Should I wake newborn to feed?

[TooTiredtoGoogle]

I'm sure this has been done many times before but don't have time to search archives.
DD2 is less than 48 hours old, but seems to be sleeping ALOT. She fed at 2am, then 6am. It's now 11.30am and still hasn't woken up for a feed.
Not sure whether to wake her or not because I know that she won't want to feed if tired.

Is this normal?

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

I usually say no, but that is a long time for such a new baby - I would wake her and offer a feed. Is the MW due today?

[HumphreyCobbler]

congratulations on your new DD

I would gently put her near the boob now, my DD was like yours for the first part of her life and was VERY reluctant to wake up to feed (it didn't last).

If you are worried I would give your midwife a ring, that is what they are there for. But in the meantime you could give her a gentle nudge towards a feed, squeeze a few drops out and put her mouth to the nipple.

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

It's tricky, some are sleepy at first, but some are sleepy because they are not feeding well. Are the nappies wet? Poos changing from black tarry stuff to more interesting colours?

[TragicallyHip]

Yes I would feed her. As others have said just gently put her in the boob.

[wompoopigeon]

I had a sleepy baby and was told to wake her for feeds every 4 hours. Some MWs even said three hours.
I would def wake her if she has been asleep since 6, and, as others say, talk to your MW who will know more than MN about your exact circs eg weight etc.
Congrats by the way!

[Sleepglorioussleep]

Congratulations! I'd be tempted to wake every three hours to try to feed in the daytime, but leave the nights alone as it isn't that your baby is going all night without a feed. Just checking-is your little one jaundiced? If they are talk to midwife, as feeding frequently helps to clear it and the jaundice itself can make them sleepy. But since so tiny and you're still under midwife care, ignore everything I've said (which you can anyway!) if the person who's actually looking after you and the baby says different!

[TooTiredtoGoogle]

Thanks everyone. Didn't wake her as such, but just took her out of swaddle which made her more alert and ready for a feed

[titferbrains]

I'd say feed as often as poss and at least every 3 hours. I think my dd was jaundiced and sleepy, tho MW said she was not jaundiced, and I believe I did not feed often enough and this led to her weight loss in first week. I had milk supply issues but I think it's important to stimulate your milk supply if Bfiing and get baby used to sucking action etc, even if baby doesn't feed for long in first week.

When you have had time to rest try to call a bf counsellor and get some advice, also ask about gauging length of feed - my friend's baby was not feeding for long enought in her first weeks and friend got mastitis, got advice to feed for 20 min (10 each side) and baby much happier.

HTH

[beanandspud]

This is probably a little late but DS was a sleepy baby and I never woke him to feed (even at 48hrs old he slept 4/5 hours at a time). Saying that, he was a good size when he was born, would bf for about an hour at a time, was alert when he was awake and didn't have jaundice.

The midwife was quite shirty that I should wake him but that's the only thing I stuck to my guns with.

[Tigresswoods]

Yes feed her. It's good for you too to get the milk going... If u do intend to breast feed that is...?

[matana]

I woke my DS at first but that's because i was told to because he was jaundice, which makes them sleepier. I'm actually of the opinion that if a baby is a good size, wasn't premature and has no health problems (including being jaundice) you should let them sleep. Once my DS was over the jaundice i let him sleep because he was an incredibly sleepy baby and appeared to need it. Sleep is as good as food at that age. Whenever he went through a growth spurt (which is pretty much every couple of weeks at that age) it was sufficient to increase my milk supply and i never had any problems with producing enough for him. If a baby is hungry he or she will wake up imo.

[Hebrewlass]

I would say yes to wake to feed . I never let my babies go longer than 3-4 hours . Any MW or HV that tells you not to is talking rubbish . It is not cruel to wake a sleeping baby ! Personally we found a lot of benefits to feeding regularly and waking them if needed . I would do the same again , my sister is pg with her first and watching how well it worked for us she plans to do the same .

[Hebrewlass]

Babies don't always wake if they are hungry.particularly when they are very young . If their blood sugars are a bit low they are less likely to ask for a feed . And then baby gets caught in a cycle of being sleepy and not feeding. It is wrong to assume a baby will always ask to be fed . Some don't.

[pearl297]

My baby is 6 weeks now and did the same thing when she was first born, the mid wife told me to not let her go more than 5 hours as their blood sugar drops, so i used to set my alarm for 4/4.5 hours to wake her up and feed her. When she was 3 weeks i was told that because she was gaining weight i didnt need to wake her anymore.

[IAmTheCookieMonster]

I did that, but ds was slightly dehydrated because my milk came on day 4 and he lost more than 10% weight. I think I woke him every 3 hours, but once bf was going well and he was back on track I didn't worry so much.

I probably would as its been 5 1/2 hours, if hes tired the feed should send him back to sleep anyway.