How do I keep my baby awake to feed?

Keeping Your Baby Awake to Feed: A Guide for New Parents
Feeding a newborn can sometimes feel like a delicate balancing act, especially when your little one drifts off to sleep mid-feed. This can be concerning, as it may prevent them from getting the nutrition they need. Here are some effective strategies to help keep your baby awake during feeding times.
Understanding the Need for Feeding
Newborns typically require frequent feedings, often every two to three hours, even if they seem to be sleeping soundly. This is crucial for their growth and development, particularly if they are experiencing conditions like jaundice, which can increase their nutritional needs. Therefore, waking a sleepy baby for a feed is sometimes necessary, and knowing how to do it effectively can make a significant difference.
Techniques to Keep Your Baby Awake
1. Gentle Stimulation: One of the simplest methods to keep your baby awake is through gentle stimulation. This can include lightly rubbing their back, stroking their cheeks, or softly talking to them. These actions can help rouse them enough to continue feeding without fully waking them up.
2. Change Positions: Altering your baby’s position can also help. If you’re breastfeeding, try switching sides or adjusting their angle. For bottle feeding, holding them in a more upright position can encourage alertness. This not only helps keep them awake but can also improve their feeding efficiency.
3. Burping Breaks: Incorporating burping breaks during feeding can be beneficial. After a few minutes of feeding, gently burp your baby. This pause can help wake them up and encourage them to continue feeding once they settle back down.
4. Skin-to-Skin Contact: Engaging in skin-to-skin contact can be a powerful way to keep your baby awake and alert. The warmth and closeness can stimulate their senses and encourage them to feed more actively.
5. Timing and Environment: Pay attention to the timing of feedings. If your baby tends to be sleepier at certain times of the day, try to schedule feedings during their more alert periods. Additionally, feeding in a well-lit area can help keep them awake, as bright environments are more stimulating.
When to Seek Help
If you find that your baby consistently struggles to stay awake during feedings, it may be worth consulting with a pediatrician or a lactation consultant. They can provide personalized advice and check for any underlying issues that might be affecting your baby’s feeding habits.
In conclusion, while it can be challenging to keep a sleepy baby awake for feedings, employing gentle stimulation techniques, changing positions, and creating a conducive feeding environment can significantly help. Remember, every baby is different, so it may take some experimentation to find what works best for your little one.

How do I get my sleepy baby to eat?

When sleepy babies are put into skin to skin they often start to wake up more than they would if they were dressed or left in the cot. Skin to skin will also help you make more breast milk. You can try expressing a few drops of milk onto your nipple and this can help your baby smell the milk and wake up.

Does baby need to be fully awake to feed?

Babies can breastfeed even when not fully awake. But some newborns fall asleep quickly during a feed and may need encouraging to start sucking actively again.

How can I stop feeling sleepy while breastfeeding?

Put all that together, and the fatigue is real. Combat the tiredness and fatigue by taking good care of yourself. Eat and drink well, rest or take naps, get comfortable while breastfeeding, ask for help as needed, and apply a restorative nipple cream, such as Nursing Comfort Balm.

What if baby doesn’t burp and falls asleep?

If your baby doesn’t burp, you can either just lay him down and come back in a few minutes if you feel like he really needs to have a burp or you can just lay him down and if he sleeps and doesn’t act fussy then he might be okay without a burp.

Will a baby fall asleep if hungry?

When a newborn is hungry, the body sends signals to the brain indicating the need for nourishment. Unlike older children and adults, newborns can’t ignore these hunger cues and fall asleep easily. Instead, they become restless and fussy until their hunger is addressed.

What do I do if my baby is too sleepy to breastfeed?

Tips on Feeding a Sleepy Baby

• Feed baby in a nappy only.
• Get a wet flannel out to further wake baby up if they fall asleep quickly on the breast.
• Tickle their cheek or chin to try and stimulate their suck reflex.
• Let the baby fall away from your breast a little (ie threaten to take them away from the breast).

Does spit up count as a burp?

Spit-up is what happens when the contents of your baby’s tummy come back up easily – not forcefully – through their mouth. It often comes along with a burp. It’s not the same as vomiting, which is when your baby throws up their stomach contents with force and muscle contractions.

Can a baby choke if not burped while sleeping?

Can A Baby Choke In Sleep If Not Burped? While rare, a baby may be at a slightly increased risk of choking in their sleep if they haven’t burped, particularly if they experience reflux.

What to do if baby won’t wake up to eat?

If baby still won’t eat, allow him/her to sleep another hour, and try again. When you’re in the hospital, call the nurses for help if baby still won’t nurse. If you’re at home and baby won’t wake up to feed and has missed two feedings, pump your breasts and feed baby your pumped milk or formula with a slow flow nipple.

How do I keep my baby awake while feeding?

Tips on Feeding a Sleepy Baby

• Feed baby in a nappy only.
• Get a wet flannel out to further wake baby up if they fall asleep quickly on the breast.
• Tickle their cheek or chin to try and stimulate their suck reflex.
• Let the baby fall away from your breast a little (ie threaten to take them away from the breast).