Ask a Baby Blogger: Should I Wake My Baby to Breastfeed?

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

25 Jan 2007 08:22 PM

Question: My baby sleeps several hours at a time during the night. I'm worried that he isn't getting enough milk and that my supply will decrease. Should I let him sleep or wake him up to nurse? Also, the nurses in the hospital said that I had to wake him every 2 hours to breastfeed--is that true?

Sometimes there are clear answers to questions we are asked. In this case, however, I can tell you what I've done with my own children and give some guidelines but in general my answer is as follows: Are you kidding me? Get all the sleep you can get girl!!! Breastfeeding is hard work and it can be exhausting--especially at the beginning when your baby is eating around the clock. Also, one thing that helps mom have plenty of milk is getting plenty of rest. Generally speaking, if you are blessed with a little one who likes to sleep and happens to like to do this sleeping in the night thank your lucky stars, roll over and go back to sleep. There is no need to wake a sleeping baby. . .unless of course, you have a need! Here are a few reasons why you may want to consider waking up your little one to nurse.

Jaundice

Newborn jaundice is a relatively common problem. Jaundice is usually treated with phototherapy or sunlight. However, the best way to help newborns get rid of jaundice quickly is to help them pass me conium quickly. Generally, once a baby has passed all of the me conium (the black, tar like, fecal matter newborns excrete), baby starts to look better. What really is happening is baby is passing the billiruben through the me conium. The more quickly the body gets rid of billiruben, the more quickly baby returns to a normal color. Therefore, in the case of a jaundiced baby, you should wake him around the clock to feed.

Preemies

Preemies are in a special class all to themselves. You should always wake a preemie to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock until your doctor tells you to do otherwise. Since preemies do not have their senses fully developed they do not tend to wake as easily to appropriate stimuli. It is never wise to let a preemie sleep more than 3 hours. However, if your preemie was in the hospital, it is likely that he is already on a schedule and you can keep this schedule.

Failure to Thrive

Failure to thrive is a general term for babies who do not gain enough weight. If your baby has problems gaining weight, then you should definitely wake your baby to feed. Often these babies are also called "happy to starve" babies because they are content to sleep for long stretches without eating. A breastfed baby should gain at least ½ oz per day. There are some exceptions to this but even still it is likely that your pediatrician would want you to wake the baby to feed until he is gaining enough weight.

Feed on Demand

One more issue merits mentioning here. You should always breastfeed a newborn on demand. You are fortunate if your baby doesn't demand to nurse around the clock and you will not lose your supply if you feed your baby on demand--even if he's not demanding on a regular schedule. In fact, your body is so smart that it will learn at what time of the day to make the most milk and what time of day it does not need to mass produce!

Of course, you should always ask your pediatrician if you have concerns that your baby isn't getting enough. A good pediatrician will always see a breastfed baby for a weight check--even on a weekly basis if need be. Otherwise, get some sleep while you can!

Also See:

Principles of Breastfeeding a Preemie

Breastfeeding and the NICU

Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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Nola Redd (7081) 25 Jan 2007 10:15 PM

I haven't had any of the problems listed, but I will tell you one time I always wake a sleeping infant: when my breasts are rock-solid, sore, and keeping me awake worse than the baby! LOL. his generally takes a little prodding, but often, it just takes a little bit to get some relief. Otherwise, after nursing three kids, I'm in the 'get all the sleep possible' camp, as well!

Julie Gentry (5915) 25 Jan 2007 10:17 PM

It's wonderful that our bodies adjust to whatever schedule the baby is on. I fed my last three on a fixed schedule from birth (the same one they were on in the nursery). It worked very well, for the whole family. The babies were very healthy, I didn't leak, and we were able to plan our days knowing when the baby would be hungry. For us, it was a much better experience than feeding on demand (which we did with the first one).

Valorie Delp (49340) 26 Jan 2007 05:00 AM

Excellent point Nola. I may go back in and change that in my blog. You should ALWAYS wake your baby when you are engorged. Otherwise it could lead to plugged ducts and mastitis and that is oh sooooo uncomfortable.

Valorie Delp (49340) 26 Jan 2007 05:04 AM

Good for you Julie. I say do whatever works to get everyone the most amount of sleep. I would hesitate to tell new moms to nurse on a schedule because I think that new moms already struggle with how much, when, how do I know etc. I think it's much easier the second and third time around to pick up a baby's cues and "get it". I would agree that mine all fall into a schedule within a few weeks. I certainly wouldn't deny a baby who wanted to nurse not at the right time, but there comes to be an established pattern.

Something interesting? My SIL and BIL almost starved their first baby for breastfeeding on schedule. People say that they must be idiots but they just didn't know better.

Nola Redd (7081) 26 Jan 2007 04:33 PM

Somehow every time my kids get on a schedule, they hit a growth spurt (or finish one) and their schedules change. It drives me up the WALL! Then they go fairly regular and my body adjusts, but the transition always kills me.

Julie Gentry (5915) 26 Jan 2007 05:06 PM

How awful, Valerie! Mine settled in quickly. The nursery started them on 3 hour schedules, and we continued it. The biggest change was feeding them when they woke up, and putting them to bed when they were cranky. Made for happy babies *s*.

Yes, whatever works for each family, and for each baby! They're all different, and every family is different.

Valorie Delp (49340) 26 Jan 2007 07:24 PM

Yes it was pretty awful. They were embarassed and wouldn't take advice. . .didn't want to formula feed. . .but in the end that was what saved the baby. She's doing just fine now. . .but YIKES! What a rough start.

Nola when the twins hit growth spurts I couldn't eat enough. The transition is rough!