Babies communicate with their parents using their facial expressions and their body movements before they can speak.
‘Cues’ are the signals that your baby gives to let you know how they feel or what they need. This is your baby’s way of talking and communicating.
When you begin to understand your baby’s cues, you’ll feel more confident to respond back and your baby will feel more content and happier.
What are the cues telling us about your baby's needs now? There are different states your baby will be in, and their cues help us understand
Ready to Relate – When you baby is showing you that they want to interact with you
Time to Change – When your baby is showing you signs that they need something different – a break, a rest, to be comforted
Too Much – When your baby is showing you that things are overwhelming and they need some time out, a break or a rest
Distressed – Understanding how to soothe and comfort your baby when they are distressed
Crying – Understanding what happens when your baby cries and ways of responding
Do not disturb – Understanding your baby’s deep sleep and active sleep
More information
All babies show what are called ‘engagement’ and ‘disengagement’ cues. Signals that communicate what their experience in the moment. Engagement cues are letting us know that baby feels comfortable and that they like what is going on around them. Disengagement cues are letting us know that baby feels uncomfortable, upset, or need a change. Both engagement and disengagement cues are important. We want our babies to be able to tell us when things are good and we want our babies to share when things don’t feel ok. That way we can better understand our babies. When we understand our babies we can respond more sensitively to them.
When a parent or carer manages to understand those cues, identifies what their baby wants and helps the baby, just enough, to achieve them, the baby will feel more content.
Have a look at the videos below.
In this first video, you can see Mum and baby playing, the baby is giving engagement cues and the Mum is responding.
In his second video, you see the same Mum and baby playing, can you see the disengagement cues that the baby gives? Can you see how the Mum responds to this and stops playing and gives the baby a break from the intensity of the game
Recognising different ‘states’
Did you know that your baby has six different states of consciousness?
- 2 of these are sleep states
- 4 are waking states
By state, we mean a group of characteristics that often occur together; body activity, eye movements, facial movements, breathing pattern, and level of response to things happening to them (like them being touched or spoken to) and what is happening for them (feeling hungry or feeling playful or tired).
By being attentive you can observe and tune into your baby’s patterns and cues and come to understand your baby’s sleeping and wake cycles and habits.
This awareness will help you respond more confidently to their needs and you can help support your baby in these different states and as they move from one state to another – this is called ‘regulation’
These six different sleep and awake states support your baby’s different needs:
- Their physical needs (sleep, food, nappy change, to be comforted and comfortable)
- Their need to deal with conditions and stimuli (loud noises, lots of people, bright lights, etc.)
- Their need for interaction and company (play, conversation, touch, mutual gaze and mirroring between you and them)
Sleep States
Deep/Quiet Sleep
Body movement
Nearly still, except for very occasional startle or twitch
Eye movement
None
Facial movement
None, except for occasional sucking movement at regular intervals
Breathing pattern
Smooth and regular
Level of response
Only more obvious disturbances like loud sounds or heavier touch will wake your baby.
How to respond
Your baby needs their deep sleep, it’s a chance for them to recharge to give their brains a break. In this state your baby doesn’t need anything from you, they just need to rest. This is a good time for you to get some rest too.
The threshold to sensory stimuli is very high during quiet sleep. Caregivers trying to feed an unresponsive infant in quiet sleep will find the experience frustrating. Feeding will be more pleasant if nurses and parents respect the infant’s needs by waiting until the infant moves to a higher, more responsive state. Even if caregivers use disturbing stimuli, chances are the infant will arouse only briefly, then return to quiet sleep.
Light Sleep/REM Sleep
Body movement
Some body movements
Eye movement
Rapid eye movements (REM); fluttering of eyes beneath closed eyelids
Facial movement
May smile briefly in their sleep and make brief fussy or crying sounds
Breathing pattern
Irregular
Level of response
The infant is more aware of their own needs (hunger) and any external things happening (handling or sounds) than when in quiet or deep sleep. When these things occur the infant may remain in active sleep, return to quiet sleep, or arouse.
How to respond
Active sleep is associated with processing and storing of information and has been linked to learning. It accounts for the highest proportion of newborn sleep and usually precedes wakening. Due to brief fussy or crying sounds during this state, caregivers who are not aware that these sounds normally occur may try to feed infants before they are ready to eat.
- Most of sleep time is in this state
- Breathing is irregular
- Eyes closed with rapid eye movement, eyelids may “flutter” a lot
- Grimaces, mews, mouths, smiles—lots of expression
- Body may be more active—arms and legs in particular
- May make sounds, cries, gurgles
- Responds to stimuli; more easily aroused
- Cycles back into deep sleep or into waking up
Your baby is in a sleep state. This is a time to stay curious and pay attention—you may or may not need to do anything for them.
Newborns will spend about 16 hours a day either in the Deep Sleep or Light Sleep states. This will typically be in 1-4 hour stretches of sleep due to the need for a newborn to eat every 2-3 hours.
Waking States
Drowsy State
Body movement
Variable activity level with some mild startles, body movements are usually smooth
Eye movement
Eyes occasionally open and close, are heavy-lidded or slit-like.
Facial movement
May have some facial movements. Often none, and face appears still.
Breathing pattern
Irregular
Level of response
Infants react to touch or sounds although their responses are sometimes delayed. A change to quiet alert, active alert or crying after stimulation is quite common.
How to respond
To awaken infants, caregivers can provide something for infants to see, hear, or suck. If infants are left alone and not stimulated, they may return to a sleep state.
- Breathing is irregular
- Eyes are open or closed
- Relaxed facial expression
- Some startling, but less jerky
- External movements or sounds can stimulate or lull to sleep
This is a good time for gentle soothing such as bouncing, rocking, patting, walking with them in your arms, swaying—often in some combination.
Quiet Alert
Body movement
Minimal
Eye movement
Eyes brighten and widen.
Facial movement
Attentive appearance.
Breathing pattern
Regular
Level of response
During this state, infants are most attentive to the environment, focusing attention on anything going on around them, sounds and touch.
How to respond
Immediately after birth, many newborns experience intense alertness before a long sleeping period. As infants become older, they spend more time in this state. Providing something for infants to see, hear, or suck will often maintain this state or help them enter a quiet-alert state from a drowsy or active alert state. Infants in this state provide pleasure and positive feedback to caregivers. This is a good time to feed the infant
- Regular breathing
- Bright eyes, fixed gaze
- Focus on parent; can mimic
- Engaged with environment
- Minimal body activity, body is relaxed
- Stimuli is engaging—bonding time
This is when infants most effectively absorb information. This is a great time to sing, talk, play. It’s also a good time for feeding.
Active Alert
Body movement
Variable activity level with mild startles interspersed. Movements usually smooth.
Eye movement
Eyes are open, with dull, glazed appearance.
Facial movement
May have some facial movements. Often none, and face appears still.
Breathing pattern
Irregular
Level of response
Infants react to sensory stimuli, although responses are delayed. With stimulation, the infant may change to quiet alert or crying.
How to respond
Infants may fuss and become increasingly sensitive to disturbing stimuli (hunger, fatigue, noise, excessive handling). Infants may become more active and cry. Fatigue or caregiver interventions often interrupt this state, allowing infants to return to a drowsy or sleep state.
- Breathing irregular or regular
- Eyes open, but less engaged
- Active face/body
- Sensitive to stimuli
In this state, babies are at their most active. They can be easily become over-stimulated and move into fussiness. They are more sensitive to internal stimuli (I’m hungry, I need my nappy changing, I need to be held) and external stimuli (it’s too loud, too bright, too many people).
Noticing when your baby is moving into an active alert state or towards fussiness, is a perfect time for interventions that work toward slowing them down or moving them back to a quiet alert state. You can do this by: speaking softly, singing, soothing, humming, rocking, gently cuddling baby.
Crying
Body movement
Increased arm, leg and body activity. Skin colour darkens or changes to red or ruddy.
Eye movement
Eyes may be tightly closed or open
Facial movement
Grimaces
Breathing pattern
More irregular than in other states.
Level of response
Infants are extremely responsive to unpleasant external or internal stimuli
How to respond
An infant cries in response to unpleasant stimuli. The infant’s limits have been reached. Sometimes infants can console themselves but this is normally something they have to learn over time and initially they need your help to comfort and soothe them.
- Breathing irregular—jagged with cries
- Eyes open or shut
- Overly stimulated/disorganized
- Can become red or mottled
In this state, your baby will not be receptive to new information or sensations. This is their direct way of asking you for help and you need to respond to them—picking them up, soothing them, changing their diaper, or just holding them.
Crying is often a late sign that baby is hungry—a crying baby may not be able to eat immediately and may need to be soothed before being able to nurse or take a bottle.
Activities
Activity 1 - Spot the cues
Look at these different photos
What cues do you think these babies are making?
What about your own baby? What cues are they giving you now?
Learning cues