Do I Need To Wake My Baby To Feed Him?

As we adapt to the routines of our newborns, everything is simpler. However, we can have a lot of doubts for the first few days, such as  questions about how and when should I feed him? Is it necessary to wake my baby to feed him?

Breastfeeding is necessary and beneficial for babies until they are at least six months old. Even if your baby communicates his hunger to you, you still worry about how much he should eat.

Sometimes we may believe that if he sleeps, he can go without food for a while. Other times we may worry that his breastfeeding time has passed while he is sleeping.

In case you didn’t know yet, babies know better how much milk they need and when they need it. Your baby’s nutrition in the first phase of his life depends only on his needs.

We will produce the amount of milk our baby needs and he will drink as much as he wants. During the first months of life, it is not necessary to wake your baby to feed him.

However, in some special cases it may be necessary to wake them up. If this applies to you, your doctor will let you know.

For example, if your baby was born prematurely, isn’t quite healthy, is losing weight, or isn’t gaining enough weight, you may need to feed it more often. In those cases, if your baby sleeps too much, you may need to wake him up to feed him.

Feed on demand

It is normal to experience doubts if it has been a while since your baby has been breastfed. This happens especially when we feed our child every four hours.

If this amount of time has passed and he is still sleeping then we may feel like we need to wake him up. It is also normal to be concerned when the schedule changes.

However, some mothers choose to breastfeed on demand. Feeding your child on demand means that you should feed him when he is hungry. This means that you should feed him no matter how long it has been since he had his last feed.

By feeding on demand, there is no need to wake your baby for another feeding.

While we are breastfeeding on demand, the child will let you know when it is time to eat. When he sleeps, he only wakes up to breastfeed. Your little one will eat when he is hungry so his needs will always be met.

He will look at your breast, cry and suck to indicate that he wants to eat. It is important that the mother breastfeeds her baby. Even if it’s only been a short while since his last feeding.

In the beginning we may be unsure about many things. Once a breastfeeding schedule is established, your child will wake you up when it’s time.

When is it necessary to wake my baby to feed him?

If your baby is healthy, you don’t have to wake him up to breastfeed. However, in some cases you will also need to feed them while sleeping.

It will be necessary to wake your baby to eat in the following circumstances:

• If your baby needs to gain weight, lose weight, or have slept for many hours without eating.
• If your baby has not  yet adjusted to a breastfeeding schedule. This usually happens within the first few days after birth.

• If your baby is born prematurely or sick

Except in certain circumstances, we recommend that you always wake your baby as gently as possible. If he is nearby, for example in a baby carrier or baby carrier, you can offer your breast. Do this without waking him abruptly.

The key is to try not to wake him from a deep sleep, but to take advantage of his movements.