About premature baby body language
Premature babies have different body language from term babies. This is because premature babies are less mature, smaller, more sensitive to touch and noise, and not as strong.
Your premature baby’s body language can tell you how they’re feeling. For example, your baby’s feelings might show in their breathing rate, skin colour and body movements.
Your baby’s body language and responses will change as they get bigger and more mature. For example, your baby’s movements will become less jerky as their body becomes more coordinated.
As your baby gets older, you’ll see changes in alertness too. For example, very young premature babies might open their eyes and make eye contact only occasionally. But older premature babies gradually have more frequent and longer periods of being awake and alert. During these periods, they might make eye contact or calmly look around the room.
Your baby might have many different states of alertness throughout the day – for example, deep sleep, light sleep, drowsy, awake and fussy, and crying. Your baby might move between these states quickly and unpredictably.
Your baby’s body language might change from day to day. And it can change quickly. It might help to know that each day you’ll get to know your baby more and you’ll learn how to read their body language.
For help understanding your premature baby’s body language, talk to your nurse about what you’re noticing. They’ll be able to explain how your baby is feeling and what you can do to comfort your baby.
Your premature baby is feeling stressed or overwhelmed: body language
When premature babies are uncomfortable, overwhelmed or stressed, they’ll show this in their body language.
Your premature baby might:
- wake up or stay awake and be upset
- change from being alert to being drowsy or fussy
- have a distressed look on their face or a wrinkly forehead
- make jerky movements of their arms and legs, cover their face with their hands, or splay or fist their fingers and toes
- breathe faster or have a faster heart rate
- change skin colour – for example, go pale or red
- yawn, sneeze, hiccup, gag or spit up
- start crying – once they’re older and more mature.
If you see these signs while you’re handling your baby, slow down, gently move your baby into a curled-up position, or hold or wrap their arms together on their chest.
Our article on helping your baby feel calm in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has more tips on easing your baby’s discomfort.
Your premature baby is feeling relaxed: body language
You might be able to tell that your premature baby is relaxed and comfortable just by the fact that they aren’t showing any of the signs of being uncomfortable.
Here are signs that your baby is feeling OK. Your baby might have:
- regular, relaxed breathing
- a relaxed body
- gentler or smoother movements
- a still, alert face.
And if your baby wants to engage, they might seem very interested in looking at something, often your face. Their body will be quite still and their breathing slow.
When your baby is awake, alert and relaxed, it’s a good time to interact and bond with your baby. It’s also a good time to play with your baby by talking, cuddling, singing or making eye contact. You can watch your baby’s body language to see how they’re coping. If they need a break, you can try quiet activities like gentle holding and slow movements.