Waking baby for feed - yes or no

[SunnyGirl]

Eliot is a very sleepy baby and keeping him to an every 4 hours feeding schedule is hard because he wont eat much when asleep. Should we just let him sleep past the 4 hours & let him let us know when he's hungry? So tricky to know what to do!

 

[Mummy2Adam]

If Elliot isnt waking during the night, id leave him up to about six hours between feeds, i told the midwife the other day that we were setting an alarm for six hours after Elexia's feed and she seemed perfectly happy with it x x

 

[SunnyGirl]

That's what ours suggested - this little monkey wanted to go beyond that! I fed him in the end. Just felt better about 6 hour cap on it x

 

[Amy_J]

with my lo the first few weeks i was so routine routine routine..that i would wake him if he hadnt fed for a few hours, set my alarm at night and everything LOL.. and i found that he wasnt even hungry and wouldnt finish the bottle or latch on to me.

after that i just let him let me know when he was hungry - and he most definately did!, so i would just leave it hun, lo will deffo let u know when he is hungry!!!

 

[Sarah13]

6 hours sleep, one can dream..... Think I would wake at the 6 hour point though as Elliot still only 2 weeks but depends how much he had at the last feed guess.

 

[Maria1977]

Oscar lost alot of weight after birth, he was tongue tied and couldn't latch on properly. The hospitals policy was to advise 2 hourly feeds and because of his weight loss and the way this was drilled into me I did used to wake him... but it was exhausting. If he was sleeping and I tried to wake him he wouldn't feed anyways. it was so counter productive. Next time I will defo follow LOs lead, they defo tell you when they are hungry!!!

 

[SunnyGirl]

Thanks everyone - think what I'll do is have a 6 hour cap within which he can let me know. It's so difficult (and unfair on him) trying to wake him for a set schedule! Hard to know what to do when it's drummed into you by the hospital. So glad to have all you on here with actual practical advice!! xxx

 

[Maria1977]

It used to stress me out so much, if Oscar had slept for more than 4 hours and wouldn't feed I was like 'OMGoooood panic stations' lol, but I should've just let him sleep because in the end all I did was create a sleep problem for an actual good sleeper!

Obviously if baby continues losing weight it's a problem and waking for feeds is maybe a solution, but otherwise I would let baby sleep and me sleep too lol I used to set my alarm for every 2 hours for like over a month I think, I was shattered, like a zombie coz i was only getting 2 hours sleep then spending about an hour or so trying to wake him to feed then trying to get him back to sleep. OMG makes me feel tired just thinking about it!! xxxxxx

 

[Piglet's Mama]

The first few weeks I would just feed him when he wants. I can't help with the 4-6hour feeding times as Brooke ate constantly for the first 4-5 weeks! I think she barely went an hour...

I wake Brooke now for a dream feed, as we're trying to establish our bed-time routine but when she was really teeny I didn't bother. Plus, he'll let you know if he's hungry, how much is he having per feed? If he's taking 3-4oz that probably sees him through for a while. More piccies of him please! xx

 

[SunnyGirl]

He eats anywhere between 2-4oz each feed and they're roughly 4 hours apart, but never more than 6 hours. Trying to follow his lead a bit more because waking him after 4 hours leads to The Lips of No where he purses so tightly and looks like a little lord of the manor haha so funny! I wake and persevere at 6 hours, mind! Nappy changes with faffing mum usually wakes him...

xxx