We know that babies need to feed every 2-3 hours and the mother needs to relieve herself of milk just as often. Sometimes babies (often referred to as "sleepy babies") can be difficult to rouse. Here are some tips and techniques to help to wake the baby to feed.
Time Required: Until the baby wakes up
Here's How:
- Strip the baby down to his/her diaper. Don't worry about the baby catching a chill. Skin-to-skin contact gives a sufficient amount of body heat to keep the baby's temperature regulated.
- If the baby is hard to wake, the mother simply should hug the baby to her chest. Once again, the skin-to-skin contact is important because it entices them to wake up once they're hungry and when they do, they're already at the breast.
- Notice the baby's signals and don't worry about the clock.
- Massage the baby gently but firmly and talk softly to him.
- When the baby wakes she will start to bob her head back and forth: This is how babies look for the breast with their mouth and lips.
- If you have a sleepy baby, and have tried all of the above techniques to rouse him, sometimes a good burping or diaper change will do the trick. Although it is recommended that you finish one breast entirely before offering the other, burping a sleepy baby and switching to the other side may keep his interest high.
