feeding sleepy newborn

Anyone else having trouble feeding their newborn? DD wants to sleep ALL day and i often can"t seem to get her up to eat!! i try undressing her, changing her, etc. Sometimes it works but other times it doesn't and she can go hours and hours without eating

Re: feeding sleepy newborn

I would keep trying to wake her up every 4 hours during the day to eat. It's the only way she'll get her days/night corrected otherwise she'll sleep all day and be up all night.

Undress her, change her diaper, do anything you can to get her awake and eating for you.

Re: feeding sleepy newborn

blow on her face, tickle her feet

hang in there, its so hard in the beginning but it will get better!!!

Re: feeding sleepy newborn

Yes, DS was the same way in the beginning. It will get better in the next few weeks. In the meantime, just keep doing what you're doing....undressing, changing diaper, tickling feet and under the chin, wipe DC's face with a wet cloth, etc.

Re: feeding sleepy newborn

Until she's back up to her birth weight or past it, you have to keep waking her to feed her (according to my pediatrician). She said do ANYTHING to make sure she eats at a minimum of every 2 1/2 to 3 hours until she's 2 weeks old or past her birth weight. Wet washcloth, undressing, ice -- ANYTHING. It's tough because you hate to torture your child, but it's really, really important they eat those first two weeks.

We got permission to let her self-awaken at the 2 week appointment when she'd finally exceeded her birth weight.

Call your pediatrician if you're concerned and see what they want you to do. This is just what mine said (and I'm not a doctor).