28: What if My Baby is Sleepy When They Eat?

Before we get started, if you have been enjoying this show but haven’t rated it yet. It would sure help the show grow if you could give it a quick rating. If you are an avid podcast listener, then you know ratings and listeners are how shows are suggested to others.

If this is your first episode, then welcome! I hope it’s helpful and enjoyable enough to earn your rating. Now onto the show!

Newborn babies, especially those born before 40 weeks gestation, can be a bit on the sleepy side.  They can also be tricky little feeders as they commonly prefer to snuggle and snooze.  If you are experiencing this with your newborn, I have three gentle tips to keep the feed moving and help them get the nutrition they need. 

These are simple yet effective strategies but should only be used if your baby needs this occasional support. They should not be used to push your baby to finish a bottle or for overfeeding in the hope to impact sleep stretches.

Okay, let's jump in. Three simple tips to gently perk up your baby are as follows:

First, start with a diaper change. There's something very alerting about being naked and moved to a new spot that tends to wake babies up.  This might be helpful before feeding for some, but not all babies. If the diaper change really fires your little one up, you may want to skip unnecessary ones right before feeding. 

Tip two is gentle rubbing or stroking of the head, shoulder, or foot.  This can be a very nurturing way to say, hey little one, the meal isn't quite over yet.  The nipple is still in your mouth.  Just to be clear, this is not agitating, tickling, or otherwise jostling. It's just a gentle alerting through positive touch. 

If your baby is satisfied and satiated. And finish eating, take the bottle out of their mouth, and be done. At breast, you can safely break the seal and remove them. Or, if it's your thing, you can let them suckle for a while. Totally up to you and the condition of your nipples.

The third trick is to turn up the lights. If it's night time, please don't turn on bright lights in the house and subsequently alert both you and baby, making it difficult to fall back asleep. But consider how very dark or very low lights are calming and soothing for sleep preparation.  So, having a little more light can be alerting. This strategy can be used during the daytime by simply going outside for a few minutes.

If it's late or dark, try turning on a lamp.  If it's night time, make sure your baby needs that night feed before you go alerting the both of you.

If those don't work, consider your schedule.  Is your baby gaining and growing well?  Do they have developmentally appropriate alertness?  If so, perhaps we are trying to force a schedule that is just missing their flow and all they need is for their cues to be followed. 

Alternatively, is your baby an extra sleepy baby?  Extra sleepy populations can include those born prior to 40 weeks gestation.  Babies who are large for gestational size and those born from mothers with gestational diabetes.  The need for frequent alerting and skilled feeding strategies can be common in these populations. However, I do recommend getting a specific skilled plan for your child when it comes to babies that need extra feeding support.  That way you know what strategies would be best for your baby and you can help conserve their energy when it's appropriate.

It goes without saying that there are a number of other things which cause babies to be lethargic, not wake up to feed, and even shut down when offered feedings due to underlying issues. In these cases, over alerting is not the answer. If your baby is lethargic, not having enough wet diapers, showing signs of dehydration, or is otherwise not feeding well,  it's time to get help now. But for our typical full term newborn that just needs a little help here and there, Then, changing their diaper, gentle stroking, and use of appropriate lighting are great tools to have. And these gentle alerting techniques can be great temporary or intermittent support strategies.

If you feel a little unsure about what your baby's alerting needs are and how babies cue to eat, then check out episode 4 where I review how to feed your baby based on their cues.

And with that, I'll be here next week!