Some babies fall asleep more easily than others, especially after a brief feeding. We tell you how to know if your baby is eating enough.
During the first weeks, some babies often ask for the breast and spend most of the day eating. Others, on the other hand, fall asleep as soon as they are in their mother’s arms after a quick feed, hence the doubt whether they have eaten enough. Here’s how to do it with a baby who is fairly quiet and who falls asleep easily.
1 / Adapt to baby’s signals. Breastfeed your baby on demand whenever he seems ready to eat. In practice, the baby regulates itself.
2 / During the first weeks, feedings are more frequent. However, in heavy sleepers, breaks can be very long (more than 3 to 4 hours during the day and 4 to 5 hours at night). If so, stimulate your baby by offering the breast more often and waking him if he falls asleep after a few minutes.
Tips for keeping baby awake during feeding
- If the baby slows down the sucking rate, stroke his face and touch his feet. If, despite this, he is still asleep, change his diaper after giving him the first breast, before moving on to the second. Normally, this should wake him up.
- If the feeding has been really short and your baby is sleeping peacefully, put him in his crib. Passing mom’s arms into bed is sometimes enough to wake him up.
How do you know if the baby is ok?
- Count the wet layers. A baby makes six or seven pees a day. If this is the case and his stools are regular, it means that he is properly fed.
- The weekly weight gain should be around 200 grams.
The important thing is to adapt to and trust your baby’s rhythm. Your baby will make you understand if he is still hungry after a feeding or not!
