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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Wake newborn to feed?

15 replies

megab · 01/10/2012 18:47

My baby us 3 days old and beautiful but I'm scared that's she's not eating enough.
Should I wake her to feed? She had her last bottle at 1.30pm and its now 6.45pm but she is sound asleep.
She seems to do this quite a lot (apart from during the night)
Am I doing something wrong?

OP posts:

pamplemousse · 01/10/2012 18:51

Not sure on the consensus on this one, but ime was she born by c section? My dd was and was very sleepy baby, I have been told to wake her and feed her, they often don't wake up properly anyway!
If she isn't sleeping at night, it is also a cunning plan to persuade her to wake up more to feed in the day so she gets used to day and night being the way round that we prefer it, not the way newborns seem to prefer it!
Best of luck and I'm sure you'll get better answers soon. Didn't want to leave you unanswered :) x

Totobear · 01/10/2012 18:51

No you are not doing anything wrong. Babies are not born with a sense of day and night. If she is feeding lots at night and going long stretches in the day then I would personally try to encourage her to reverse that by offering more food in the day, and therefore that might mean waking her. BUT, some folks will disagree with that and say never wake a sleeping baby so it's entirely up to you!

Do whatever you feel comfortable with. There is no right answer!

Freya2012 · 01/10/2012 18:57

I would definitely wake her - five hours seems too long for a three day old to go without feeding, you can't rely on a baby that young to wake themselves up to feed. Also - if she feeds well during the day, she'll sleep longer at night - better for you!

Original poster

megab · 01/10/2012 19:05

Cheers ladies, no she wasn't a c section but I did have Diamorphene (which made me violently ill) so that might be why she's drowsy and she got distressed during labour, meconium in my waters and her heartbeat up and down.
But yeah I'm going to wake her now and feed her, cheers for the advice x

OP posts:

SchrodingersMew · 01/10/2012 19:07

When DS was born the MWs on the ward basically demanded I wake him up every 3 hours to feed, he then went to SCBU for a couple of nights (there wasn't actually anything wrong, just for monitoring) and they said not to feed on demand and not to wake unless it had been 5 hours and that's what they did and I continued to do (DS was very sleepy) it worked very well and he established his own routine quite quickly.

quietlysuggests · 01/10/2012 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

louisianablue2000 · 01/10/2012 19:12

Was she term? DD1 and DS were both slow to start feeding after birth. With DD1 I was told to not let her go longer than 6 hours between feeds, she was born at 41 weeks and was 8lb 11oz. DS was born at 36 weeks and the advice was to wake to feed every three hours. You might need to do some skin to skin to encourage her to wake up enough to feed and tickle her ears and toes to keep sucking. I like to feed at every squeak during the day but let them feed on demand overnight once feeding is established. Which it won't quite be at three days old.

needsomesunshine · 01/10/2012 19:18

My newborn feeds every 3-4hrs. I was told to wake him at night. Worse advice I've ever been given. Wasn't interested, wouldn't go back to sleep & both of us knackered
I was told if they go past 6 hrs they may be dehydrated & too weak to feed. Mine has put on weight and is alert when awake. Now 7 weeks old & fine. Don't worry

Loislane78 · 01/10/2012 19:39

As long as there are wet and dirty nappies I would say that's fine occasionally ie. feeding frequently at other times.

However you need to be sure they don't have jaundice which can make them v sleepy - in which case you absolutely need to be waking up and calling the MW/natal ward.

gertrudeweiner · 01/10/2012 19:48

So, how about a sing along? "Postman pat, post man pat, with his black and white cat, is an abject twat"

SchrodingersMew · 01/10/2012 19:55

Wrong thread Gertrude? :o

BillyBollyBandy · 01/10/2012 19:59

If there is nothing wrong, like jaundice, let her sleep. I religiously woke a (vaguely) jaundiced dd1 every 3 hours. She hated me.

I left dd2 to her own devices and she would sleep for 6/8 hours when a newborn. Sadly that didn't last but nevermind.

GoldPlatedNineDoors · 01/10/2012 20:01

For the first week I woke to feed to ensure dd was offered milk every three hours. from week two onward I woke to feed/fed every three hours in the day regardless. I did a four hour at night schedule for about a month then left her to wake when she needed.

bouncysmiley · 01/10/2012 20:24

I'd change her nappy - that should wake her and then offer her milk - she may dream feed.

SarryB · 02/10/2012 11:58

I also had morphine during labour, LO was very very very sleepy. I woke him to feed every 3 hours (even during the night! I set an alarm.) for the first week, and then after that I let him wake naturally at night to feed, and woke him during the day for feeds.

Thats 3 hours from the START of each feed. So if you feed at 3am, next feed starts at 6am. Obviously, you can feed more than this, but this is the minimum I would recommend for the first 3-4 weeks.

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