Should I wake up my newborn baby if he falls asleep while feeding? Why does my newborn baby fall asleep while feeding?

We all know that newborns like to sleep soon after they are born, and they spend almost two-thirds of the day sleeping. When many mothers are feeding their babies, they will encounter the situation that the baby falls asleep as soon as they feed. This is a relatively common phenomenon. So should the newborn baby be woken up if he falls asleep as soon as he feeds? Let's take a closer look!

Should I wake up my newborn baby if he falls asleep while feeding?

1. Seven days before birth

Newborn babies need a lot of sleep. They secrete growth hormone through sleep, which allows the various organs of the body to mature quickly so as to adapt to the world outside the womb.

However, within the first 7 days after birth, the baby does not pay much attention to the need for food. Sleeping is more important than eating, which is a perfect interpretation of the baby in this period.

Therefore, in the first 7 days after birth, if the baby likes to snore and is not willing to eat breast milk, mothers do not need to be too nervous or wake them up intentionally. If they feel hungry, they will start eating naturally.

2. 10 days after birth

It is different for babies who are over 10 days old. They have adapted to life outside and have begun to respond to the outside world. They will also try to play with adults during the day and go to sleep at night.

Therefore, the appetite begins to increase sharply, and the demand for breast milk is getting greater and greater. If babies at this stage fall asleep after feeding for a while, mothers can gently pinch their little earlobes and try to let them finish feeding before continuing to feed some breast milk.

Because if the baby falls asleep after a while of breastfeeding at this time, be careful of them to develop the bad habit of sleeping with their mouth full. Although they have fallen asleep, they are still half full, which will make them sleep unsteadily. The sleep period has a great impact on their growth.

Therefore, if a newborn baby falls asleep after feeding for a while on breast milk, whether to wake him up or not depends on how many days the baby is born.

Why do newborns fall asleep after feeding?

Because the stomach capacity of a newborn baby is very small, usually only about 30 ml, and they can only eat about 20 ml at most each time. It is normal to wake up after sleeping for a while.

In fact, another reason for falling asleep while feeding is that it takes a lot of effort for babies to feed. Is that what we often say, "exerting the strength to feed?" You can see how tired they are when they are sweating while feeding. So it is normal to fall asleep after feeding, and sometimes it is also a need to replenish physical strength.

Generally, babies will start to eat and sleep regularly when they are around 2 or 3 months old. If they still fall asleep while eating and wake up after a while and are very attached to their mother, it may be because the mother does not pay that much attention to the baby. The mother can interact more with the baby and help him gradually establish a routine.

How to prevent newborns from falling asleep while feeding

To prevent your baby from falling asleep while feeding, mothers can do the following:

1. While the baby is feeding, pull the baby's ears from time to time to prevent the baby from falling asleep.

2. Tickle the soles of your child’s feet;

3. When your baby is about to fall asleep, you can switch to the other side to feed the baby. This action can wake the baby up.

After your baby has eaten, it is best to put him or her to bed and let him or her fall asleep on his or her own.

As the baby gets older, the newborn's stomach capacity will increase, he will eat more, become stronger, and stay awake longer. This situation of eating and sleeping at the same time will gradually disappear!