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Parenting

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Original poster

When did you stop waking baby to feed

63 replies

user1479669774 · 31/07/2017 15:08

I'm currently waking my LO to feed but I'm not sure when I need to stop and let him wake up to let me know.

He is only 11 weeks old so I'm assuming not yet for a while but he had already gained 2 1/2 oz on his 5 day check up.

Just wondered when you stopped

Thank you

OP posts:

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AmyGardner · 31/07/2017 16:11

Did it for the first few nights, realised it was insane, never again.

Skisunsnow · 31/07/2017 16:13

I always woke them during the day if it was more than four hours between feeds but never woke them at night. If and when they woke they would be fed at night. In my opinion the aim is to drop the feeding at night, and by waking at night they're getting used to being fed at night. I had an old fashioned health visitor with my first who was very much of the opinion to feed them up during the day.

snowgirl1 · 31/07/2017 16:14

Never woke DD to feed her.

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JE17 · 31/07/2017 16:20

I never woke either of mine up to feed them, I didn't even know that this was something that some parents do.

KanyeWesticle · 31/07/2017 16:43

I've been told to demand feed, or wait 4 hours, whichever happens first!

purplesippycup · 31/07/2017 16:47

Once my baby was back up to birth weight then steadily gaining weight (maybe around 2 weeks old) I stopped rousing her to feed and left her to let me know.
She was waking reliably through the night 3-4 hourly until about 4 months then it gradually reduce and and eventually stopped!

DoubleCarrick · 31/07/2017 16:50

I had a sickly and sleepy newborn who was in hospital for three weeks after birth. I woke him to feed overnight until he was about 6 or 8 weeks. I think after six weeks I started setting the alarm for four hourly rather than three overnight.

I'd say a healthy newborn probably doesn't need waking

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 31/07/2017 19:26

I wouldn't wake the baby then user Sounds like baby is perfectly healthy. Im confused. Has a health professional told you to do this? And for what reason?

DramaAlpaca · 31/07/2017 19:30

My number one rule was Never Wake a Sleeping Baby.

Snap8TheCat · 31/07/2017 19:32

How did you confuse 8 days with 11 weeks?

ScienceNut · 31/07/2017 19:34

Once she had fully regained burth weight and was thriving, that was about 11 days.

Then was feed on demand, no trying to push for certain times between. If she cried the first thing I tried was boob, 99 times out of 100 it was the answer, especially when she hit 4 months.

Allthebestnamesareused · 31/07/2017 19:35

Didn't wake any of mine to feed them. How will they ever go through the night if you keep waking them up? All you re doing is training them to wake!!

ScienceNut · 31/07/2017 19:35

We were also told to initally as she was slightly jaudiced and was potentially more sleepy due to this.

WillowWeeping · 31/07/2017 19:37

I've never woken a sleeping baby for feeding except in first few days when prem and birth weight dropped.

eurochick · 31/07/2017 19:58

We did for the first few days after our prem baby was discharged from nicu. Not for long though!

Bubblysqueak · 31/07/2017 20:01

We had to with ds2 as he lost too much weight and his blood sugar levels used to drop low so he couldn't wake himself if he went too long without a feed. I think it went on until aboutb12 weeks when his weight was stable.

jessie777 · 31/07/2017 20:09

I've never woken a baby to feed it...

Original poster

user1479669774 · 31/07/2017 23:05

Abbeyroad - yeah I was told by the midwives to do this when in hospital. I'm going to check with another one on Wednesday with his check up. I believe it was because if they don't wake up they will be too hungry and upset to feed properly.

Snap - no idea how I managed to confuse 8 days and 11 weeks. I'm going to blame lack of sleep.

OP posts:

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 01/08/2017 06:29

I'd check with an actual doctor or your paediatrician. Babies wake up unless there are health problems or too small and sleepy. I'm still confused as to what the reason for this advise is? Ask them!

AdalindSchade · 01/08/2017 06:38

How long would he sleep for if you didn't wake him? Honestly, babies are resourceful, unless some other issues are going on they will wake up for feeding when they need it

nooka · 01/08/2017 06:40

I remember trying to get ds to feed at a time when he didn't really want to (to try and get him to have more before I went to bed in the hope he'd then do a longer stretch) and it was a total failure. He wanted to sleep, not to eat :)

Unless there is an issue if you are breastfeeding then it's pretty much feeding on demand, so whenever the baby 'asks' rather than when you think it might be a good idea. ds was born with a four hour schedule, I don't remember anyone ever saying that was an issue. dd I would never have dared wake as she was so difficult to get to sleep in the first place.

eurochick · 01/08/2017 06:59

Was there some jaundice? That can make babies sleepy and milk helps to flush the jaundice through?

StinkPickle · 01/08/2017 07:04

My children are 1, 3 and 5

I've never woken any of them to feed!! I think by the time you have your second baby you'll be laughing at this memory.

Unihorn · 01/08/2017 07:09

I was given this advice too, I'm very surprised so many weren't. My daughter would go 4 hours not feeding, and would sleep through 5 or 6 hours at about two weeks old so I was really worried about her. I followed this advice until she was about three weeks.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 01/08/2017 07:17

I was also given this advice as both of mine lost loads of weight/ slept for ages and ages. If you've been told to do it op you need to talk to the mw rather than relying on MN advice.

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