Do I need to wake the baby for feeding

In the first month of his life, a newborn baby spends more than 20 hours a day sleeping, and the rest of the time is spent on food. Often the baby falls asleep during feeding or sleeps too fast and too long, shifting the schedule of meals. How to organize sleep and feeding for a newborn baby?

Many pediatricians (especially the older generation) recommend feeding the baby every 2-3 hours. When it comes to night feedings, doctors often insist that a young mother wake her baby when he sleeps for a long time. Although in fact, not everything is so simple.

Do I need to wake a newborn for feeding

It is generally accepted that a long sleep of a newborn is right and good. Sleeping baby gives mom the opportunity to do household chores, take time for herself, just relax.

But a newborn, according to WHO pediatricians, cannot sleep for more than five hours: a child’s sleep lasting more than five consecutive hours can harm just as much as his absence. This is especially true for premature babies or children who are poorly gaining weight. In order to gain enough body weight, the child must eat well. A strict sleep and feeding regimen is not suitable for all infants, but an individual (mixed) feeding schedule will be comfortable for both mother and baby. This mode with intervals between feedings of not more than 3.5-4 hours will help establish lactation at mum and will provide satiety to the baby. Frequent application of the baby to the chest will ensure a sufficient flow of milk, as well as prevention mastitis.

Just a few years ago, pediatricians advised mothers to feed their children strictly at regular intervals. The length of time was 2-3 hours. After the studies, scientists found that newborns should be fed on demand. But many parents have seen from their own experience that it is better to use a mixed regime for feeding. It consists in feeding the baby on demand, but the interval between feedings should not exceed 4 hours.

Long breaks between feedings during breastfeeding can adversely affect both the baby and his mother:

• In newborns, a long interval between meals can cause dehydration, as well as a drop in sugar levels;
• In the mother, a break can cause stagnation of milk and a decrease in lactation.

When deciding whether to wake a baby in the GV for feeding, you should consider several factors.

Age

If the newborn sleeps for more than 3 hours - this is an occasion to think and consult a pediatrician. In the meantime, it is better to wake him up so that the baby eats, because in the first month of life, a long break between meals will almost certainly negatively affect the condition of the baby.

In older children, the interval between feedings increases and is 4 hours. If the baby, while feeding on demand, “wakes up” a little while eating, do not worry. The baby will wake up himself when his body needs it.

In children with IV and children who are gradually transferred to a clock mode, such temporary schedule failures require correction. If the feeding time has come, and the baby is sleeping, you should wait 10-15 minutes, and then gently wake the baby.

Starting from 2 months of life, the crumbs can not be worried if he wakes up the time of nightly feeding and the regimen is slightly shifted. The older the baby becomes, the less often he will wake up in the dark.

Weight

When deciding whether to wake up a baby, you will need to consider the weight of the baby.

1. Premature babies and poorly gaining weight babies must be woken up for feeding, as long intervals can weaken them even more and worsen their condition.
2. If your baby is gaining weight well, sometimes you can give your baby the opportunity to sleep longer. The child himself will wake up when his body rests, or he feels hunger.

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Health status

1. If the baby was born prematurely and is very weak, you will need to wake up for the first time on the alarm clock and feed the baby for hours. Newborns need to eat every three hours. This regimen will be temporary until the child gets stronger and gets used to this schedule. Gradually, with an increase in the volume of milk consumed, the intervals between feedings will increase.
2. A cold child with a temperature needs to be given the opportunity to sleep a bit, because it is known that sleep heals. All the forces of the body are now aimed at combating the infection, so it is better not to disturb the child when he is resting.

When to wake up a newborn

• During the examination by the patronage sister or doctor, each mother should be prepared for such compulsory awakenings;
• To comply with the feeding schedule: between meals should not be allowed breaks lasting more than four hours;
• If the mother has to leave for a long time, then the child is better to wake up and feed before leaving;
• If the family has a trip, then the baby should be woken up in advance, fed and prepared in a normal mode for a future trip;
• Often, drowsiness of a baby is a reaction to the medications taken by the mother - such a baby’s sleep should be interrupted for mandatory feeding, so as not to disturb the sleep and wakefulness;
• If the baby sleeps unusually long and misses the prescribed feedings, you need to look at it: check the temperature and breathing.

How to wake up

To wake a newborn baby, parents must use gentle but effective methods. If the manipulation is done incorrectly, then there is a risk of scaring the baby. The baby should move from the sleep phase to the wakeful phase comfortably so that his nervous system does not suffer from the unsuccessful actions of adults.

1. Dim lighting is considered most suitable for awakening. Bright light can scare the baby and cause him to cry.
2. Pediatricians advise waking the baby when he is in the active phase of sleep. It can be determined by the characteristic motor activity - the baby jerks its arms and legs slightly, smiles in a dream, its eyelids and lips tremble. This period of sleep is superficial, so it is much easier for a child to get out of it than from the deep phase of sleep. If the baby is sleeping soundly, and when you raise his arm up, he does not react at all, so his sleep passes in a deep phase. Waking up the baby at this moment is not recommended. In order not to frighten the baby, it is better to wait a bit. The deep phase lasts no longer than 20-30 minutes.
3. Call the baby by name in a quiet, calm voice, without changing the intonation. Calm mother transmitted to the baby.
4. Tactile contact also contributes to gentle awakening: the child can be stroked on the arms, head and body, gently tickle the heel, slightly move the arms and legs. You can speed up the process by taking the baby in your arms: contact with the mother will not let the baby get scared, but the change of position and the proximity of the loved one will drive the dream away.
5. A sleeping child with a wrapped or swaddled child needs to be freed from blankets, diapers and the upper layer of clothing: lowering the temperature will also help the baby as easily as possible go into the waking stage.
6. After waking up, it is important not to let the baby close his eyes again, distracting him from drowsiness by talking, soft stroking, usual actions (for example, changing the diaper).

A month after birth, the baby and his mother find their individual regimen, which allows you to make the processes of feeding, sleeping and waking up as comfortable as possible for both sides. Before applying the baby to the chest, make sure that he is fully awake. Talk to the newborn, dress him up, change the diaper, play with him. Often the baby begins to fall asleep near the chest, because the proximity of the mother and the warmth of the breast for the baby is an island of stability. You can distract the newborn from sleep by active actions: stroke him on the head and cheeks, speak with him, hold hands.

Is it worth it to wake a baby for night feeding

The maximum allowable break between feedings should not exceed four hours, so that all parents have to wake up the baby for feeding at night. Night feeding is necessary to establish the digestion process, since regular eating of newborns ensures the normal functioning of the intestines and stomach.

It is night milk (developed by a young mother from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m.) that is considered the most nutritious for a baby. Feeding a newborn at night is important for the full development of his body. This is especially true for premature or weak weight gain babies. Even if the baby does not wake up to feed at night alone, which often happens to premature babies (weak or premature babies may not wake up at night because they feel hunger a little weaker. Such babies need to be woken up) or babies sleeping separately from their mother, then they should be woken up and apply to the chest. Putting the baby to the chest at night stimulates lactation, maintaining the amount of milk in the volume necessary for the baby.

A healthy baby up to six months needs several nightly meals. As a child grows up, the number of feedings will decrease.

We also read: The benefits of overnight breastfeeding

The baby fell asleep during feeding: actions of parents

Which of the young mothers did the baby not fall asleep during feeding? Inexperienced parents can upset the routine of a baby’s day, being afraid to wake him up or waking him up too sharply. So that mom does not have to wake the baby asleep while eating, pediatricians advise following these recommendations:

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• during feeding, talk with the baby in a soft, calm voice to prevent it from falling asleep;
• so that the baby does not fall asleep, it should not be wrapped or dressed in several layers of clothing: a light vest and sliders, a “little man” or a body without blankets and diapers is the best option for eating;
• if the baby begins to fall asleep, stroking the child’s forehead over the eyebrows will help to keep him awake;
• An equally effective way to combat falling asleep is to change the position of the body or change the breast during feeding: if you hold the baby by the arms, he will be distracted from sleep.

Breast change can be a problem for mom: as a rule, the baby needs enough milk from one breast to saturate. In this case, he will drink only front milk and poorly absorb the seals in the mammary gland. In order to avoid stagnation and the appearance of seals, mom needs to monitor the condition of the mammary glands.

Pediatricians note that correctly selected sleep patterns and frequency of feeding for a particular baby guarantee not only physical health, but also the peace of the child.

Feeding a newborn: where to start?

For a newborn baby, feeding is the most important process that lays the foundation for future health, ensuring active growth and development. That is why parents have to ensure the regularity of meals. What steps should be taken to make feeding as natural and comfortable as possible for both the baby and the mother?

1. The hands and breasts of a nursing mother should be washed with a simple household soap, bottles and nipples (in case of artificial feeding) should be disinfected: this will reduce the risk of thrush in baby mouth.
2. If you feed while lying down, then take care of a fresh diaper on the bed - cleanliness is the guarantee of health.
3. A comfortable posture will make the whole process easier and more comfortable for both sides. Each mother is free to choose a position on her own, taking into account her needs and wishes of the baby. Among the most preferable, classic options can be noted - sitting and lying (breastfeeding poses).
4. Correct capture by the baby of the nipple guarantees an active and productive sucking, which does not cause problems for either the mother or the baby. If the nipple is not properly gripped, the baby eats with difficulty, making additional efforts, quickly gets tired and begins to act up. The maternal breast in this case suffers even more: the appearance of cracks, as well as stagnation of milk due to inactive sucking, are likely. The basics of applying a baby to the breast should be taught to the young mother in the maternity hospital (midwife or doctor), since the success of all breastfeeding depends on the first steps (how to breastfeed).
5. If the baby falls asleep a few minutes after the start of feeding, try to wake him to continue eating. If the child immediately fell fast asleep, then feeding can be postponed.

Output

1. Premature or debilitated baby. When a newborn is born prematurely and / or has a fairly small weight, he may not wake up to feed because of a lack of strength. In this case, it is really necessary to wake up the baby, it is even possible to do this more often than once every 2-3 hours. Otherwise, he will gain weight very slowly.
2. In the case of a healthy, strong child, everything is different. Here, mom is better to focus on her instinct and intuition than on the advice of others. Each child is individual. Someone wakes up regularly every two hours to eat. And someone from birth is sleeping at night for 6-8 hours. Waking up a baby for feeding is not worth it if: he is gaining weight well, his mother has enough milk. If these two conditions are met, there is no need to worry. Here you can only be glad that the young mother has the opportunity to get enough sleep and recover from childbirth. This is much more important than following the formal rules for feeding the baby every 2-3 hours.
3. The baby’s weight gain should be estimated not by their subjective feelings (“something he eats little and doesn’t grow at all”), but by objective parameters - how many grams the child added, how many centimeters he grew. At the same time, you need to evaluate for a sufficiently long period of time - a month or at least a week. If the child really does not change much in weight over time and at the same time practically does not eat at night, you can try to wake him. However, do not go to extremes: if you regularly wake up the baby, but he still does not take his chest and falls asleep again, you do not need to slow him down forcibly. A hungry child will definitely eat. Otherwise, you simply run the risk of knocking down your child’s natural sleep and wake patterns.
4. When a young mother does not have enough milk, breastfeeding experts recommend increasing the frequency of feeding. It is especially important to apply the baby to the chest at night. It is in the dark that when a baby is sucking a breast, a hormone is produced in the mother’s body that affects the amount of breast milk that forms the next day.Therefore, if you have difficulty with lactation, and the baby sleeps all night without waking up, it is worth waking him up and putting it on his chest as often as possible.

We also read:

• TOP 100 useful tips for nursing mother
• Fundamental advice to nursing mothers on breastfeeding

Mom's opinion: sleep or food

Do I need to wake a baby to feed? No, it doesn `t need! Believe me, the first thing you know is that the child is hungry. Now all leading pediatricians are inclined to believe that it is not necessary to wake the child for feeding. That when he gets hungry he wakes up and demands food.

All about breastfeeding a newborn. How, when and how much?