Feedingbaby should always pay special attention, not only during the day, but at night. Each mother at a certain stage of development of her own crumbs will certainly encounter the same questions: until what age, and which nutrition should give the child how often it is necessary. Consider all the nuances of the night feeding. Practically for all parents, the situation is familiar when in the night a child wakes up and mother immediately rushes to feed him. How correct are its actions, and how long should such nightly events continue? feeding? These are the questions we will try to give you the answer in this article.
To feed or not to feed?
For an infant of several months from birth, it is considered quite normal that a nightly awakening for the purpose of eating is taken. That is what all modern pediatricians think. There is nothing wrong with this, if the crumb is not fed up during the day, and wakes up at night to eat a little. Rather, it is not at all convenient for dads and mothers, who are completely unwilling to be disturbed in the middle of the night by crying loudly. But at this stage, the most important thing is that the child develops normally, for which he should receive a sufficient amount power supply, and with it the necessary vitamin and trace elements.
Is it worth it or not to wean the crumbs from the night feeding, depends not only on its weight, but also on how much food it eats during the day.
In the event that the baby is underweight or does not receive the prescribed volume power supplyduring the day, feedingat night it will be just vital for him (of course, if he wakes up to eat a little).
But if the crumb has excess weight, then it is better to refuse such night “dinners”.
If your baby has a completely normal body weight, in no case try to wake him in the middle of the night in order to feed him, even if he sleeps without waking up for more than six hours. Better sleep yourself and rejoice that you have the opportunity to sleep off a little.
How to wean a baby from feeding at night?
To get started, try replacing the artificial milk formula or breast milk with regular water (preferably, specially purified, intended for children's consumption).
If the little tot wakes up in the middle of the night because of the feeling of hunger, try to feed him more and feed him more during the day. A child who, in addition to milk formulas, also uses complementary foods, can be offered, for example, to eat porridge before bedtime. Porridges are quite nutritious dishes, and will be able to saturate your child for the whole night. That's just to feed him porridge preferably no later than two hours before bedtime. And just before bedtime, give him some baby yogurt, milk formula, or breast milk.
What to give crumbs at night?
The most suitable for night feedingbaby is considered breast milk, and this can be called several reasons. Mother's milk is the most optimal food for the toddler until the age of one. It contains everything necessary for normal development. child's body vitamins and minerals, as well as best absorbed by his body.
For mother is feedingit is also not burdensome: if the baby wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to eat, she does not need to rush to the kitchen in a hurry and prepare him milk mixture. It is enough to attach him to the chest, and he can already satisfy his hunger.
On the other hand, mother's breast is for the crumbs not only the subject of quenching hunger, but also calm. Having spent some time near the breast, the baby calms down and falls asleep much faster. Thanks to the night feeds, the milk production is further stimulated by the woman. The chief doctor of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Mama + Baby”, a pediatrician says that such feedingessential for maintaining lactation. At night, the body of a nursing woman produces more of the hormone prolactin, which, in turn, leads to the formation of more milk.
Even in those cases when a nursing mother does not have enough milk, and she feeds the baby with milk formulas, it is still advisable to breastfeed him at night, because, as has been said, much more milk is produced at this time.
You can breastfeed your baby at night long enough, as long as mom has some milk.
An artificial mixture should be used only in cases when a woman does not have her own milk. Such feedingit will be much more burdensome for the mother, since it is not recommended to prepare milk formula in advance, and she will have to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night to make it for her baby.
Milk of animals in its pure form should not be given to children who have not yet reached the age of two. The fact is that the protein contained in it is very difficult to digest and very often causes allergies in young children. Therefore, for night feedingsit is desirable to use artificial milk formula.
Kefir (it is desirable that it was made specifically for children's consumption) is desirable to give at night only to children who have reached the age of eight months. It is from this age that he is introduced into the baby’s menu. In addition, it will be a great alternative to infant formula. Just do not forget to heat the kefir, which is stored in the refrigerator, before giving it to the toddler.
Water will help you only in those cases if the pussy wakes up in the middle of the night not from hunger, but from thirst. Then the child will be able to drink some water and fall asleep again. But if the cause of the night awakening was still hunger, then, after drinking some water, the baby will calm down only for a short time, and then wake up again.
One woman, the mother of a ten-month-old baby, says that her local doctor advised her to give her a little porridge at 20.00, and after that, just before bedtime, around 9.30 pm, some more yogurt to fill up overnight. And if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she is given a compote of dried fruit or simple water.
Another mom says that her baby was bottle-fed. He categorically refused to drink water at night, asking only for milk formula. But, after some time, a way out was found: the mother diluted the mixture, but each time added less and more water to the mixture. Thanks to this, her son in two weeks completely abandoned the night feedings.
Famous American doctor William Serz and his wife Martha are parents of eight children. They also jointly released the book "Your Child", in which you can read these words: " Feedingregardless of whether it is breast or artificial, it helps the baby to fall asleep faster. Most children need feeding right before bedtime, even when they are one year old. But if you feed your baby from a bottle, you may have a lot of difficulties. The fact is that in such babies sleep is associated primarily with a bottle (almost the same as in infants with breastfeeding). For a long time, experts have been arguing with might and main about the importance of associations for strong and healthy sleep baby It may be the presence of a close and native person, any object or, as in our case, mother's breast or bottle. In other words, all that helps the crumbs to fall asleep faster. The only way out of this situation is to develop several associations in the child, which will cause him to sleep, instead of one (as in the case described above with a bottle). ”
Dads and moms, in turn, also appear to have certain stereotypes: why look for some other way to rest and fit the crumbs, if your breasts or bottle help a lot. True, it is very good if you readily use this method whenever the peanut wakes up. But if you want to ensure that he fell asleep independently, you will have to look for new ways and try them. For example, you can give him his favorite bottle while in a rocking chair, and then arrange it in such a way that with one hand he would hug dad or mom and the other with a plush toy that he really likes. If he wakes up in the middle of the night, it will be enough for him to hug the toy to fall asleep again.
How to organize the feeding of the child at night?
Your main task is to make the baby, who woke up in the middle of the night, satisfy his hunger as soon as possible and fall asleep again. Try to ensure that in the room in which the baby sleeps, there is always a situation that will set him up for sleep, and the preparation of milk formula takes as little time as possible. It is advisable to prepare for the possible awakening of the baby in the middle of the night in advance (this item is especially important during the first months of a newborn’s life).
In the nursery, there must be a nightlight without fail, which you can turn on at any time if the baby wakes up. General coverage is undesirable because the child may decide that morning has already arrived and it is time to get up and play.
You should always be ready to be disposable, in case you need to immediately change your baby before starting feeding.
If you are breastfeeding your baby, you are advised to sleep in a special nightgown, which has slots for feedingat chest level.
When artificial feeding all that is necessary for the preparation of the milk mixture should be prepared in advance in the evening: this is children's drinking water, a sterilized bottle and a milk mixture with a measuring spoon. The water that will be used to make the mixture must be at a certain temperature. In order to be able to quickly warm up some water, some mothers use a microwave oven, while others use a special bottle warmer. Other parents on the eve of the evening poured into a thermos water of a certain temperature, so that less time would be spent on preparing food for the child and feeding it.
When your child wakes up in the middle of the night, try to talk to him in a muffled voice, and do not forget to remind him that it is night now, and therefore he will eat a little and go to bed. In no case do not need to start playing with the child or walking around him, even if he is currently predisposed to it. The child should form an accurate idea that he should sleep at night, and the time for games should be day.
If your baby suffers colic often enough or he constantly regurgitates after a night feeding, as well as after the usual, daily, it is necessary to wear it for a while in an upright position (ten to fifteen minutes will suffice). This is done in order to get out of it the air that he swallowed during feeding.
One mother says that her little son has developed his own regime power supply. He went to bed at 9 pm, fell asleep again, and then got up to eat two more times: at 3 am and at 6 am. Somehow she decided to conduct an experiment and wake him up at 00.00 to feed him, thinking that in this way he would sleep until 6 in the morning without waking up. She did so, which she later greatly regretted: exactly at midnight, the crumb woke up with apparent reluctance, sucked her chest a little and then cleared it. As a result, my mother barely put him to bed at 3 o'clock in the morning. After this incident, she did not dare to conduct any experiments. If the crumbs have already developed their own specific schedule, so even if he lives on it.
Another mom says nightly feedingshe treated her baby quite calmly. She took her daughter to her bed, and when she woke up, quickly put her to her breast, so that she would eat a little. A few minutes later, the mother and her child fell asleep. This could be repeated several times throughout the night, but it was not a burden to her.
Another mother remembers that up to six months her little daughter slept at night just fine. She woke up only once a night, and sometimes slept soundly until the very morning. But as soon as she was half a year, she seemed to be replaced: she could wake up five or six times a night and constantly asked her breasts. The woman no longer knew what to do, and wanted to go with the girl to the neuropathologist for an appointment. But such a nightmare ended as quickly as it began. After a week and a half, the first tooth grew up at the baby, and she began to sleep well again.
Mom of a little boy says that the child's body should rest at night. She tried not to feed him at night, and thus quickly disaccustomed him from nightly meals. A few nights had to suffer, but then got used to pussy. If he suddenly describes himself or pokes at night, she quickly changes her diapers, and then everyone goes to bed.
Is this normal?
Not in all cases the amount of night feedingsfit into the valid frame. If the baby wakes up not once or twice during the night, but much more often, and asks to eat, it means that you should understand the reason for such frequent awakenings. He, for example, may be disturbed by intestinal colic, or not enough breast milk. Too frequent awakenings may be based on any neurological problems or deviations. In such cases, it is advisable for the baby to be shown to the neurologist.
Also, sleep in a baby can be disturbed at certain age periods. One well-known psychologist said that the nightly awakening of a child may have fundamentally different reasons. The number of such awakenings directly depends on the age of the baby, as well as on what happened to him during the daytime. For example, with the development of new skills (speech, crawling or walking) the number of attachments to the chest during the daytime can be significantly reduced. But this leads to the fact that at night the peanut compensates for what he did not receive during the day, and can ask the breast almost every hour. Such a phenomenon is temporary, and passes by itself as the crumbs mature.
Age limits
What age can be considered the most optimal so that the baby finally abandoned the habit of waking up at night with the goal of another meal? Most likely, no specialist will give you a definite answer to it, since everything depends only on the child’s individuality. One famous pediatrician says that some children wake up in the middle of the night to eat, right up to the age of two, and everything is considered normal. Once in her doctoral practice, the doctor had the opportunity to observe a five-year-old girl who, even at that age, continued to wake up in the middle of the night in order to drink kefir. There is nothing terrible or unusual about such behavior. A completely healthy child will refuse nightly. feedingswhen this is the right time.
What should parents do if their crumb has confused day with night?
Most often this happens during the first months of a baby’s life: during the daytime he is sleeping, and at night, on the contrary, he is awake and wants to play. The main task of the father and mother in this case - gradually try to rebuild their crumbs. Try to feed him more actively and more satisfying in the daytime. Do not let him sleep for too long and because of this skip the next feeding. If he does not want to wake up on his own, try to help him in this unobtrusively. The desired result can be achieved, for example, by changing the disposable diaper. It can be said almost with full confidence that after that he will most likely immediately wake up, and, of course, will get very hungry. It is especially important to feed on time the babies who were born before the appointed time and with low weight.
Now let's take a little look at some artificial cereals and milk formulas that can be fed to babies and which are produced by well-known companies.
- Dry fermented milk mixture NAN 2 from the world famous company Nestle. This mixture can be given to babies from the age of six months. In one pack is 400 g of the mixture.
- Dry hypoallergenic mixture Nutrilon from the manufacturer Nutricia. This mixture can be given to children from the age of two months to six months. The weight of one package with a mixture of 400 g
- Dry milk formula GOLD from the company Agusha. Suitable for babies from the age of six months. One pack contains 400 g of milk formula.
- Dry milk mixture "Tyoma" 2 from the company Tyoma. This mixture is adapted for use by children from the age of six months. The package contains 350 g of the mixture.
- Dry milk formula HIPP 2 from the world famous manufacturer Hipp. The mixture can be given to babies from the age of five months. The package contains 300g of the mixture.
- Dry milk formula "Baby" 2. Manufacturer of the mixture - the company Nutricia. Adapted for children feedingstarting at six months old. The package contains 400 g of the mixture.
- A mixture of Nestogen 2 with probiotics, produced by Nestle. The mixture can be given to children from six months and older. The package contains 350 g.
- Semolina porridge with honey “Good evening” from the manufacturer Semper. Kasha can be given to kids not younger than 6 months. Package weight - 250 g
- Dry mix “Frisolak. Night formula. Manufacturer of the mixture - the company Friso. The mixture is adapted for feeding childrenstarting from the first days of life. The weight of one package is 400 g.
In the event that you still decide to gradually abandon the night feedingyour karapuz (which is desirable only if its weight corresponds to a certain age norm), you can offer him a nursery at night instead of cereal. Currently, there are many firms that produce this product power supply, but we consider only some of them, the most common.
Children's drinking water from the company Beech-Nut. Container capacity - 1 l.
- Children's drinking water from the manufacturer Frutonyan. Tare capacity 0,33 l.
- Children's drinking water produced by the company Bebi. Tare capacity 0,5 l.
- Children's drinking water from the company Winnie. Tare capacity 0,5 l.
If your baby with a visible reluctance drinks some water at night, you can try to give him special children's teas, which not only slightly muff the feeling of hunger, but also have a calming effect.
And again, let's look at some of them, produced by the most well-known companies.
Tea drink "Evening tale" from the manufacturer Krasnogorskleksredstva. Tea is adapted for children's use, starting from six months of age.
- Tea for children "Rosehip and blueberries" produced by Dania. Children can drink this drink at least six months old.
- Tea "Rosehip with raspberries" from the world famous company Nutricia. Tea can be given to babies who have reached the age of six months.
- Fruit tea from the company Humana. Tea can be given to children not younger than eight months.
- Fruit tea "Fennel" made by Heinz. Adapted for use by children from the age of four months.
- Children's tea "Organic Blueberries and Mint" from the company Fleur Alpine. Tea can be given to babies who have reached the age of five months.
- Children's tea "Apple, raspberry, black currant." Made by famous manufacturer Grandmother's basket. Tea is adapted for children's use, starting from six months of age.
The routine of sleeping and feeding infants is constantly slightly shifted under the influence of various factors: it can be a prolonged falling asleep, a very active waking period that preceded rest, and cloudy weather, and the child’s indisposition.
We all know about the importance of the regime for the proper development of the crumbs, but do we need to wake the child? After all, it seems that since he is sleeping, it means that he is not hungry. But sometimes the awakening of the baby is simply necessary, because it is time to eat, bathe, or you need to go to the doctor’s office.
Types of feeding
On demand
With this type of feeding, the baby himself shows you when he wants to eat. This method of feeding a baby is recommended by WHO for HB, especially in the first 2-3 months. Frequent applications increase milk production and, thus, help mom to establish a lactation process. The glands produce exactly as much nutrient as the baby needs, the baby gorges, and your risk of stagnating excess milk is reduced. Baby on HB when feeding on demand more often in contact with the mother, which gives him confidence and makes it calmer.
But from 2-3 months, depending on the readiness of the child, you should purposefully transfer it to feeding by the hour in order to normalize the regime of the day. Gradually, the baby must learn to wake up not from hunger, but because it rested. So you will have time to conduct gymnastics, massage and bathing the baby before feeding.
By the hour
Feeding by the hour provides for a tight schedule of attachment of the child to the breast with breaks of 4 hours. This technique is more suitable for babies on HB older than 3 months, and children on IV. If a nursing mother adheres to feeding by the hour from the very beginning, this can reduce her lactation volumes.
Do I need to wake up and in what cases?
Long intervals between feedings with HB may have a negative impact on both the child and his mother:
- In newborns, a long interval between meals can cause dehydration, as well as a drop in sugar levels;
- a break in the mother can cause stagnation of milk and a decrease in lactation.
When deciding whether or not to wake the baby on HB for feeding, you should consider several factors.
Age
If a newborn sleeps more than 3 hours - this is an occasion to think and contact a pediatrician. In the meantime, it is better to wake him up to eat the baby, because in the first month of life a long break between meals will almost certainly have a negative impact on the state of the infant.
In older children, the interval between feedings increases and is 4-4.5 hours. If an infant “wakes up” a meal time while feeding on demand, there is no need to worry. The baby will wake up itself when its body needs it.
In infants with IV and children who are gradually transferred to the mode by the hour, such temporary timetable failures require correction. If the feeding time has come, and the baby is sleeping - you should wait 10-15 minutes, and then gently wake the baby.
Starting with 2 months of life, the crumbs do not have to worry if he wakes up at night feeding time and the mode shifts slightly. The older the baby gets, the less often it will wake up at night.
Weight
Deciding whether to wake the baby, you will need to take into account the weight of the child.
- Premature babies and poorly gaining weight need to wake up for feeding, because large intervals can further weaken them and worsen the condition.
- If your pussy is gaining weight well, then sometimes you can give the baby an opportunity to sleep a little longer. The child will wake up when his body rests, or he feels hungry.
Health status
- If the baby was born premature and very weak, you will need to wake up at the alarm clock at first and feed the baby by the hour. Newborns need to be supplemented every three hours. This mode will be temporary until the child is strong and does not get used to this schedule. Gradually, with an increase in the volume of milk consumed, the intervals between feedings will increase.
- A cold baby with a temperature should be allowed to sleep a little, because it is known that sleep heals. All the forces of the body are now aimed at combating infection, so it is best not to disturb the child when he is resting.
Increased lactation
How to wake up?
In order for the baby to be calm and cheerful during wakefulness, the process of awakening must be painless for him.
Take into account the phase of sleep.
Before waking up a newborn, take a closer look at it and determine which phase of sleep the baby is in.
- During the active phase, the baby often involuntarily moves. Looking at the baby, you will notice that his eyelids and lips are trembling. The baby needs to be awakened when he is in the active phase of sleep, so his awakening will be easy and painless.
- If the baby sleeps soundly, and when you lift his pen up, he doesn’t react at all, then his sleep passes in a deep phase. Waking up a baby at such a moment is not recommended, it is better to wait 20 minutes - and during this period the sleep phase will change to a favorable one for awakening.
Wake up
If you wake the baby up at night for feeding, then you can just shift it to yourself or pick it up. The child may not even wake up to the end and in a half-nap to suck the breast or the nipple of the bottle.
Every young mother knows that his precious baby should eat not only during the day, but at night. But that's how often and what exactly you need to feed your baby at night, not everyone knows. Many do not know and when the child needs to wean from such a diet. This article is dedicated to everything that will help feeding baby at nightright and most importantly full.
Is it necessary to feed the child at night
First of all, you need to understand that the night awakening of babies is a normal phenomenon. Modern pediatrics clearly says that at night to feed the baby is not only possible, but necessary. And he wants to eat at night for one simple reason - during the day he just did not get enough. At the same time, night-time meals cannot last for years and the time comes when to wean a baby from night feedingjust needed. And the time it depends on the weight and age of the baby and of course on the amount of food he eats during the day.
If during the day the baby does not eat the amount of food he is entitled to, then at night he will surely catch up. Mom must feed him, not put a pacifier in her mouth. Of course, to wake the baby in order to feed, in any case impossible. He will wake up when he gets hungry.
How to wean a baby from night feeding
The easiest way is to replace water in a bottle. Only with this you need to teach the child to eat more during the day. Two hours before bedtime, you should feed him porridge, and just before falling asleep, give him some baby yogurt, breast milk, or an artificial formula. Then he is unlikely to want more food at night.
What to feed the baby at night
Of course, the most suitable and most valuable product for nightly feeding an infant is mother's breast milk. It is this product during the first year of a baby’s life that is best absorbed by his body. Yes, and for mom, this process is the easiest. After all, she does not even need to get out of bed. In addition, the touch of the baby to her mother's breast always instills in him a feeling of peace and comfort. This is why babies after breast feeding so fast and fall asleep. In addition, nightly breastfeeding is very useful for the mother herself, because it contributes to a more active production of milk, since it is at night that prolactin is produced in the body of a nursing woman. This hormone is just responsible for the abundance of milk.
Alas, but the situation when the baby milk is not enough baby milk, in our time is commonplace. Infants have to be fed artificial mixtures sometimes already in the first month of life. However, in that case it’s still better at night breastfeed the baby, not mixtures. The fact is that mom has milk more than during the day at night anyway. Feed the baby breast milk it is necessary at night until it is sated or until mom produces milk.
What to replace night feeding
Artificial mixes give to babies when they lack maternal milk or it disappears altogether. ahead of time. Night feeding with artificial mixtures is quite a burdensome process. The fact is that they need to be prepared just before the feeding itself. Mom is forced to go to the kitchen at night, and the baby is usually crying at this time.
As for pure milk, it is generally better for children not to give it up to two years. The fact is that cow protein is too heavy food for babies and is digested in the ventricle for a long time. Therefore, during the night feeding babies better to give milk formula.
After the baby turns eight weeks old, he can be given baby kefir at night. Moreover, doctors recommend doing it even if the baby has enough breast milk.
It must be borne in mind that a baby can wake up at night not from hunger, but from thirst. Therefore, the mother should closely monitor how much the baby ate during the day. If after drinking some water the child falls asleep, it means he just wanted to drink and nothing more. If, however, after giving him water, you will soon hear the baby cry again, it means the baby is hungry and should be fed.
How to feed your baby at night
It is clear that the main thing in this matter is to feed the baby so that he quickly falls asleep again. To do this, in any case, do not turn on the bright light in the room, but use only a very dim nightlight. Try to cook food as quickly as possible and give it to your child. Always prepare a fresh diaper in the evening, so that if you need to replace it, you would not have to waste time searching. If mom has enough milk, then she needs to sleep in a special nightgown for nursing women. On these shirts are made slots in the chest, which allows you to comfortably feed the baby.
If the baby is fed with mixtures, then in the evening you need to prepare everything necessary for this. There must be a sterilized bottle, a nipple, a measuring spoon, some water and of course the mixture itself. Water should be warm and for this the most convenient way is to store it in heaters for baby bottles. Then you will not have to spend time on heating the water, and your baby will not have time to "roam". It is very convenient to use the usual thermos.
While you are preparing the baby food, be sure to talk to him in a quiet and gentle voice, this will calm the baby. If the baby often regurgitates food, then after feeding it must be worn on his hands for a few minutes, so that his body would be located vertically. Then he will burp the air, not the food.
Often night feeding after one yearaccompanied by the desire of the baby to play. In no case do not go in the wake of such a desire. The baby must learn that the night is not for games.
Is this normal?
If a baby wakes up once or twice a night to eat, then this is quite normal. If more often, then this is a deviation from the norm. In such a situation, it is necessary to find out the reason for this behavior. It often happens that babies liberally regurgitate food and as a result often want to eat. The reason for this may be colic in the stomach. In this case, you need to feed the child, holding him in his arms almost vertically.
Much worse, if the frequent night waking up in a baby is associated with some kind of neurological disorder. Of course, in this case, it must be shown to the doctor.
Many mothers are tormented by the question up to what age you need to feed the baby at night.There is no exact answer to it. In any case, the baby should not go hungry day or night. Therefore, as long as the baby wants to eat at night, until then he should be fed. The main thing is to prevent the situation when the baby begins to confuse day with night.
This often happens in the first months of a baby's life. Only parents should be blamed for this. You can not give your child to sleep during the day more than the allotted time. At the same time in the daytime it is always necessary to feed more often. If the baby is sleeping too much, do not be afraid to wake him up. Of course, this should be done gently and gently.
The birth of a child is not only a mass of positive emotions, but also a great responsibility. Feeding for the baby plays an important role. It depends on the further development of the child. New mothers often wonder whether to wake up a newborn for feeding. For example, at night or in the afternoon. What do doctors say and experienced moms about this question? How to feed the kids?
Why do children sleep long
It's no secret that newborns sleep almost all the time. However, they regularly wake up for feeding. Sometimes sleep is delayed. Why it happens?
In total, there are several options for the development of events:
- Childbirth was performed with anesthesia. In this case, the medication will inhibit the awakening. The baby will not wake up every 2 hours.
- The baby sleeps separately from her mother. In this situation, the child simply saves strength and energy. Accordingly, the sleep period is extended.
- Individual feature. Often the kids themselves know how much they sleep. Some rest more than 2 hours due to individual characteristics.
In any case, each mother faces the question of whether to wake the newborn for feeding. What do experts say about this? And if a woman decided to wake up a child, how to do it correctly?
Watching the baby
To give a definite answer is difficult. After all, all people have their own needs, each organism is an individuality. Someone needs to sleep longer to sleep, someone less. Therefore, mom needs to watch her baby.
Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding? If a child develops well, his tests and weight gain are normal, then you can let your baby sleep an additional hour and a half. But when prolonged sleep adversely affects health (poor weight gain, lethargy and fatigue in a child, irritability), you need to wake the baby for feeding.
How to wake up
Just do it correctly. Any careless action of a mother against a child can harm him. Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding during the day? Yes, if the baby is developing poorly and generally eats little. 
In order to properly wake the child, you need to consider the following features:
- Have baby sleep several phases - active and deep. In the first case, the child sleeps sensitively. He can smile, move his arms and legs, make movements with his lips and eyes, react to sounds. With deep sleep the baby sleeps so well that he hears nothing. Accordingly, it is necessary to wake the child in the active phase of sleep.
- To wake the baby, you need to open it by removing the blanket. If this does not help - take the baby in your arms, walk around with it a bit, hugging yourself.
- Change the diaper. The child wakes up from everyday procedures.
- Hold the baby with a post, holding the head. Baby wake up, opening his eyes.
- To perform massaging movements on the back and limbs.
- To sing a song familiar to the child, to speak with the child affectionately.
- Wipe your baby's face with a wet cloth.
All the above manipulations will help to wake the child correctly. Often, babies fall asleep during feeding. To avoid this, it is recommended to stroke the child from time to time on the cheeks and nose, talk to the newborn and change the position.
Daytime sleep
You should also pay attention to the time of day when deciding the question. Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding during the day? 
It's no secret that many babies sleep well on the street. During the walk, which ideally lasts for 4 hours (as pediatricians advise so much), kids can fall asleep and sleep before returning home. Do I have to panic and wake them up?
If a daytime sleep increased by 1.5-2 hours, you can let the newborn sleep. In this case, it is recommended to feed the child before and immediately after the walk.
It is not forbidden to wake up for daytime feeding. But sick kids, as well as those who become highly moody after forced awakening, do not have to touch them during the day.
Night feeds
What other features need to be considered? Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding at night? The answer will depend on how exactly the baby sleeps.
With a separate dream from mom, you can do without interruptions. The baby can sleep all night without waking up. If the doctors do not give any advice on this issue, the mother can wake the baby for night feeding no more than 1 time.
If the child is lightweight and eats badly / gains weight, then it will have to wake him up. It is desirable every 2-3 hours. More accurate information on further actions and night feedings will be reported by the pediatrician. 
Joint dream
A few more words about joint sleep. Do I need to wake up a newborn for feeding, if the mother sleeps with the baby? As doctors and experienced mothers say, there is no need to do so. If the child gets hungry in the middle of the night, he will not wake up completely. When sleeping together, the baby will instinctively look for breasts in a half-slumber. All that is left for the mother to do is give the nipple to the baby. After that, the baby will take the breast and eat, falling asleep.
The benefit of sharing sleep for mom and baby should not be underestimated. For example, the mother will have more time to rest, and the children sleep better. Rocking the baby is not necessary.
In addition, during the night feedings, milk production begins for the whole following day, and mother can insure herself against milk stagnation.
Do I need to wake up a newborn for feeding while sleeping together? As already mentioned, doing so is optional. Especially if the child himself refuses to breast and feed at night. In this case, it is necessary to fill the lack of food during the daytime. 
Lactation and awakening
Do I need to wake up a newborn for breastfeeding? It all depends on the amount of milk produced by the mother. In the first days after birth, it is desirable to feed the newborn every 2 hours. And this rule also applies to night sleep.
Prematurity
Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding? Healthy children wake up themselves when they get hungry. But premature babies are not yet able to awaken on their own. Therefore, mothers or maternity hospital workers will have to wake them up.
If you refuse to forcibly wake up premature babies, children will suffer from weight loss, and they will not be able to develop normally. More precise information is recommended to clarify with the supervising pediatrician. It is possible that the premature baby will be able to control his sleep.
Mixture and sleep
Do I need to wake the newborn to feed the mixture? With such feeding babies develop a strict regimen of the day. They feed children on an artificial mixture every 3 hours. You can increase the intervals between meals up to 4 hours, but on condition that the newborn sleeps soundly at night or on a walk. 
Per day feeding the baby with artificial mixtures should reach 6-7 times. Accordingly, it is necessary to wake up the child anyway. The main thing is to do it right.
Komarovsky about awakening
Many women rely on the opinions of famous pediatric doctors. For example, mothers are interested in what Komarovsky thinks on this issue. Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding?
The famous pediatrician says that it is difficult to give a definite answer. It all depends on the behavior of the child. If he sleeps well during the day and at night, then it is not necessary to wake the baby up for feeding. When children get enough sleep during the day, and at night they cannot fall asleep, you can wake them up both for feeding and for games.
Another reason why Komarovsky recommends disrupting the baby’s daytime sleep is a change in day regimens. For example, when mothers sleep with their baby during the day, and they stay awake at night. In such a case, it is recommended to wake up the children during the day so that they sleep well at night. At the same time, feeding is not necessarily interrupted.
Now it is clear what the experts on the topic studied think. Should I wake the newborn for feeding? Ideally, healthy children decide for themselves when to sleep and when to eat. Therefore, additional intervention is often not needed.
If mother decided to wake up the child, it is necessary to take into account that it is necessary to do it without haste, calmly. Use loud sounds or a bright light for waking is prohibited. Children's hearing and vision are extremely sensitive. Therefore, the wrong actions can scare the baby.
As already mentioned, after a forced awakening, children can fall asleep after a few sips of milk. In order for this not to happen, you will have to keep the child awake. 
findings
Do I need to wake the newborn for feeding? Often the answer depends on the individual characteristics of the baby and the decision of the mother. The bulk of women do not support the idea of sleep disorders in children. After all, this approach can adversely affect the further development of the infant.
However, sometimes awakening for feeding is a necessary measure. It is best to consult on this issue with an experienced pediatrician. It is possible that the child can not wake up in order to feed him.
Good day, and maybe nights, my dear! I know that many of you, lovely mummies, read me just at night, so as not to miss the nightly feedings. I imagine how difficult it is for you: your eyes stick together, but the baby is about to wake up and demand its “legitimate” sisyu. I went through it myself, so I’ll keep you awake and tell you what the importance of night feeding is, until what age they need to be continued. Some mothers are lazy and do not want to get up at night, but this will have to be done at first, and now I will tell you why. Open your eyes, pour yourself a weak tea and sit back.
Mom did not spoil us
Two or three decades ago, our mothers and grandmothers fed us according to a clear “scheme”. She looked like this:
· From 6 to 17 feedings per day in 0-2 months
· 5 daily meals and one nightly in 3-4 months
· 5-6 feedings during the day + lure and none at night at 5-6 months
I see no point in continuing this plan, for it is already noticeable now that before we had been deprived of night food by half a year. And the point is not that our mothers were lazy, but rather in a strictly established regime, which the doctors advised to follow.
In baby mode
Now the situation has changed radically. Pediatricians recommend to fully adjust feeding to the baby and his requirements. This means that the notorious food "by the clock" is canceled. The crumb must be received at its first request. So it will fill up better, and your mammary glands will be emptied evenly and correctly. In addition, and with will bypass your side, which is also important.
If we talk about night feedings, then in the first months they are needed as well as daytime. The baby has every right to ask the breast every 1.5-2 hours. I repeat, there are no exact graphs. The mode is completely subordinated to the child.
Why are crumbs so often asked to eat at night, when all “normal” people sleep, and do not eat? Let me explain: the body of the baby is different from an adult. If we are dominated by passive sleep, then the kid - active. They sleep sensitively, they wake up every now and then and, like blind kittens, begin to search for mother's mother by touch. If not found, begin to groan, and then cry. "Restructuring" to passive sleep will begin only by 6 months. You yourself will notice that the crumb began to worry less and wake up at night.
"Saving" bottle
Some mothers lazy themselves "move" to the combined feeding. They breastfeed during the day, and at night, when they want to sleep, they quickly prepare a bottle of the mixture. Do not repeat this "trick". They lead to the complete abolition breastfeeding. From the bottle the mixture flows in a free stream. The kid quickly realizes that here the food itself goes to his mouth, and in order to eat a sisyou, you have to strain yourself, and makes his choice in favor of the mixture.
Do not deprive the baby of breast milk even at night, because it is many times more nutritious than all the mixtures combined and quickly nourishes and soothes.
Dr. Komarovsky has an opinion about night feedings. He considers them undoubtedly important for the development and nutrition of infants, and assures that they should be continued for at least 6 months. Then the night food is no longer so necessary crumbs. Some experts say that at night you need to continue to feed as long as possible. For example, psychologists recommend getting up at night and offering the child breast up to two years. How do you like this prospect?
A little later, we’ll dwell on the age at which wean the night feedings, more.
Know-how: Moms, don't sleep
Well, now a few "tricks" for you, dear ones, in order to facilitate at least a little at times such tiresome night feedings. Learn some simple tips:
· Feeding should not be treated as a service. Think positive. Now your chest belongs not only to you, she has another owner who uses it for its intended purpose. So bother to get up and give it to him for a few minutes when needed.
· At first, the baby should sleep with you on the same bed, or move the cradle as close to you as possible. When the baby begins to wake up, you can give him a breast immediately and then safely fall asleep.
· In case of unforeseen situations, keep wet wipes and clean diapers near the bed. If the kid or described, you can quickly change everything.
· Before bed, give your baby a good meal as he wishes. Then before the next feeding you will have time to sleep a little.
· Buy a dim little nightlight so as not to turn on the “big” light during night feeding. So the physiological clock crumbs knock short. During the day he will sleep, and at night he will stay awake. So you will be fun!
Half a year
Now about weaning. As we said above, nightly feeding with breast milk should be maintained with HB for at least the first 6 months. Then the number of night feedings will gradually decrease by itself. The baby will be less likely to wake up at night and ask for breast. Evening "sit", of course, is not canceled. After a tasty and satisfying dinner, the crumb will fall asleep more and perhaps sleep during the night, unless, of course, teeth bother him. During the period of their eruption, hold on: to soothe the pain, the baby will hang on your chest for more than one hour, while chewing on the sharp gums of the nipple.
If you have already completely canceled night-feeding, it will be easier for you later and day. Half the battle is done, and weaning is likely to be painless. The first time, of course, will have to push the baby on the handles, sing lullabies, in every way help him fall asleep without his favorite attribute.
If you want and you have enough strength, you can feed your child at night until at least a year and a half. Everything is individual and depends only on you two. Mom and baby - in this case should be allies and secretly agree among themselves. Well, I wish you patience, delicious bedtime night milk and excellent health!
Until new meetings, my favorite readers! Go feed your little ones and have a good night!