Joy Parenting Club

Should you wake your baby to feed? It depends! If you answer yes to any of these questions, it’s a good time to <a href="https://www.laleche.org.uk/sleepy-baby-why-and-what-to-do/#:~:text=If%20your%20baby%20is%20too%20sleepy%20or%20groggy%20to%20rouse,ensure%20they%20get%20enough%20milk." rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wake your baby to feed.</a>

Your newborn has been sleeping for more than 3-4 hours, and they have not yet established a consistent weight gain patternor returned to their birth-weight milestone*.

Your newborn was born prematurely, has a special medical condition, or has jaundice.In these instances, it’s essential to consult with your pediatrician about establishing a frequent cadence of feedings to aid the baby's hydration, nutritional, and recovery needs. Premature babies or those with medical conditions may not wake as easily to initiate the feedings they need.

You are establishing breastfeeding.In your first weeks home, it’s better to be generous with feedings than assume less. Your newborn will need to feed, on average, every 2-3 hours for at least 10 feeding sessions in a 24-hour period. Offering frequent feedings helps to establish your supply, but it also sets your baby up for success by catching them in earlier stages of hunger.

- Your newborn has been sleeping for more than 3-4 hours, and they have not yet established a consistent weight gain patternor returned to their birth-weight milestone*.
- Your newborn was born prematurely, has a special medical condition, or has jaundice.In these instances, it’s essential to consult with your pediatrician about establishing a frequent cadence of feedings to aid the baby's hydration, nutritional, and recovery needs. Premature babies or those with medical conditions may not wake as easily to initiate the feedings they need.
- You are establishing breastfeeding.In your first weeks home, it’s better to be generous with feedings than assume less. Your newborn will need to feed, on average, every 2-3 hours for at least 10 feeding sessions in a 24-hour period. Offering frequent feedings helps to establish your supply, but it also sets your baby up for success by catching them in earlier stages of hunger.

Waking to feed is ideal during the newborn stage

By about 3-4 months old, your baby may show a more predictable feeding schedule. If your baby has a clear weight-gain pattern and is otherwise healthy, it’s okay to stop waking your baby to feed and follow their lead. Around this stage, you may also notice that your baby is feeding less frequently and ending feeding sessions sooner. This is a typical trajectory. As babies mature, they become much more efficient at feeding.

*Birth-weight milestone is when your newborn has regained the weight they lost after birth. It’s very common for newborns to lose weight in the first few days postpartum, and regaining it may take 7-14 days of frequent feedings.