My 2 week old son wont wake up to feed. I have to wake him every 3 hours to insure he is eating enough. It?

Question

takes 30+ minutes to wake him enough to eat off one side, sometimes for only 10 min. then hes out agian and I have to try to wake him up again which is even harder because he is somewhat full. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to feed then in another hour or so Im at it again. Is this normal for him not to wake upto eat? At night I let him sleep 4-5 hours and he STILL wont wake up. Its making breastfeeding SO hard. My questionis will he start to wake up on his own soon? or is this how its going to be with all his feedings? Also if he only eats 10-13 min on 1 breast every 3 hours is that enough? Should I pump the second breast that doesnt get used that feeding? Please help this is so frusturating!

Answer 1

Try stripping your baby down to a diaper and put a cold wet washcloth on him to help him wake up. It seems so mean, but I had to do it with my first daughter. She was the same way. If he only wants to eat on one side you can try one of two things. 1) Alternate which side you feed him on each feeding or 2) Only let him nurse for 5 minutes on one side and switch him to the other. If he's only eating 10-13 minutes every three hours, that is probably fine as long as he's not getting smaller. He'll probably outgrow this phase any day now. If he's still like this in a week or so or if you notice he seems to be loosing weight, you might want to call the pediatrician. Good Luck!

Answer 2

I'm here to tell you that they will wake up when they get hunger, and you should pump in between to keep up the supply. Are you taken any kind of medication? What you put in comes you to them. How is his weight gain? Their tummy's are so small I let mine feed for 10 to 15 minutes on each breast and they were fine about every 4 hours. But all babies are not the same. They may be little but they know when they are hunger. If you still feel like there is a problem ask your doctor. Good Luck and God Bless you and your new bundle of joy.

Answer 3

He will wake up if he is hungry. As long as he is gaining weight i would not worry. It sounds like he is not hungry there is no need what so ever for him to feed every 3 hours and let him sleep as long as he wants at night,

He can probably drain a breast in ten minuyes and one side may well be enough for him. Don't push it. You could express it and freeze it so you could have an evening out. Just dont express so much that you constantly over produce the amount of milk you need. The about of milk your boby produces is in direct propotion to how much your baby drinks,

Answer 4

try undressing him a little,The cool air usually helps. Let him fuss until you are sure that he is awake but no longer as you don't want him too upset as this also will make it hard to feed.Also if he is a good eater it will not hurt to let him sleep a little while longer that 3 hours. You can tell if he is getting enough to eat by how many dirty diaper he has.he should have at least 12 fairly wet ones and at least one poop in the course of one day.As to your question about 10 -13 minits on each breast if your breast feels less full or "empty" when he lets go he's had enough.My youngest could Drain my breast in 15 minits 10 if he was very hungry.

Answer 5

It's okay that your little guy sleeps so much, he's only 2 weeks old. It is typical of a new baby to sleep a lot because they're growing. Try to feed him with both breasts when you nurse him. Apparently you're doing a great job feeding him, so he hardly needs to wake up.

I was so worried with my second daughter sleeping a lot that I broke down and called the pediatrician's after-hour answering service. The operator guessed this was my first baby and was like, "You're worried because your baby is sleeping too much? That's what new babies do. They sleep." :)

Answer 6

you may want to have you doctor check him for anemia. My mother told me that it was DIFFICULT to wake me up for feeding. I found out 12 years ago i am anemic and one of the side effects from it is tiresomeness. Yes i would recommend that if he's feeding on one side, pump the other. The baby sounds fine, some babies know how much they need to eat. But if i were you i'd get the baby checked out. It's not unusual for babies to be hard to wake up for feeding. They usually let you know when they're hungry. The baby just could simply be a light eater. At 2 weeks old sleep is all a baby really wants at this point until they get to be about 2 months is when he/she will get a little more busier.

Answer 7

For now I say do the best you can. I had the same problem. As he gets older, his little tummy should wake him up. As long as he's gaining weight you should be fine (you can call the Dr for a weight check anytime). Hang in there and remember it's temporary. Enjoy it. You should try to pump so you're supply stays up.

Answer 8

I know its frustrating and hard but u just have to hang in there. if dad is around or anyone else perhaps asking if the could step in for a bit to give u some rest. i know how it is but it comes with parenting...stay strong mom we all go through this not so fun stage of parenting :/

Answer 9

2 weeks ago he just came down the birth canal! he needs to sleep! i would pump and feed him, just in case. you can freeze the milk. if you are really worried, or if he doesn't look healthy, take him to the doctor. he knows if he's hungry or not, but don't let the other breast go to waste, so to speak. it will be fustrating, but EVERYTHING can be fustrating with a baby.

Answer 10

i would just let him sleep, i was told if they are hungry they will wake up. enjoy the sleep while you can. my son is 18 months and still gets up during the night. sometimes two to three times. i would take your spot anyday :) i would pump and save the milk. if the doctor doesn't think that it is a big deal just let the little guy rest. my mom told me that i slept through the night right from the start and i turned out just fine ( at least i think that i did). good luck and happy sleeping!!