Waking a Sleeping Baby

Most babies are sleepy for the first several days after delivery as they get use to life outside the womb and day and night cycles. You should wake your baby up if she needs to feed or if she falls asleep during feeding.

Try some or all of these wake up methods:

Undress your baby to a diaper before feeding

Hold your baby skin to skin

Massage your baby, stroking from fingertips and toes toward the chest

Rub your baby’s hands, feet, legs, etc.

With a clean finger stroke your baby’s cheek, lips and mouth

Tickle your baby under her chin while breastfeeding

Call your baby’s name, sing and talk to her in a normal voice

Get your baby to watch your face and eyes

Change your baby’s diaper

Walk your fingers up your baby’s spine

Wipe your baby’s face with a cool washcloth

Take your baby off the breast and burp her

When your baby is hungry:

You may see an increase in body movement such as stretching and hand to mouth movement

Some babies may ask in more demanding ways like crying – learning to recognize the earlier cues may help your baby to be calm and feed better

Your baby may turn her head and open her mouth to search for food