Newborn sleeping too much?!

KatHauswirth

My 1 week old newborn sleeps way too much. It takes almost 2 hours to wake her up just to feed her, which she falls asleep 2 minutes into anyways and won't finish her bottle. She hardly wakes up to eat, unless we wake her up. It really concerns me because she falls alseep at the drop of a hat.

Honestly, I am tired of reading that this is normal, because I don't think it is. I understand that she's going to sleep a lot but she sleeps sometimes 8 hours or longer if I don't attempt to wake her. And it is a minimum 1 hr struggle to wake her.

We've tried everything, tickling, stripping her down, cold cloths, talking to her, flicking her feet, getting her uncomfortable, changing her diaper... Everything!!

I am calling the pediatrician tomorrow to address my concerns.

OhBaby+2013

I have exactly the same issue.  My DS is one week today and always sleeps, even while feeding.  We see our d omorrow. So long as he is still having his dirty diapers and gaining weight I am going to try and not freak out to much as I'm sure it won't last.  Definitely go see your doctor if you are concerned.

KatHauswirth

I wouldn't be as concerned if it wasn't for the fact that everyone keeps telling me she will wake when she's hungry but then she doesn't. And I get upset because it's such a fight to get her to wake up.

OhBaby+2013

My son doesn't ask to bed fed either.  I do my best to wake him every 2-3 hours.  Though he never really wakes. After 2 days of aggressively feeding him I'm seeing a tiny bit of change but not lots. We did stop holding him so much too, so that he will cry a bit.  Then once he cries and is awake i try to feed and/or stimulate him to be a bit awake.I will see what my doctor and lactation consultant say ver the next two days.  Good luck, and people say don't worry but that's just not going to happen, I know as I'm owing throu it too.  Just try to e as relaxed as you can.

orangegoggles

AmyG*:

Some newborns seem to think they are still attached to the umbilical cord and can sleep and get nutrition.  also if they are jaundiced (is she yellow/orange looking) it will make them sleepier. and if they are sleeping too much and not eating, they actually get to the point where they don't feel hunger and become harder and harder to wake up.

you say bottle so I'm assuming formula fed?  I would still be waking every 2-3 hours to feed probably with a longer period at night. 

how many wet and or poopy diapers a day?  minimum of 6-8  or more?

if less then I would spend the night nagging baby even more to eat and go to dr in the am.  if less than probably 3-4 wet/poopy diapers, formula fed, I would call dr tonight instead of waiting til am. 

do you think she's dehydrated?  if you pinch the skin on the back of her hand does it stay up in a little tent? dry mouth or nose.  sunken fontanel/soft spot?

All of this. Well said!  

KaraBoBara18

I was where you are 2 months ago and I was so stressed about it. We tried everything to keep her up to eat but she just wouldn't do it. She even slept through all of our smoke dectectors going off, with one of them being less than 5 feet away from her. Everyone kept telling me it was normal but I just felt something wasn't right...there was no way a baby should be sleeping that much or sleep that deep! I took her to the doctor and he told me everything was normal, I thought "stupid doctor doesn't know what hes talking about". Well turns out he does haha a couple of weeks went by and she started staying awake longer and longer and getting her up got much easier. The only piece of advice I can give you is enjoy that your LO is sleeping so much now. Of course you should always take your LO to the doctor if you feel something isn't right. I've also heard that if you had an epidural the effects can linger in your baby for up to a week and half, which can lead to being super tired.