Signs your baby shows when dialling up
Below, you'll find the signs your baby might show when her sympathetic nervous system is dialling up.
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No baby shows all of these signs, but you might also find baby does show quite a few of them as he dials up.
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Parents respond by experimenting with their two superpowers (frequent flexible feeds or sensory nourishment), as they do their best to help him dial back down.
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You don't need to worry that these are signs of a medical condition, like reflux, allergy, or gut pain or dysbiosis, even though you might often hear that. (If you have concerns about your baby's health, please see your GP.)
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You can find out about babies who cry a lot here.
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You can find out why a dialled up sympathetic nervous system interferes with easy baby sleep here.
| Signs baby is slightly dialled up | Signs baby is moderately dialled up | Signs baby is very dialled up |
|---|---|---|
| Grunting and groaning sounds | Grizzling sounds or crying | Crying and screaming |
| Back arching (that is, her lumbar spine is hyperextended with high muscle tone, sometimes referred to as a 'banana' back) | Back arching | Back arching |
| Stretching or writhing motions | Muscle tone increases further with body movements, draws up knees | Tight muscle tone, knees pulled up tightly towards tummy and fists clenched |
| Pulling a face | Face shows unhappiness and flushing | Flushed face screwed up tight with open mouth |
| Eyes may still be closed as he surfaces up out of sleep | Eyes open or closed | Eyes screwed up tight |
| Flatulence (farts), burps, stool, or vomits (pukes) | Flatulence (farts), burps, stool, or vomits (pukes) | Flatulence (farts), burps, stool, or vomits (pukes) |
