Breastfeeding: Should you wake sleepy baby for feeds?
My 10-day-old son has been jaundiced since he was two days old. His bilirubin levels have never gone high enough to do phototherapy. I find myself having to wake him for every single feeding. (He will sleep at least five hours at a time.) He is having plenty of bowel movements and wet diapers. Do I need to wake my sleepy baby to nurse?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
Jaundiced babies are often sleepy babies, even when their levels are not high enough to require further intervention. When a baby is very sleepy, what can happen is that he will get into a cycle of not being fed as often as he needs to be. The less he is fed, the more sleepy he becomes. It can be a vicious cycle. Sometimes parents, in need of rest after the birth, are appreciative that they have a baby who doesn't cry much or make many demands on them. They may not realize there are any problems until they go into the Health Care Provider for their baby's weight check. If the baby's weight has been spiralling downward for two weeks, usually the situation will need to be turned around quickly to avoid any long lasting consequences.
During the first six weeks of life, a baby needs to nurse at least 10 to 12 times each day. Usually in a 24-hour period it is normal to see one four to five hour period of sleep. In those early weeks especially, I do think that it is important to watch for your baby's hunger cues. If he sleeps much of the time during the day, allow him to rest where you can see and hear him. Go about your normal activities, without darkening the room or trying to keep the area very quiet during the day. (This is the time you would like to encourage him to be awake, rather than the night.) When your little guy starts moving around a little, making soft sounds, and bringing his fingers or fist to his mouth, it is a good time to put him to your breast, first undressing him, except for his diaper. Lying skin-to-skin is stimulating for babies and helps them to stay awake for a good feed.
It's great to hear that your son's output has been good. That's a very good sign, and something that is very important to look at when you have a sleepy baby in the early weeks. When a baby has plenty of bowel movements and wet diapers each day, it is a good sign that he is getting plenty of milk. It is still wise to keep an eye on your baby's pattern of weight gain if he is very sleepy much of the time. Your baby's Health Care Provider can even check his weight in between regularly scheduled visits. Best wishes, and lots of joy with your new baby!
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