dd been ill. needs sleep. do i wake her to b/f her?

[satinshoes]

3 mth DD has had a cold for a few days. Feeding has been a bit off and she's been waking in the night for feeds after a week of sleeping through.

She's been asleep since 10am. Have tried taking her blanket off her and making lots of noise but she's still sleepy. Obviously needs it to help get over cold.

Her last feed was 9am. Do i wake her now to feed her?

I would otherwise you might find she won't sleep tonight.

I wouldn't. She'll wake when she's hungry and sleep is by far the best cure for most illnesses.

Ds once slept for the best part of 36 hours (I kid you not). He woke a couple of times for a feed, I dreamfed him once and he had about 2 hours awake in the afternoon. I took him to the doctors when he was awake 'cos I was so worried, but he looked bright and alert. No idea why he needed so much sleep, but he did...

Is she generally gaining weight well? if so then personally i wouldn't wake her, never do with my two. It would be different if she wasn't gaining much weight.

thanls. she's feeding ok, not particularly well as nose full of snot. i've never woken her before but just wasnt sure whether she needed the extra sleep or milk to help her get better.

I usually say never wake a sleeping baby. Its the best thing I think, unless she's so ill that she is hard to rouse iykwim. Then I'd go to the doctors.

Maybe you could try and feed her in her sleep if you really want to.

and as i type, she just did a big poo which has woken her.

i'm still interested to know what the best thing to do is if she goes 5 hours between feeds (when ill) during the day though.

I would leave her to sleep. It's obviously what she needs most of all. She may well wake, feed, then sleep again.

I think they make up for the missed feeds once they're better. You just have to steel yourself for a rough few days of constant feeding and then things will settle down again. At least, that's how it was with ds...

My main concern would be the same as 2boysmacca - have you got time to tire her out again before night. Otherwise I often let mine skip a feed in these circumstances. Sleep is such a good healer, if your child is eating well/putting on weight well anyway.

(Beware mastitis for you, though, if you let them sleep for unusually long. If you skip a feed or two you may find pains starting in one breast. It's an unmistakeable feeling. (like contractions. You just know!)

It's easily treated if caught early. Take ibuprofen and feed feed feed from that side, expressing if necessary, so that the other side doesn't start to suffer!

Best of luck.

thanks. she's just fed for 45 mins without stopping so i know she wont starve and it helped my breasts too as one was getting a bit hard.

notquitegrownup - thanks for the mastitis advice.