Do you wake your sleeping baby?

bigbootyjudi · August 2012

I've heard wake them for feedings and don't wake them for feedings.

Right now, I'm waking him up every 3 hours to eat. This is the first night of this whole 3 hour thing, but I've read that a lot of mamas just let their LOs sleep during the night/feed them when they wake up on their own and wake them up to feed during the day. That seems like it would mess up the whole schedule to me, which we're trying to establish.

So, just a simple question: Do you wake your LO to feed? Both during the day and at night?

Bemyselfandi · August 2012

The nurses had a bird when my DD was sleeping for four hours and I'd feed her every four. I told them DS was the same way. Now....she'd sleep all night sometimes if I let her but I want at leastaan every four hour schedule. Your son is bigger than much daughter and he's older. Duh he eats a lot at one feeding but I don't think it's too much. I think every three to four hours with 2.5oz is perfect.

AprilAngie · August 2012

I have never woke any of my four children up ever. I bf exclusively and feed on demand. My LO has been sleeping or five hr stretches at 12 days old currently and I asked the dr if I should wake her and he said she is a good weight and as she gained weight and is having adequate diapers no need to wake her. She was 7:7 when born and the other day at her ten day appointment she was almost 8 lbs. Also she cluster feeds right before she goes to bed at night. Her sleeping during the day is 35 hr stretches

nopegoat · August 2012

I have always been told that once they are back up to their birthweight don't bother waking them up.

AprilAngie · August 2012

I'm on my phone and it won't let me edit if should read 3 to 5 hr stretches not 35 lol

k.martell · August 2012

Unless the Dr tells you otherwise and they are back at birth weight or more then I say let them sleep.

Grins04 · August 2012

Ditto not waking once they reach their birth weight.

bigbootyjudi · August 2012

Grins04:
Ditto not waking once they reach their birth weight.

He actually never went down from his birth weight. At his well baby check up, he weighed the exact same he did at birth. I won't be waking him up tonight, thanks ladies!

NerdyMama2 · August 2012

For now I do, once she gains her birth weight back I won't. During the day if she hasn't eaten in more than 3 hours I wake her up.

gingermom2 · August 2012

I plan to wake her until she gets back up to her birth weight. Right now its not much of a problem as she wants to eat every 2 hours or so. Good luck!

irer · August 2012

I did i for the first week or so because he had jaundice but since that cleared and he surpassed his birth weight he got less sleepy and wakes to nurse on his own every 2.5-3 hours or so.

latnprincess · August 2012

I was doing every 3 hrs but he's started doing it on his own. Yay!

bigbootyjudi · August 2012

latnprincess:
I was doing every 3 hrs but he's started doing it on his own. Yay!

I wish. LO screamed for a bottle from 24:30am when I finally woke up SO crying to tell him I needed him to trade me spots because I was going to fall over or have a breakdown.

raza13 · August 2012

kdm06c:
I have always been told that once they are back up to their birthweight don't bother waking them up.

this.

Lynball · August 2012

nope.

Msbean22 · August 2012

What blissful world do you guys live in where your baby sleeps for more than three hours in a row!? Evie is up about every 2-3 hours during the day to eat, and lately about every 1.5-2 hours during the night. If she's still napping about an hour and a half before I want to sleep, I do wake her up so I can get her changed/fed/burped/settled for when I go to bed.

Never had an issue with having to wake her up to eat, she lets us know in ample time when she's hungry.

KimnBen · August 2012

I was told to wake them every 2 or 3 hours until they get their weight back up. So, the first few weeks. When babies are born, they ususally lose weight, so until that is up and established you should wake them.

Nikko Blue · August 2012

Yes because he's not at his birth weight. At night I do let him go longer - he does one stretch of about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs.

julisat · August 2012

I was told at the hospital to wake every 2 hours. When we met with the LC she just rolled her eyes at that and said they don't even have sick NICU babies on a 2 hour feeding schedule. We are waking every 3 hours to feed b/c he dropped below 10% of his birth weight and we are working hard to get that back up. It's been working so well for us. He is ready for a feeding by then and is either up or wakes up right away. I meet with the pedi next week and will discuss when we can just let him feed on demand.

ChibiMommy · August 2012

I wake her up when my boobs start to ache during the day (which ends up being 2.5-3 hrs) and then just let her sleep at night. She sleeps for 2 4-5 hour stretches at night which is heaven.

nduquette23 · August 2012

I think it really depends on your baby and whether he/she is producing enough dirty diapers. DD would sleep through the night if I let her, but after a little scare and a trip to the hospital again I wake her every 3-4 hrs at night and every 2-3 during the day. During the day it's easier to look for cues that she's hungry, but she will rarely wake up on her own during her naps even if she is hungry.

I also like having some sort of schedule, but I am exclusively pumping, so maybe our situation is a little different.

babyike · August 2012

kdm06c:
I have always been told that once they are back up to their birthweight don't bother waking them up.

This. Yes

The only reason I've ever been told to wake a newborn for feedings was if they were not gaining weight and/or not having enough wet/stool diapers. If jaundice or low blood sugar was an issue shortly after birth, then that might also be an indication to feed your newborn every 3-4 hours. You can always ask the nurse at your pedi's office though. HTH!

Want a personalized experience?

Do you wake your sleeping baby?

Re: Do you wake your sleeping baby?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards