How to wake a newborn for feeding?

Should I wake my newborn for feedings at night?

In the first 2-3 months after birth, breastfeeding at night is important for several reasons:

Stimulation of lactation. Setting up this process takes place over one to three months. Proper feeding during this period ensures the success of breastfeeding, no matter how long it lasts. The hormone prolactin is synthesized in the brain (pituitary gland), which controls milk production. After childbirth, its level in the blood increases significantly. Prolactin is characterized by daily fluctuations: the highest concentration in the blood of a nursing mother is recorded from 5 to 7 am. And it is breast sucking that stimulates production. If the baby sleeps all night for various reasons, it is extremely important for the mother to wake him up 2 or even 3 times and breastfeed in order to establish lactation. This ensures successful milk production throughout the day.
The child's condition: he was born with low weight and is not gaining weight well; it is difficult for him to suckle for a long time due to health problems, so he is fed in small portions, etc. In this case, the baby needs the number of feedings to be increased, including at night.
Threat of congestion in the chest. At the initial stage of breastfeeding, when the level of prolactin is not stable, the mother is sometimes threatened with lactostasis. If they are not dealt with in time, the phenomenon turns into mastitis. The result is premature forced termination of breastfeeding. To prevent such sad consequences, mothers even have to wake up the baby for feeding. This way the breasts don’t become full, the ducts don’t get clogged, and the milk comes out well. No matter how sorry it is for the sleeping eater, the mother must understand that he is able to quickly and efficiently solve the problem.
Lactation crisis, when you need to put the baby to the breast more often. This is a kind of inventory of the mother’s body: is this amount of milk required, or can resources be saved? If night feedings are reduced during this period, there is a high probability that over time the baby will have to be supplemented with formula feeding.

Do I need to wake up my baby to feed?

There is a lot of debate about whether you should wake your baby for feeding. On the one hand, the baby is sleeping - mother, rejoice! Mind your own business, relax. However, not everything is so rosy. Pediatricians in many countries agree that a child should be woken if he sleeps for more than five hours in a row. The fact is that such a long sleep without a break for food is quite harmful; the baby may become exhausted. This is especially true for children who gain weight poorly and grow slowly. This is also true for premature babies - they need to be fed more often and more.

There are two types of feeding - on demand and according to the schedule. If you feed your baby on demand, you can afford not to wake your baby until he wakes up on his own. If you choose to feed by the hour, you cannot break the schedule. The child must eat at the set time, otherwise the entire schedule will go down the drain.

The need to wake up the baby for feeding also ensures peace of mind for the mother. If the baby does not breastfeed for a long time, mastitis may occur, and the milk in the glands will begin to sour. Frequent or hourly feeding is also important for those who suffer from insufficient lactation. If you have little milk, you should definitely feed your baby between 3 and 8 am, at least a couple of times. This is explained by the fact that the hormone prolactin is produced precisely during this period - the pre-dawn time. Stimulating the nipple and feeding the baby at this time increases the amount of milk produced.

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Should I wake up during the day?

In the first few months after birth, the baby should eat at least every 2-3 hours. Even feeding on demand usually leads gradually to the involuntary establishment of such a schedule, and the baby himself maintains it. In this case, he sleeps often, waking up on his own.

But there are situations in which even daytime sleep can be longer, and the mother wonders whether it is worth waking her up for food. It is important to know that the feeding regime still needs to be maintained, because a newborn can easily become dehydrated. The volume of the stomach is still very small, and it is important for the mother to ensure that the baby does not remain hungry for a long time.

You should wake up your newborn for feeding during the day if:

The baby is premature or low birth weight, and it is important to bring it to normal weight.
A child weakened by difficult or protracted labor often sleeps a lot to regain strength. But sleep alone will not help him with this; such a baby needs to be fed in small portions and more often.
The child sleeps more than 4 hours. This is too long a break for a child up to two or three months. The consequences can be an uncontrolled drop in blood sugar and dehydration. It will be more difficult for him to even wake up in such conditions.
A nursing mother takes medications as prescribed by a doctor that make the baby drowsy. You should discuss the situation with your pediatrician. It may be necessary to either change the medication or strictly adhere to the breastfeeding schedule.
The baby wets less than 8-9 diapers per day. This indicates a lack of milk for growth and development; you need to feed more often.
There will be a separation from the child for a while or a trip during which he will most likely fall asleep. It is better to wake him up in advance for feeding and dressing, even if there is concern that the routine will change a little.

When such prolonged sleep sessions of more than 3-4 hours occur periodically or constantly during the day, you need to work with your pediatrician to figure out why the baby sleeps too long during the day. This may be dictated by a number of congenital neurological problems, which are best recognized and addressed as early as possible.

Should I wake my newborn?

Many pediatricians do not recommend waking children up for feeding. The child wakes up on his own when he begins to feel hungry. If you wake him up during sleep, this can cause disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Such a baby will suffer from insomnia and become capricious and whiny.

But there are a number of situations when it is necessary to wake a newborn:

the child is weakened, premature . Such a baby can fall asleep without experiencing discomfort. To gain body weight and strengthen the immune system, normal growth and development, he needs food;
the baby is sick . In this case, the baby can sleep for a very long time. Long breaks in eating can negatively affect the functioning of his body and the baby may weaken even more.

If a newborn wakes up to feed less than once every 3 hours, but at the same time gains weight well, is completely healthy (he has regular bowel movements, a sufficient amount of urination, tests are normal), then this means that this feeding regimen is quite enough for him and then you should not wake up the baby.

When is the best time to let your baby sleep?

A child’s weight is one of the main indicators of development in the first few months. If the baby, as expected, gains within the normal range from examination to examination, and regularly soils diapers during the day, there is no need to worry about missing one or two feedings during the day. Let him sleep. This happens when you have just started a massage course for a child who is quite tired from a new type of activity.

Weight loss, developmental delays, uneven growth spurts noted at a pediatrician’s appointment are indicators that on-demand feeding should also be supplemented by a schedule. In this case, the mother strictly monitors: the baby should not skip day and night feedings on his own initiative.

We have brought to your attention repeated episodes of prolonged sleep. If this happened once or twice, then the mother herself can decide whether she needs to wake the child up to eat. You can wait for natural awakening, feed and monitor the further behavior and condition of the baby.

How to Wake Up a Breastfeeding Baby

Sometimes, looking at a sleeping baby, a young mother wonders: how to wake up a newborn for feeding? Each baby has its own individual sleep pattern, and accordingly, a feeding schedule is drawn up. It is considered normal if a newborn sleeps an hour longer than the prescribed time. But if sleep takes longer, this is fraught with failure of the feeding regime, which is extremely undesirable. In order for the baby to eat on time, the mother should learn how to wake him up correctly.

Feeding: techniques

By the hour. Everyone has probably heard about this method from their grandmothers. Many young mothers still use the method of feeding by the hour. The bottom line: the baby is fed strictly every 4 hours. With such a schedule, the question of “whether to wake the baby” disappears by itself. If the baby falls asleep during the day at the appointed time for meals, he must be woken up. Over time, the child will get used to the schedule, but it is worth remembering that such a schedule can cause constant stress, impaired lactation in the mother and stomach problems in the newborn.

On demand. At first, the newborn can be put to the breast several times an hour. Then the baby develops his own individual meal schedule. The bottom line: when using this technique, it is not necessary to strictly adhere to feeding times. You should not wake the baby, because the next time he latches on to the breast, he will take the missing amount of food.

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When parents decide whether to wake their baby to feed, they must take into account his age and body weight. For example, prolonged sleep of a three-day-old baby with low weight for more than 2 hours in a row should alert the mother. This may indicate the presence of stomach diseases or immune problems. In order to find out the reason for prolonged sleep, a consultation with a pediatrician is necessary. If the child is completely healthy, there is no need to disturb his sleep, even if he sleeps for 4-5 hours in a row. For weak babies who gain weight slowly, going too long between feedings can be dangerous. They require intensive breastfeeding and more food. In such cases, it is simply necessary to disturb the baby's sleep.

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Before deciding whether to wake the baby for feeding or not, parents should observe his routine for some time. A few weeks will be enough to make sure that the baby is healthy and has a good appetite. If a child is drowsy, capricious and does not eat well, this is a reason to immediately seek advice from a specialist.

Today, there are many recommendations regarding how to properly wake a newborn for feeding. It is known that due to the characteristics of a child’s body, a baby can sleep soundly and deeply. Waking him up is sometimes difficult. It is very important to do this correctly in order to cause as little stress as possible to the child’s body. The recommendations are as follows. You need to take care of soft light in the nursery. Bright lighting is unacceptable, you can close the curtains. Holding a newborn baby in your arms, you should walk around the room with him, stroking his back and head. You can quietly sing a song while doing a massage: take turns bending and unbending your arms and legs. Often this is enough for the baby to wake up, then he can be fed.

It is not necessary to wake the child completely. Enough for him to start suckling. To do this, you need to take the baby in your arms, stroke his cheeks or lips and expose his chest. As a rule, the newborn begins to suck it without really being awake. If your baby is sleeping very soundly, you can change his clothes. Then he will wake up, loudly expressing his displeasure.

The main thing is not to wake the child too abruptly.

There are situations when the baby cannot sleep, screams and behaves excitedly. In this case, the question of whether it is necessary to wake him up for feeding disappears. The child’s body, accustomed to the schedule, wakes up at the right time. Most often, such children need to be fed at least once at night.

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In the first days of a baby's life, excessive sleepiness is normal. But there may be other reasons: difficult childbirth, use of medications, etc. How can you help your newborn stay awake and continue breastfeeding? Recommendations:

Raise and lower the baby's arm until he continues to suck.
You can lift your leg or blow lightly on your baby's face.
Remove diapers or clothing.
Wipe the baby's face with a damp cloth.
Talk quietly and gently to your baby.

It is important to remember that drowsiness interferes with the baby’s smooth feeding schedule, so the mother should pay special attention to this.

If a child is hungry, he will begin to cry and be capricious, and this is unnecessary stress for both him and his parents.

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Feeding at night is an important factor in proper breastfeeding. Due to its characteristics, the child is not able to arrange long intervals between meals, so he needs to be fed systematically and regularly.

Night feedings are also beneficial for the mother: sucking stimulates milk production well. Neglecting this can cause indigestion in the newborn, as well as problems with milk production in mothers.

Does baby wake up for feedings at night? If a baby sleeps with his mother, he almost never wakes up completely for night feedings. As a rule, the baby makes movements with his lips, and then the mother applies the breast to him. The baby's sleep process is not interrupted, which is good for the mother.

Do I need to wake up my baby for feeding? Some children wake up on their own when they feel hungry, and some do not always do this on their own. If the newborn does not wake up, he needs to be woken up.

Does your baby often wake up for night feedings? Age and individual needs are factors that determine how often your baby will wake up during the night. Some babies may do this several times. Babies who are on the verge of finishing breastfeeding may not wake up at all at night.

It is inherent in nature that babies sleep exactly as much time as their body requires. As a rule, newborns are able to develop their own individual feeding schedule.

If the baby is gaining weight normally, is healthy and cheerful, this process should not be interfered with. But if you have problems with appetite and sleep disorders, you should consult your pediatrician.

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How to wake up a child

In order for your son or daughter to latch onto the breast correctly, feel full and maintain a good-natured mood, it is important to know how to properly wake up a child. After all, no one likes a sudden awakening, and in a baby this can easily cause prolonged crying.

There are several ways to wake up a newborn for feeding:

Try undressing him, leaving only his diaper on. Cool air in the room will cause discomfort and dissatisfaction.
Pick him up and carry him around the room, without squeezing him too close. Changing position can interrupt sleep.
If the previous methods do not work, you can place the baby on his stomach across your knees, holding his head. Uncomfortable posture and the need to balance will disrupt the comfort of sleep.

Well-known breastfeeding consultant Nina Zaichenko advises in this case to turn the child lying in his arms from side to side. Or lightly touch the so-called nasolabial triangle with your fingers. Activation of nerve endings in the skin in this area causes the latch reflex in newborns.

How to gently wake up a baby?

If the baby is sleeping and a lot of time has passed since the previous feeding, then you need to wake him up. It is important to do this carefully so that the baby does not get scared and does not experience insomnia in the future.

Ways to wake up a newborn for feeding in the hospital:

take the baby in your arms and place his head on your shoulder. Changing position will lead to awakening;
begin to open the baby, removing diapers, changing the diaper. This must be done carefully, slowly. The advantage of this method is that the child wakes up gradually. Also, the newborn needs to cool down before eating. Otherwise, the baby may refuse to breastfeed due to the heat;
stroke the newborn’s cheeks, forehead, arms;
take the baby in your arms. Place it in a vertical position, holding the head. If the baby does not wake up, then you should put him down and start stroking his back.

If you need to wake up your baby as quickly as possible without scaring him or causing him to become capricious, you should create the appropriate conditions in the room. The room should not be too bright. Babies have very sensitive eyes. If the baby is exposed to bright light from lamps or direct rays of the sun, he will automatically close his eyes. In a room with dim lighting, the child, on the contrary, will begin to wake up.

When the newborn wakes up, he should feel his mother nearby. Therefore, a woman should be in close contact with her child. When the baby opens his eyes, the mother needs to smile, stroke him and say kind words. Then the baby will not be afraid.

How to feed if a sleepy baby is reluctant to eat

It is important to consider that after childbirth, the child, like the mother, needs to recover and get rid of the effects of stress. During a natural birth, he spends a lot of energy, so he may sleep a lot for several days. Also, the newborn may lose some of its weight during this time. And this is the norm.

It is important that on the third day after birth he begins to regain weight. Then the pediatrician at the maternity hospital will have no complaints against you. And for this, the baby needs to be fed more often. Moreover, it is important for a woman to take care of the formation of lactation. The smell of the mother nearby, carrying in the arms, stroking, even hygienic care of the baby form a strong bond between mother and child and allow the baby to develop confidence in the availability of the breast.

If the newborn is reluctant to wake up for feeding, it is necessary to offer him the breast every time he opens his eyes. And interrupt long-term dreams using the techniques described above.

How to Wake a Newborn

Do you like being woken up? The baby probably won't like it either. But this must be done, no matter how you look at it. Therefore, all actions should be as soft and gentle as possible. Do not scare the child under any circumstances, do not turn on bright lights, or shout “Rise.” You can frighten the baby and shake his nervous system. There are several ways to help you wake up your baby painlessly.

To begin, go to the crib and call your child's name in a quiet voice. Talk to him kindly, sing him a song, call him sweet words.
If the baby does not respond, you can gently stroke him. Run your hand over the head, arms, legs. Most babies wake up from their mother's warm touch.
To awaken a child, you can deprive him of warmth. Open your baby up to keep him cool; most babies react to changes in temperature. If your actions have not brought any results, start undressing the child.
You can start changing your baby's diaper. He will not be afraid of this action because it is familiar to him. On the contrary, changing a diaper is associated with feeding, which occurs before or after this process.
Move your baby's legs and arms. Active movements awaken even the sleepiest babies.
Some children wake up from their mother's tender kisses. Kiss your son or daughter on the ears, forehead, and hands. This way you can not only wake up your baby, but also convey incredible love and affection to him. The baby must be sure when waking up that he is moving from sweet dreams to an equally sweet reality.
Over time, many mothers find their own ways to wake up their baby. Sometimes it's just tickling. Tickle the little man in the area of his feet and your little one will certainly wake up.
Take the baby in your arms. Hold his body close to you, feel the warmth of a sleepy child. It is not only incredibly pleasant, but also effective. Once in an upright position, children quickly open their eyes. But do not forget to hold the baby’s head.
As soon as the baby opens his eyes, it is possible that he will immediately close them for further sleep. Don't let him do this. Talk to him kindly and make eye contact.
There are babies who sleep very soundly and are not affected by all these manipulations. If your baby is just that kind of sleepy, you can use water to wake him up. No, do not think that the child should be doused with a tub of cold water. You need to prepare warm water, moisten a sponge in it and wipe the baby’s face, arms and legs. Or simply put the baby in a bath with warm, comfortable water. After this, the child will definitely wake up.

When the baby wakes up, you will start feeding him. Don't be surprised if after two seconds of feeding the baby starts to fall asleep again - mom's breasts are so soothing! To prevent this from happening, wait until your baby is fully awake, change his clothes and diaper, play and talk to him before you start feeding him. If the baby still falls asleep, gently stroke his head while feeding, talk to him, finger his hand, change feeding positions.

The frequency of feeding a child depends on his age. Newborn babies eat every 2.5-3 hours, older children every 4-5 hours. At the age of six months, the child no longer needs night feedings; he wakes up only early in the morning when he is hungry. Children often suckle at the breast during illness, during teething. The rest of the feeding regimen is dictated by the needs of a particular baby.

Awakening can be different - abrupt and irritable or gentle, calm, soft. And it depends only on you in what mood your baby will wake up. Love your baby, wake him up right!

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What to do if your baby falls asleep while feeding

The so-called “lazy sucker” may refuse to breastfeed at the feeding stage, when it is necessary to make an effort to obtain hind milk, rich in fat. Every time he stops at the foremilk stage and falls asleep again, he does not receive enough nutrients and grows worse.

Stimulate his wakefulness by stroking his face, arms, legs during breastfeeding. At the beginning of the meal, when the baby is not yet full, remove the breast, and after a few seconds offer it again. Irritation and the desire to eat will prolong wakefulness. Changing the position to one that is not the most comfortable for him also helps. In a word, slowly stir up the child.

One of Nina Zaichenko’s advice for such “lazy people”: “We need to teach him to suckle the breast longer. Whenever the milk stops flowing into his mouth and he turns away, offer him a second one. I quickly got tired of this - change of position and again the first breast. This will gradually involve him in the process and teach him to spend more time eating.”

How to wake up for feeding

Each newborn is individual: one may wake up from a quiet sound, while another cannot be woken up even by the noise from a hammer drill. The best period for waking up a baby is the REM sleep phase, when the baby's pupils move under the eyelids and the baby begins to move his arms and legs. Neonatologists recommend several tips to help you lift your baby for feeding:

uncover the baby by removing the blanket or diaper;
change a diaper;
dim the light, since in bright light it is difficult for the baby to open his eyes;
if it’s hot at home, you need to undress the baby down to the diaper;
hold the newborn in a “column”;
in the evening, play only calm games;
wipe the baby’s cheeks and forehead with warm water;
shift the child to the right side and then to the left;
hold the baby to your chest;
talk to the baby, try to establish eye contact with him;
move your finger over the baby's lips;
put the baby from the mother on another bed;
place the baby on a flat surface;
wash the child with warm water;
massage the hands and feet of the newborn, give a back massage.

Signs that indicate that a child is hungry include smacking, fidgeting, and thumb sucking. If you notice your baby waking up, it's time to help him wake up.