I am breastfeeding my 2 weeks old son and he has a habit of sleeping for very long hours. I usually wait for him to wake up so I can breastfeed him, which has caused my breasts to be much engorged. Sometimes it becomes completely intolerable. Please help me.
Babies should be breastfed at regular intervals and you should make sure that you follow a routine while feeding your baby. Newly born babies usually require to be fed every 2 to 3 hours, even during the night. This is important for your baby’s health, as breast milk provides all the nutrition your child will need for growing. Waking your sleeping infant also ensures that mothers milk supply remains healthy and it teaches the baby the difference between night and day.
Newly born babies will need to be woken more than once for feed during the night, as well as during the day. Here are some tips which can help you wake your sleeping baby:
- Start with gently unwrapping your baby by taking off any blanket or cover
- If this does not work, strip your baby to the diaper and hug him/her. Skin to skin contact will wake the baby and provide warmth at the same time
- Try massaging your baby gently, talking and singing at the same time to stimulate him/her
- Maintaining eye contact is also a good way to encourage the baby to stay awake
Once your baby is up and bobbing her head up and down, it is a clear indication of the baby’s readiness to feed. Make sure you keep the baby awake by continual stimulation so that the baby does not sleep at your breast.