How to wake baby up to feed?

Neen33

My 1 week old has had jaundice which has made her really sleepy so I'm having to wake her up every 2-3 hours to feed. Mostly she wakes up well but sometimes she has no interest. Does anyone else have to do this? What are your tricks?

Lindsey7521

No jaundice, but to wake my LO up i just change her diaper...

Huzzy

I am no expert...dd is only 2 days old...but I couldn't get DD to BF because she was so tired in the hospital... our lactation consultant at the hospital said to unswaddle her use a cool washcloth and wash her face..she perked up and was ready to go... Funny how I just didn't think of that myself....

susanlovestexas

I had that issue with my first DD.  She would have slept through every feeding if I had let her and my milk would have never come in!  What worked best for me was to get cold, wet washcloths and put them on her little bare feet when she would fall asleep.  Sometimes I even had to stroke her face with them.  It felt cruel, but it was for her own good and soon the jaundice was better and she was a little older and able to stay awake on her own.  Good luck!

jkfranklin

Take her clothes off.  Changing DS's diaper and letting him lay on the changing table and wake up alway worked for us.

LaNegrita

like PP's...change diaper, cool washcloth, scratch (but not really scratch) LO's back, switch boobs. good luck.

panarama99

We went through the exact same thing earlier this week.  Jaundice, sleepy baby, hard to wake up.  Our LC gave me a few tips - undress him, change his diaper, hold an ice cube to his foot.  I tried them all - sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't.  GL!  I know what you're going through.

Brytany09

Get LO in their diaper and tickle their tummy or stroke their face. DD would normally wake up once the cooler air hit her.

jwthoms1

Tickle his feet, undress him, etc.

In the hospital they told me to hold him away from me to feed him because that was a feeding position and cuddled up close was a sleep position- of course I guess that won't work if your LO is BF?

Neen33

Thanks all. That's basically what I've been doing (start by changing, leave her only in her diaper, use cold cloths, tickle her feet, ears, etc...) but some days none of the tricks work. Good point that maybe it's more challenging because I'm breastfeeding.

Off I go to try again... this is soooo difficult because I know she really needs to eat.

sarahmae8

Lindsey7521:

No jaundice, but to wake my LO up i just change her diaper...

This. Hope it gets better soon! 

k.martell

LO is starting to look pink again. Her jaundice was high. I change her diaper, clean her face with a wet cotton ball and undress and unswaddle her to get her to wake up. I'm now waking her every 3 hours at night and today DH is going to see how long it takes for her to wake on her own.