

• Crying

Of course, these sounds often mean different things within the context of the situation at hand, and while that may seem difficult to decipher, most parents find that as they deepen their bond with their child, it becomes almost second nature to understand what their baby requires based solely off of their vocalizations. If you doubt yourself, as almost every parent does, please know that the power of parental intuition, is incredibly strong. The more bonding time you spend with your little one the more instinctual understanding you acquire.

"No One Knows Your Baby Better Than You Do"

- Anonymous