How can I tell what mood my newborn's in?

Very often, your baby will mirror the mood you are in. When a baby sense that his/her mother is tired, stressed or anxious, the baby will react and appear anxious and needy. Similarly, the baby will be more relaxed and happy when he/she senses that his/her mother is calm and relax. A baby is able to discern his/her mother’s mood through non-verbal signals such as touch, eye contact, body language, facial expression, space, and distance. Babies also pick up on changes in their parents’ tones and manner of speaking. But in general, you can try to tell what mood your baby from their body language. Your baby’s body language tells you whether she’s wide awake and ready to play, uncomfortable, fussy, hungry or at different stages of sleep. Eventually you’ll learn to recognize their cues and what they tell you about your baby’s feelings. This helps you predict your baby’s patterns. As a guide, there are six different states that a baby’s behavior tends to fall under: - Deep sleep. Baby's eyes will be closed and still. His/her breathing will be regular and may make occasional startle. - Light sleep. This is also known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Baby's eyes will be closed, but may open briefly. He/she may move, startle and make the occasional sucking motion. - Drowsy. This is the baby's semi-dozing state. The baby is not fully asleep, but nearly there. His/her eyes open now and then, and movements are smooth. - Alert. Baby's eyes will be open. His/her attention will be focused and the baby will be still. - Active and alert. Baby will be bright-eyed. He/she move around and may make brief, fussy cries and startles. - Crying. Baby will cry hard in this state. He may squirm around and be difficult to soothe. Once you start recognizing these patterns, you will be able to respond to his/her behavior. For example, you may learn that you need to rouse your baby a little before a feed. Or that he needs to be in an alert state before he starts playing happily. For more information to help you decipher your baby’s mood: http://sg.theasianparent.com/your-emotions-affect-your-babys-mood/2/ http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/reading_baby_body_language.html http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1047903/understanding-your-newborn