Should I wake my baby to feed

As your baby lays asleep looking as peaceful as possible, you think – how can I wake this bundle of joy up? Although you may be enjoying the peace and quiet whilst you have it, your baby’s routine is important to stick by. The answer to "should I wake my baby to feed" is a definite yes.

It's essential to stick to feeding schedules as this is the largest contributing factor to keeping your baby healthy and helping them in their development. Even when they are asleep, you need to feed at the correct time.

Weight gain is priority when your baby is born. In order to develop fully and function, they need to gain the correct amount of weight. If they do not, this can cause complications for your baby throughout their development as well as later in life if not resolved. Feeding your baby the correct amount at the right times is essential.

Why should I wake my newborn baby to feed?

Your newborn baby will grow really quickly. To keep up with that fast growth, your baby needs to be fed the correct amount each day to avoid complications. By taking long breaks between feeding, it throws off the feeding schedule and measn your baby will not consume enough when they need to. It’s recommended that during the first 2 weeks of your baby’s life, they should be woken up to feed if they sleep more than four hours in one go. You my not be so lucky to get a baby that sleeps this much, our blog on 'when do babies sleep through the night' might be helpful!

We’ve put together some points on why it’s important to stick to a consistent feeding routine, even if it means waking them up:

• Fast Digestion. Baby’s digest milk extremely quickly. When you pair that with the tiny stomach of a 2-week-old baby, it’s clear to see why it’s so important to stick to a solid feeding routine. If your baby is breastfed, they should be fed every 2-3 hours as breast milk is digested very quickly. However, formula takes slightly longer to digest and therefore, your baby can be fed every 3-4 hours instead. This is why it's important that you wake your baby if they sleep for more than 4 hours in one go. During that time, your baby has digested all of the milk it's had and now has an empty stomach. Your baby needs a constant supply of nutrients to function and develop as normal.

• Your baby doesn’t realise they’re hungry. When your baby is awake, they show signs like finger sucking and rooting to signal that they’re hungry. However, when they are asleep, they can sometimes ignore these alarms and therefore not wake up to be fed. This is why it’s really important to keep a log of your baby’s feeding schedule so you can be on it when they are not. In this case, your baby needs to be woken up to be fed to avoid missing the scheduled feeding time.

• Gaining weight. If you don’t feed your baby enough, they could start losing weight. This is something that needs to be monitored as it could be harmful to your baby’s development. When your baby is born, they lose around 5-10% of their body weight – this is completely normal. This means that the first few weeks of their life are revolved around gaining that weight back and developing normally. When you skip feeds or don’t feed them enough, this is playing a huge part to your baby’s growth and should be avoided at all costs.

• Breast milk supply. When using formula, you don’t have to worry about running out as you can always get more at the shops or from people you know. However, breastfeeding is not the same. When you get your baby into a breastfeeding schedule, your body will also get itself into a routine of producing enough milk for your baby. This means that if you don’t feed enough, your milk production will slow down. It’s really important to keep a consistent schedule every day so that your baby can get what he or she needs without going hungry.

How do I wake my newborn baby for feedings?

It can be difficult to know how to wake your baby up to feed without startling them. The last thing you want is a screaming baby whilst you're trying to feed. You want to make it as easy as possible for you and your baby during feeding time. This is why you need to use soft, gentle actions to gradually wake them. We’ve got some great ways to wake your baby below:

• Try undressing him or her.
• Stroke the soles of the feet or the hands.
• Pick them up – When your baby is in an upright position, they will associate this with waking up.
• Turn down the lights – It may sound silly but the brighter the lights, the less likely your little one will want to open their eyes.
• Communicate with your baby – Whether it’s talking or singing – these are great ways to wake up your baby.
• Use a cool flannel on their head.

By trying some of these ways, you should be able to wake them slowly and calmly. These are the best ways to not alert your baby too much. You don’t wait to scare them or shock them as they wake up. Using ways which does it gradually will put your baby in a good mood and will make feeding much easier. If you're having trouble feeding your baby, take a look at our how to bottle feed your baby blog.

Feeding your newborn baby during the night

Feeding is just as important during the night as it is during the day. You need to make sure your baby consumes the correct amount needed for their development and health. If you are breastfeeding, your baby should empty on breast – this will give him or her the nutrients to develop fully. All babies are different and some take longer to feed than others. Whilst some babies can empty one breast in 10 minutes, others may take around 20 minutes. This is completely normal and you should have patience with your baby.

If you are using formula, you should give your baby a full feed depending on their age and development stage. Make sure you use the correct quantities of formula and water to make your baby’s milk. if your baby doesn't finish the bottle, try repositioning them or burping them. They may be feeling uncomfortable and no longer want to feed. After they have been burped, try again, if your baby is still not taking to it, they could be full.

Keeping your baby awake during feedings

We're always speaking about how to get your baby to sleep. But, keeping your baby awake can become a problem when feeding close to bedtime and during night feeds. Babies commonly suck on their fingers or hands when they sleep as it’s a soother. This means that when they’re also sucking on a bottle or nipple, this can also help them fall asleep. It’s important to monitor you baby whilst feeding to make sure they are still extracting milk.

If you notice your baby is dosing off, try and reposition him or her to wake your baby up or resort to burping them. The move in position will reset your baby and will prevent them from falling asleep. You can also press the bottle or nipple up against your baby’s lips to signal that it’s feeding time.

Your baby will eventually settle into a routine and these problems won’t come as often. However, it’s important that whilst your experiencing some issues, try different things and work out which one is best for your baby.

Also remember that as your baby gets bigger and older, feeding schedules will change and feeding through the night will become something of the past. Moving away from night feedings is something that should be done gradually so it's easy for your baby to understand.

Struggling to wake your newborn baby?

Some babies wont wake as easily as others – they must love their sleep! Even if you’re struggling, you still need to wake them to feed. To combat this problem, you need to apply a little more pressure to the ways that you’re trying to wake them with. For example, talk or sing slightly louder than you usually would or pick them up and take them into a completely different room. The change in environment will take your baby out of their sleeping zone and will wake them.

If these still aren’t working, then it’s a sign that your baby is very tired. In this case, you can allow an extra hour of sleep for your baby before trying to wake them again. However, at that point, it’s essential that they’re woken up. Speak to a paediatrician if you find that this is happening often and if it’s leading to missed feedings.

Take out advice as some great tips to try. However, if you have any concern for your baby regarding feeding or waking them up, it’s best to speak to a medical professional for some more advice. We hope this has helped resolve some of the problems or questions you had.