How to Wake up a Newborn to Feed

ByBrie Ann

Waking up a newborn to eat every 2-3 hours can be a challenge. Newborns are so sleepy! There are several tips below you can use to wake your newborn up to feed!

Whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding most parents all struggle to wake up a sleepy baby. It is important to keep feeding your baby frequently so that they don’t lose too much weight.

But when your little one is not interested in being awake it can take awhile to feed them. As a sleep consultant I tend to share a lot about how to get your little one to FALL asleep, the newborn period is the exception because it’s so important that they WAKE UP to get nutrition to grow and develop.

Try these ideas to wake up a sleepy newborn to feed!

  • Un swaddle your newborn
  • Change your little ones diaper before and/or in the middle of the feeding
  • Burp your newborn often so that your newborn’s tummy has more room for food
  • Try a warm wet baby wipe on your little ones cheek or feet
  • Tickle and stroke the bottom of your newborn’s feet
  • If your bottle feeding try holding your newborn facing you upright instead of in a cozy position next to you in your arms
  • Try stroking your newborns cheek if they stop swallowing to remind them that they can keep eating
  • If your bottle feeding stroke the top of the roof of their mouth with the bottle nipple in a gentle in and out motion
  • If you need additional support with your newborn, schedule an 45 Minute appointment today to help you get off to a great start.

Here are some general guidelines for feeding newborns:

Even thought newborns are difficult to wake up, it is really important that they get enough nutrition in a 24 hour period.

Most newborns eat every 2-3 hours, some may only eat an 1/2 ounce at each feeding for the first and second day of life. Then after that they usually can eat 1-2 ounces per feeding. At 2 weeks you might start to notice that they want to eat more. Remember to talk to your pediatrician about how much and how often to feed your infant/newborn especially if they have lost weight or were premature at birth.

Even though newborns are sleepy and hard to wake up, feeding your baby should be a pleasurable and beautiful bonding experience. Enjoy each feeding knowing that you are nourishing them and helping them grow stronger and bigger everyday!