Should baby be awake when feeding? Mine is sleepy!!

[newbjones]

Hello,

What should be the baby's state when feeding.  Should he be wide awake or a least eyes should be open or it's ok when he's sleepy borderline sleeping??  So my boy is always sleepy when he feeds and will often simply fall asleep after the feed.  I tried to switch to the other breast when I see him slowing down hoping that the let down would wake him up, but since he only feeds for about 15min by the time I put him on the other breast he only suck for a min or two and pull it out to sleep.

[KellyC]

Hi

My youngest is only 3.5 weeks but his eyes are always closed when feeding and I'd definitely think he was sleeping if I couldn't feel him sucking!  He also passes out part way into a feed - there are some good hormones in there!  Usually if I do his nappy change and let him lie on his mat for a while he wakes up again and we go back to the feed so it's often done in two halves!

Kelly x

[~ Vik ~]

Hi there

I also had a sleepy feeder on my hands.  It's just so warm and cozy nestled up to mama, and with those hormones that Kelly mentioned working their magic, he just couldn't resist dozing off!  Here are some ideas for you from the http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63428.0 FAQ.  Hope something is helpful!

Vikki

Here are a few more thoughts on dealing with sleepy babies from the La Leche League breastfeeding answer book (3rd edition)

If you need to wake your baby to feed:

Try arousing the baby when he's in a light sleep cycle e.g rapid eye movements under the eyelids, lip movements, changes in facial expression.

unwrap the baby down to his nappy/diaper as sucking activity decreases in temperatures above 80F (27C)

Talk to the baby, make eye contact.

Hold the baby in a more upright position

Increasing stimulation:

Rub or pat the baby's back or walk fingers up and down spine

Change the baby's diaper/nappy

Gently rub the baby's hands and feet

Increase skin-to-skin contact

Wipe forehead and cheeks with a cool damp cloth

Circle the baby's lips with a fingertip

Express milk onto the baby's lips

Keeping the baby interested:

Make sure the hand supporting the breasts keeps the weight of the breast off the baby's chin

Use breast compressions to keep the milk flowing
http://www.bfar.org/compression.shtml

Switch breasts as soon as the baby begins to lose interest

Burp the baby or change diaper between sides

Nurse using the football hold rather than the cradle hold

Massage the baby's crown in a circular motion while nursing.

If your baby is losing interest in feeding quickly it may be valuable to get advice about your latch e.g from a helpline or trained lactation consultant. A poor latch could mean the baby is poorly motivated at the breast or is not getting enough milk. Remember a newborn baby should be feeding at least 8-12 times in 24 hours. This means a sleepy baby may need to be woken for feeds.