A good way to master the right breastfeeding balance is to nurse when your baby seems hungry. Don’t wait for tears; by then, your little one may be uncomfortably hungry, especially the longer she cries. She might be tiny but she’ll make her needs known by:

• Nuzzling against your breasts
• Sucking furiously on that little baby hand — or your shirt, or your arm
• Opening her mouth
• Rooting reflex, baby opens her mouth and turns her head to the side with her mouth open to find the food source, often after her cheek is stroked
• Sucking on her lip or tongue, which can look like she’s sticking her tongue out
• Making lip-smacking sounds
• If she does cry, it will typically be a short, low-pitched wail that rises and falls