As a first-time parent, I’m sure you have a bunch of questions. That’s okay, you’ve never walked down this lane before and you really don’t want to make a mistake while raising a kid. Baby humping is one of the things that probably bothers you right now.
Why is your baby making those silly moves? Is she just having fun, or should you be worried? I’m sure that you found it funny when you noticed your little human bouncing, but after a while, you started wondering if there was a hidden message behind it.
Well, there’s always a reason why babies are behaving silly. Your baby’s not trying to amuse you, at least not every single time she’s humping. So, why is she doing that? Buckle up, we’re about to reveal the truth!
7 reasons why your baby is humping
As with all new things that your little human is doing, you have to check what baby humping means.
“Is she okay? Why is she “attacking” that pillow? Oh, my God, how embarrassing it is when she starts doing that while sitting on your friend’s lap…”
It’s okay, stop blushing. Your friend probably finds it adorable.
Baby humping is a pretty normal thing like thumb sucking, or bringing their favorite lovey everywhere they go. Here are all the reasons your baby is humping on things, and people, or just randomly starts doing so while she is crawling in the living room.
1. Your baby is humping because she’s soothing herself
A lot of things can stress out your baby that you don’t even notice or acknowledge as stressful.
Changing her daily routine or moving to a new place can be disturbing for your baby, even though you may think that there’s no reason for her to feel that way. Because of this, she may start with new soothing behaviors. Yes, that includes humping.
Try to figure out what’s bothering her and causing this kind of behavior. Is there a new person in the room? Did you adopt a new pet and your baby is not sure what’s happening? Perhaps you’ve moved into a bigger apartment because you have a kid now and she’ll eventually need her own room…
If you fail to solve the problem on your own, or you’re too worried to even think about it, consult with your pediatrician. The doctor will surely help you and offer some valuable advice, too.
2. She’s trying to fall asleep
Did you put your sweet baby to sleep but she’s put her butt up and started moving it periodically? You’ve noticed her bouncing before her nap, or right after you put her in the crib at night? And, that continues until she completely relaxes and falls asleep… What’s going on?
Generally, you shouldn’t worry about this kind of behavior since it will stop after a while. I bet that you won’t even notice when your kiddo quits doing it, but if you want to stop this without waiting, try soothing baths before bed and massaging your baby to help her calm down.
You can also take her into your arms and tap her on the back for some time until you notice that she’s relaxing. Reading bedtime stories is also effective since your voice is calming her down and it will also help your baby later with conversational skills.
3. She wants your attention
Do you pay attention to your baby as soon as she starts crying, screaming, or even humping? The task was successfully completed. She was doing that just to get your attention, and look at you; you’re doing exactly that.
Babies are smart and quickly learn that certain behaviors will make you look their way, quit whatever you were doing, and take care of them. If you’re sure that you’ve perfectly put her diaper on, and that’s not the reason for your baby humping, you’ll probably want to stop that.
Try not paying attention to her, until she calms down. Don’t give in, no matter how difficult it is for you to ignore your little angel. Also, make sure you give directions to other family members, so they wouldn’t jump in and play by her rules. Because, as long as your baby is getting attention, she’ll continue humping.
4. She has a skin rash
This is something that may worry you a bit. If your baby is humping and she starts doing that out of nowhere, it’s possible that she has a skin rash. You’ll be able to notice changes on her skin when you’re changing her diapers, so if you haven’t noticed anything, she’s good.
However, if your baby’s continuously humping, or touching her private parts, check with your pediatrician about the possible causes of this behavior. It’s possible that your little one only has tight clothes or diaper irritation in the lower part, or it could be something more serious like a urinary tract infection (UTI), or insect bite.
The doctor will provide you with useful information and ways to treat the problem that appeared, so don’t hesitate to contact him or her if you notice that something may be off.
5. She’s bored
What do you do when you’re bored? Do you listen to music, play some games, or do you take a brush in your hands and start working on a new masterpiece? Well, your kiddo still needs some time to learn all of that.
Because of that, there will be moments when your baby will start humping simply because she’s bored. This movement is amusing to her, so she may do it in those “critical” moments. Toddlers may reach out for their favorite teddy, or building blocks to play with, but if your angel is younger, she may opt for the bouncing activity.
To prevent this from repeating, make sure that she always has something to play with. Spend some time observing her behavior and try to notice some patterns. When is your baby humping? Are her toys out of her reach and she literally has nothing else to do? If so, you can easily solve this “problem.”
6. She likes it
Believe it or not, your baby may be humping because she likes it. She has no idea that this may look weird to you, so whatever you do, don’t embarrass her, or get mad.
Your baby may be humping on her stuffies, couch, seatbelts, pillows, or basically anything that comes in between her legs. She’ll quit doing this on her own soon enough, you just have to be patient.
Or, if you want to stop this behavior, without accepting it even for a short period of time, remove any object that your baby is humping on. If she starts humping on family members or your guests, make sure they don’t encourage her by laughing or showing any signs that it’s amusing for them.
Just bear in mind that this behavior is completely innocent so don’t think too much about it. Your baby likes it because it’s fun, and that’s about it.
7. She learned it from other kids
How do kids generally learn new things? Either from adults or their peers, right? Well, if your baby started humping all of a sudden, she probably noticed that other kids in her surrounding do the same, so she gave it a shot.
This is specifically happening if your kid is going to daycare, or spends a lot of time with her siblings or cousins that are approximately the same age. It’s nothing to be worried about, but try to talk with your baby if she’s big enough to understand what you’re saying.
In case we’re talking about a toddler that still doesn’t understand what you’re vocalizing, but other kids that she’s spending time with can, approach them and explain that humping isn’t appropriate. If she doesn’t have an example to follow, your baby should stop humping soon.
How should you behave when your baby is humping on things or people?
First things first, don’t panic. Also, don’t start screaming at your baby because she’s humping, or try to lecture her. She’s still too little to understand that her behavior is not appropriate. Take a deep breath and then develop a plan that you’ll stick to.
As soon as you notice that your baby is bouncing randomly, or humping on things or people, try to stop it. If you suspect that there are stressors in her environment, remove them, or at least minimize their effect on your kiddo.
Also, don’t hesitate to contact a pediatrician if you notice any changes on your baby’s skin, or if she changes her behavior in general. She may have some health issues that need to be solved ASAP.
Figure out the main cause for this kind of behavior and act upon it. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to do it on your own. Ask someone for help, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. You only want what’s best for your kid, there’s no doubt about that, and anyone will seldom judge you for doing so.
Read this: Why Does My Baby Grab My Face? 7 Adorable Reasons
