Is It Advisable To Wake The Baby To Feed Him?

As we adapt to the newborn’s routines, everything becomes easier. However, there  are many doubts in the early days. How and when should I feed it? Is it necessary to wake up the baby to feed him?

Feeding with breast milk is necessary and beneficial to the baby for at least the first six months of life. Even when he expresses his needs himself, doubts arise regarding the amount of

feeds

that he requires. At times we can believe that if he is sleeping, he can go a long time without eating. Other times we are afraid that the estimated breastfeeding time will pass if he continues to sleep.

In case you didn’t know, we inform you that babies know better than we do how much milk they need, and when they need it. Feeding children during their first phase of life may be subject only to their needs. In other words, we will produce the amount of milk he needs, and he will drink whatever he wants. In this sense, during his first few months of life you will not need to wake him up to feed him.

However, in some special cases, many of them recommended by our doctor, it will be necessary to wake your baby up to feed him. For example, if your child is premature, not completely healthy, loses weight, or doesn’t gain enough, you may need to feed him more often. That is, in these cases, if the

drink

is sleeping too much, you will have to wake him up to feed him.

Food on demand 

It is normal for doubts to arise when we do not breastfeed for a long time. This occurs particularly when we take the initiative to feed the baby every 4

hours

. If that time has passed and the baby is still sleeping, we may feel that something must be done. It is also common to worry if the schedule we prepare changes.

However, some mothers opt for on-demand feeding. Feeding your child on demand means feeding him when he needs it and as soon as it manifests. In other words, feed him in every way, regardless of the time between one meal and another. This way, it will not be necessary to wake the baby up for each feeding.

While we are breastfeeding on demand, the baby will take the initiative at mealtimes. In case he is sleeping, he will wake up alone to nurse. Through this type of

food

, the little one will eat whenever they are hungry, so their needs will always be covered.

He will seek his chest, cry, and suck to indicate he wants to eat. It is important that the mother breastfeed him, even when it has been a short time since the previous feeding. At first we may not be sure about many things, but when breastfeeding is fully established, it will awaken in due course.

When is it necessary to wake up the baby for him to eat?

As we said earlier, if the baby is

healthy

you won’t need to wake him up to eat. However, in some cases, it will be necessary to feed him even during the hours he sleeps. Whenever the following circumstances occur, it is advisable to wake the baby up to eat:

• If the baby needs to gain weight,  or loses it, and spends many hours sleeping without eating.
• If the baby has not yet adjusted to a breastfeeding schedule. It usually occurs within the first few days of birth.
• If the baby is premature or sick.

Although these are exceptional cases, we advise that whenever you wake the baby, do it as gently as possible. For example, you should take advantage of the fact that he stirred, coughed, or turned to offer his chest. Having it close, for example, inside the blanket, or in the portable crib will allow you to offer your breast without having to wake him up abruptly. The key is to try not to wake him from a deep sleep, but to enjoy his movements and interactions with his environment.