do babies root even when they aren't hungry?

[brunette&bubs]

so my baby has been eating a TON lately.
Yesterday he was practically attached to my breast.
Last night I breastfed him on and off for 2 hours then finally had to give him 3 oz. of EPM for him to settle to sleep.

Well this morning he was much better and took a 30 minute feed (instead of an hour long) and went 2 hr and 45 min in between the next feeding (when normally its a goal to make it to an hour)

So do babies root even when they aren't hungry?

I fed my LO for 30 minutes just now and he pulled off. A few minutes later he started crying and rooting again.
I went in and changed his diaper and his clothes and now he is happy as a clam in his swing.

I always assumed if he was crying and rooting, then put him on my breast

 

[summer rain]

Rooting is a reflex as well so they aren't always necessarily hungry when doing it, it doesn't hurt to try putting him to the breast if he is not hungry; he won't feed xx

 

[TigerLady]

They also root when they want to comfort suck.

And loads of feeding and sucking is normal for a growth spurt. The first one is at about 3 weeks, give or take. Your LO is the right age for it.

 

[Virginia]

My LO will root when she's not hungry...and if I try to put her to the breast, she roots my breast but refuses to latch, and if I keep trying to get her to latch, she'll start to cry...It is kind of frustrating because I thought she was rejecting me at first...but I guess it's just her...

 

[mystika802]

Yup, babies root ALL the time, I'd say if he's not throwing up a lot after a feed he's probably eating what he needs.

 

[kes_a]

my baby always wants to be on my boob.even when his not hungry.ill stick him on and a couple of mins later he nods off.or sometimes he will happily gently comfort himself but not really suck hard enough to get any milk as such.

 

[deobi]

yup but the rooting still often means thye want to be at the breast - for whatever reason.

A friend gave me the best advice, no matter the babies language (rooting, crying, generally unsettled etc) just put the baby to the breast. It's way less complicated than trying to dicipher what it is they are trying to say. In the first 3months this is usually 95% of the time the answer to all questions. If they pull off that's the other 5% so now do some investiagtion but always start on the boob!

 

[punk_pig]

If my baby roots on other people not just me then I know she's hungry but when I'm on my own and can't check using this method I go spare trying to work out what she wants.