Keeping baby awake for feeds

[RChapz]

Help:

Baby will feed for a good long while with her eyes closed... I have to give her a poke and a stroke and a prod every now and then when she loses focus but she rarely falls properly asleep on the boob.

However, I’m worried it means she’s feeding slowly/inefficiently, and when she’s finished it’s really difficult to offer her the other side. Often she will decide it’s time to sleep after the first boob, and happily go down in her bed but she’ll wake ten minutes later still hungry.

She’s a very warm baby... But it makes no difference if it’s skin to skin or she’s fully dressed. No difference if it’s day or night. Lights on and lights off. The GroEgg is saying the room is at a good temperature.

Any ideas?

What age is she? Is she putting on weight?

Ten days and yes... Weight gain is good.

I’m thinking more my sleep/mental health... As is midwife after today’s visit.

All of this sounds perfectly normal for a newborn. You can encourage her to feed by doing some breast Compressions, but you don’t have to as there’s nothing really wrong, she’s just being a baby

Congratulations too

I tend to change nappy after first boob, which wakes baby enough for a bit of second and keeps her fuller longer. Actually however when your baby feeds in a semi sleepy state it’s likely to be more efficient and often better latch, nothing wrong with this other than the ‘snacking’ and soon being hungry again that you mention.

Don’t worry OP. A 10 day old baby will find feeding exhausting. Remember the size of their tummies at this stage is so tiny. They may not need both sides - I fed 2 babies and neither did more than one boob at a time. I just switched with every feed. Perfectly normal to feed, cat nap, feed, cat nap. That’s why it always feels like newborns feed and sleep constantly. It’s exhausting for you I understand.