First Time Mom Seeking Advice About 2 Month Old Grunting

Most physical and mental problems are allergy related. NAET.com for allery eliminations.

Or he may be being attacked by a satellite sytem. You may want to track when this happens and exactly what happens. Try the allery eliminations and also do the tracking.

be well.

N.

My boy was a big time grunter at that age. I think it lasted for a few months then it was gone.

Enjoy him!!!!

Sounds right on. My breastfeeding daughter did the exact same thing. Good for you for nursing!

My 9 month old still makes that breathy panting noise right before I nurse him, it's just his way of telling me he is ready to eat!! the headshaking freaked me out too (as I am also a first time mom) but my ped assured me that it was normal.Lastly, the hand thing seems pretty common b/c my son and a handful of my friends's babies also do it. hope that helps and gives you a little reassurance!!

Your baby is hungry.
These are NORMAL key "hunger cues" that a baby does, anytime they are hungry.
Feed on demand... ALWAYS, no matter how frequently a baby is hungry. They NEED the sustenance.

I recommend the book: "What To Expect The First Year" which you can find at any bookstore or online even at www.amazon.com
It is a MUST for a new Mom.

Also keep in mind, that at growth-spurt periods, a baby can even "cluster feed" meaning they even will need to feed even every hour....
never go longer than 3 hours without a feeding, and do NOT feed according to a "schedule" or a baby will NOT get enough intake.... always feed on demand, 24/7, day or night.
At growth-spurts, a baby will be hungrier and will want to feed.

Make sure your baby is latching onto the breast properly, and you have adequate milk production... if not, a baby will ALWAYS be hungry and not be satisfied after a feeding. You can ask your Pediatrician or a Lactation Consultant.
A baby's mouth, should be encircling the ENTIRE aereola/nipple, not just the tip of the nipple, to feed properly.
Drinks LOTS of water, during nursing and all day... this aides milk production, and eat healthily.

All the best,
Susan

It's absolutely normal. It's part of the behavior called "rooting," which means he's looking for something he knows is there (or should be there), like his food source. Relax. :) When his vision and coordination improve, he may not do it as often, or he may be one of those babies who continues to swing his head back and forth rapidly and make noise as part of his, "Yay, here comes the food" behavior.

I felt the same way when my boy was doing some of those things! Definitely ask the ped everything and anything... all they can say is - it's normal. Which I think it is! My baby boy has been rocking his head back and forth to go to sleep for a LONG time. Now that he is bigger and mainly sleeps on his tummy, he bangs his head down onto his mattress over and over. I also posted a question on this board about it b/c it freaked me out so! There was a time when he was little like yours when he was hitting himself when I was putting him down to sleep - the doc just said its how he's soothing himself. I think like 10% of babies do this. HOpefully they will outgrow it. It's totally freaky to first time mom's but I think it's OK b/c they are only doing it for sleep.

Your son will do many things you will wonder about :)

I would assume that is what he does when he's really hungry and can't find the food right away. Sometimes babies do things (like the opening and closing hands you described), right as they start to get more control of their body, or when they realize they can do them. Don't worry about it, he sounds completely normal.

That is all very normal. I know what you mean by freakish when they move their head back and forth. It is kindof crazy, but he is just hungry. As for the grunting, I'm not sure how much he is doing it, but my son grunted a lot when he was first born. It seemed almost like gas or upset stomach. I know you are nursing, but in case you stop or whatever, I will still let you know. We switched him to the formula with partially broken down whey protein, and we noticed a difference after only a day. Enjoy your new baby.

It's actually kind of an instinct feeding thing.
Have you ever watched a kitten wanting to eat, they do the same thing, they can't see all that well so they move their heads back and forth to try to feel the nipple against their cheeks. And the hand thing is a kneading relflex that against mommas breast actually helps stimulate milk flow.
Once he gets older it gets kind of funny. When I would lay my son in my lap to undo my bra he would get all excited and move around, it was just his way of saying, "come on mom, hurry, hurry, I'm so excited to eat! Gimme the good stuff!"
Good Luck!

Totally sounds normal. He is rooting for your boob. The head thing is freaky, but normal too! He is actually soothing himself. It freaked me out with my dd big time until I found out what she was doing. They usually do it when trying to fall asleep. Good luck and congrats.

It does sound like probably just a hunger thing, unless he does it after being fed, too? I've also heard of babies moving their heads side to side as a self-soothing method. My husband's cousin's daughter does that every time before she falls asleep.

Hello C.. The grunting is ok, but you might want to make sure it's not signs of gas (if it is, give him some Mylicon or gently rub his tummy) or constipation. The head movement is called rooting and is absolutely normal. At this age, his sense of smell is way better than his sense of sight, so he smells your milk, knows it's near, and is trying to find the appropriate way to turn - he's not very coordinated yet! The hand thing is pretty normal also, but I recently found out (after I had my son in March) that when a baby's hands flare open and stay open, that they are actually in distress. You'll notice that he'll open his hands like that if there is a loud noise, or if he's unhappy, etc.. Just remember, the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask :)

Sounds to me like he's rooting and looking for the boob. I would just breastfeed him as soon as he starts doing this. These are early signs of hunger and it's much better to feed them when they show early signs like this than when they are starving, crying, and too upset to be able to latch on properly.

Aaaah... your little baby is just looking for the breast. I remember some of those movements. What a precious time. Enjoy!

Is he moving his head from side to side with his mouth open, like the mouth is trying to find your nipple? My son did this when he was smaller. I think it's normal (and also kind of hilarious). I think they just get really worked up about the milk at that age.
As for the grunting, my son was the LOUDEST sleeper you could imagine. Grunting, whining, crying, you name it. I couldn't sleep in the same room with him, and I got up with him at night many more times than were necessary because I heard him crying in his sleep. My best advice to you is to leave him if you hear a cry, just wait until it turns into full-on crying to pick him up.
Good luck and congratulations!

C.,

I think I might know what your talking about. Both my children did that. I thought they might be "working up" the nipple to get a good latch. It seemed like they were trying to find something that was right in front of them. And they would cry too. They would pull off and on, off and on. I found out by trial and error, that it was either a burp or they just wanted their soother but no more milk. Most of the time it was the latter. If it is a burp (or gas), they are uncomfortable and don't know what to do to soothe themselves except to nurse, even though they don't want more milk, so they sometimes cry and get frantic. If they were too worked up, the best thing was to go back and forth between nursing and the soother. A lot of newborns are terrible at keeping the soother in, so you just have to hold it there. Newborns like the hospital brand best. They now sell it in Babies'rUs in blue (teal)and pink. If this side to side movement is only upon waking up and at the beginning of a feeding, it is totally normal and they're just working you up for a good latch. I think that is the cutest when they do that. And yes they do breathe a little quickly :)

The grunting could be due to gas and a need to do a poo..or they may have to urinate. A common misconception is that babies don't know the difference and don't have any control or opposition to going pee in their diaper. When they are in your bed nursing, they may squirm and have a hard time getting to sleep if they have to pee first. The reason I know this is because I did "infant potty training" for both my kids starting at three months. But at two months old, the grunting is probably just gas. If he's fussing at the breast again like that, just burp him and alternate between nursing and the soother. Hope that helps!!!

C.

C. G

Congrats at being a first time mom, you have the right to ask all the questions you want. This is how you learn new things and also learn some of the old tested ways to help your children. You'll do just fine. It sounds like your son is wanting to feed. This is his way of asking for food, if you are still scared ask your pediatrician and he/she will guide you through the process. I know this doesn't seem like much information, but as each situation comes up, you can post it here for all kinds of advice from mothers (like me with grown children) and mothers with children from all ages.

Never be afraid to ask questions, this is how we all learn new and old ideas that may or may not work for your children. You will find out with time. Good Luck.

Hi there
Cograts on the new baby. PERFECTLY NORMAL behavior called the "rooting reflex".

The rooting reflex is present at birth and assists in breastfeeding, disappearing at around four months of age as it gradually comes under voluntary control. A newborn infant will turn their head toward anything that strokes their cheek or mouth, searching for the object by moving their head in steadily decreasing arcs until the object is found. After becoming used to responding in this way (if breastfed, approximately three weeks after birth), the infant will move directly to the object without searching.

GOod luck

Sounds to me like he's looking to get back to the nipple! The hands.....have you ever noticed him doing that on your breast while he is nursing? Sounds like you have a perfectly normal son :O) No questions are too strange. It's always better to ask when you wonder about something.

C. sounds completely normal to me! I have twin boys and one did most of the actions you are talking about and I wondered the same thing. Hes now 18 months and very bright and ahead of the game in many aspects.

My daughter would grunt and quickly turn her head when she was hungry. It sounds like rooting. I thought it was kind of cute, as I took it as her only way of expressing how hungry she was and how she wanted the boob RIGHT NOW. I guess if this goes on right after you've feed him, double check with your pediatrician that he is getting enough food/growing enough.

Enjoy all of the oddities because they soon outgrow them and move onto something else.

Best of luck,
liz