If the baby sleeps sweetly next to her mother or in a separate crib, but quite a long time has passed since the previous feeding, mothers wonder whether she needs to wake up the baby to feed.
Someone undoubtedly bothers the baby a couple of hours after falling asleep, trying to give him food. Someone is sure that during hunger the child would not sleep, but loudly "told" his mother that he wants to eat. Who is right about night feedings and how to properly wake up the baby so that there is no stress for the baby's body?
When do you need to wake up?
Of course, it is undesirable to interrupt the baby's sleep, because in the case of natural awakening, the psycho-emotional state of the baby will be better. But to argue that you never need to wake up a crumbs will also fail. When deciding what to do, you need to take into account many factors, including the weight and age of the baby, his health, as well as the type of feeding.
If the baby is only a few days old, and he sleeps for more than 3 hours all the time without waking up, the mother should consult a pediatrician. Such long sleep can be one of the symptoms of various diseases. On average, babies in the first month of life eat every 2-3 hours, so their sleep rarely exceeds this interval.
The baby grows and increasingly prefers to sleep rather than eat, so by the age of 6 months, many babies generally refuse to eat at night.
To decide whether to wake the baby up for feeding, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the baby. A healthy, well-gaining child should not be woken up, even if he has not eaten for 4-5 hours. If the baby is premature or very poorly gaining weight, long pauses between feedings can only worsen his condition. These babies should be fed more often, so they cannot do without interrupting sleep for the sake of feeding.
Another reason to wake up the baby for night feeding is the decrease in lactation in the mother. It is night meals that make the woman's body produce hormones that support milk production. By waking up the baby for feeding, the mother will be able to overcome the difficulties with lactation.
What is the correct way to wake up your baby for night feeding?
Even if the baby is completely healthy, and the woman produces enough milk, the mother may need to disturb the baby's sleep for the next feeding. This happens if a woman needs to leave home, for example, for an exam or for tests. Therefore, many mothers should learn how to wake up the baby so that it is at least uncomfortable for him.
- Take the baby in your arms and walk around the room. At the same time, you can talk to a baby or sing a song, do a small massage, stroke the back, move it with handles and legs. Typically, such actions cause rapid waking up and interest in food.
- Start changing your baby's clothes or changing a diaper. Most toddlers respond quickly to such manipulations.
- If all the previous options did not give an effect, bathing the baby may be a last resort. However, in cases where the baby is so sleepy that you had to wake him up by bathing, we recommend that you contact your pediatrician.
It is not necessary to completely wake the baby up. You just need to start sucking on the breast. To do this, take the baby so that it takes a comfortable position for feeding. By stroking the cheek or lips of the little one, you will make him want to turn his head to the chest and grab the nipple, but not wake up. If the baby has taken the nipple in his mouth, but continues to sleep, you can stroke or tickle his cheek or ear, and the breast can be shaken a little.
It is important to carefully observe the baby, and if he is constantly sleepy, moody, unfriendly and lethargic, the baby should be shown to the doctor.
