Newborn baby?

Question

My daughter is home today with her newborn baby girl born yesterday, baby fine and mom too. She said the last time baby ate was at 7:00 this morning (breastfed) and I went to visit at 5:00 pm and baby just wants to sleep mom has been trying to keep her awake long enough for baby to eat but she just falls back to sleep, the nurse told her the baby has to eat every 3 hrs but how do you get baby to stay awake long enough to eat if she just wants to sleep.Just wondering if any one has any ideas that might work thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Even though baby is sleepy I would wake her 2nd hourly to try to feed as she is probably not taking in a lot if she is sleepy at the breast or bottle.If she is on the breast then it is even more important for milk supply to put her to breast more often even if it not for long because of sleepiness.My youngest was very sleepy due to high biliruben(yellow jaundice) not high enough for lights but high enough to make him sleepy. He never woke for feeds for the first 3 weeks we had to wake him.The longest I let him go was 5 hours and then my breasts were aching and leakingLOL
Other than that you can poke and prod and bath and change but if she is a sleepy baby she will sleep through it LOL.One more thing,with a sleepy baby,tell her not to give her a dummy as you want her sucking on the breast or bottle.once she is over her sleepy days,she can use a dummy(pacifier)

Answer 2

Anonnie, they can give theirs up too when at the end of the term so I find that an excuse of inconveniences more. They have a point and as that one link Darrin brought out, the Church saw it too. In fact many do. Just because Supa has a link where that one doesn't feel they are worth mentioning. Who is she to decide? Many are mentioning it. In the medical field too it is discussed. What an idiot as if that link closes the discussion. Why is it different, it is a life, to say it isn't just because it needs support is to say older ones on air support, or kidney support, are not a life. The fact that it grows and survives with that support shows it is a life. Of course we don't want to run around and kill babies that we see and can hold that would horrified people, although some are doing that with aborted babies born alive. We even have had some live with help. maybe some think they should die just because they were to be aborted. They do have a point as grim as it sounds. Both are a life Interesting comments. Good post

Answer 3

For the most part, the baby will eat when it gets hungry. The 3 hours is a great rule of thumb, but it isn't carved in stone for most babies.

However, some babies (like my 2nd) NEED to eat every 3 hours for medical reasons.

As someone mentioned, play with the babies fingers, toes, face, etc...

If this does not work, strip the baby down to their diaper. When the baby gets cold, they will wake up. If your daughter must resort to this, keep a blanket close by to help keep the baby warm once they latch.

Good Luck!!

Answer 4

My first question is, Is your daughter on pain meds. Because they make the baby tired as well as mom. Second try and wake the baby up just a little bit and feed while sleeping. next i would try a bottle. If nothing works call the Dr.

Answer 5

When i had my last baby, (6 mos ago) the nurses there said do not wake the baby to eat unless she has gone longer than 6 hours. To keep my daugter nursing (she kept nodding off) I would tickler her under the chin while she ate.

I just remembered, to wake her (and my son when he was born) I would change the diaper. It woke them everytime. Must be the chilly wipe.

Answer 6

tap on her chin, undress her to eat, don't worry, she's only a day old, it will get easier each time, keep trying but it's not life or death, as long as she gets a few swallows in, everytime will increase in time, help mom to get rest while she can and maybe pump a little, also try a thump on the foot with finger not too hard, i have seen a lot of nurses do that,good luck, please reasure mom everything is fine and she is doing great,

Answer 7

A healthy baby will eat enough. One of the nice things about breastfeeding is that you really don't want to have a lot of rules and "shoulds". Every 3 hours is a little rigid.

If you REALLY want to wake her up, however, dab a little alcohol on her umbilical cord and blow gently. It will feel cold and will wake her up. I know it sounds mean, but you have to do it anyway, right?

Answer 8

my son was the same at the hospital they made me either take his clothes off so he was cold so he'd stay up or run my hands under the cold water and dry them and put them on him cuz its soo important for them to get the colestrum and for your milk production to be acurate its not fun but you gotta do what you gotta do i also would just rub my nipple up and down across his lips and hed latch on and eat a little longer don't worry it doesn;t last long

and brushing the cheek helps too the nurse would always come and brush his check its the rooting reflex:D

Answer 9

I have two children, ages five and seven now. My daughter was the same way, always wanted to sleep. I was told that she will eat when she is hungry, this worked well as I now have a healthy daughter. I think it would be cause for concern if the baby doesn't eat by tomorrow afternoon. If this is the case call her pediatrician. Good luck and congratulations to you and your daughter.

Answer 10

Try changing her diaper or tickling the bottoms of her feet. If she's going to breastfeed, she really needs to feed her every 2-3 hours to establish her milk supply. At the very least, pump and store it for later.