Is it normal for a newborn to sleep and not feed?

It's common for newborns to sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours between feeds, both night and day. Also, newborns need to feed every 2-4 hours. And they need your attention during the day and night. Newborn play might just be a quiet cuddle or some time stretching out and kicking on a blanket.

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Why is my newborn so sleepy and not feeding?

What makes a baby sleepy? Recovering from birth: In the first few days, some babies are sleepy or uninterested in feeding. It's especially true for small babies, after a difficult labour or birth, or if you received drugs for pain relief during labour. Jaundice or an infection may make a baby sleepy.

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How long should a newborn sleep without feeding?

Breastfed babies feed often, about every 2–3 hours. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3–4 hours. Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks.

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When should I worry about my newborn not feeding?

Newborns should not go more than about 4–5 hours without feeding. Signs that babies are hungry include: moving their heads from side to side.

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What happens if a newborn won't wake up to feed?

If you are at home and baby still will not wake up to feed and has missed 2 feedings, pump your breasts and feed baby your pumped milk or formula with a slow flow nipple. (at home give ½ to 1.5 oz range = 15-45ml). Call your baby's doctor & report this if it continues for 2 or more feedings.

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My newborn sleeps 4-5hrs. Should I wake him since he needs to eat every 2-3hrs?

44 related questions found

Should you force newborn to feed?

Wake to Feed, But Don't Schedule

You should still be feeding your baby on demand and when they show hunger cues! La Leche League writes, “Scheduling feedings for a baby who is exclusively nursing frequently throughout the day and night, especially during the first six weeks has been correlated with slow weight gain.”

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How sleepy is too sleepy for a newborn?

Chronic sleepiness, though, can sometimes be a cause for concern. If your newborn is regularly sleeping for more than 17 hours a day and it's interfering with her ability to eat at least eight times per day, you should let your pediatrician know.

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Can newborn go 5 hours without eating?

How Long Can My Baby Go Without a Feed? Newborns can generally go about two and a half hours between feeds. This time slowly extends until about six months when babies can go about four hours between daytime feeds and sleep all night without a feed. But, some smaller babies may need an extra night feed for longer.

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What to do if newborn doesn't want to feed?

Top tips to encourage a reluctant or sleepy baby to breastfeed
  1. Tip #1: Hand expressing to keep your milk supply up. ...
  2. Tip #2: Try lots of skin-to-skin contact. ...
  3. Tip #3: Try to find a comfortable feeding position. ...
  4. Tip #4: Get your baby ready for a feed. ...
  5. Tip #5: Don't force your baby to feed.

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What is considered poor feeding newborn?

Isn't gaining weight or growing as expected. Arches back or stiffens when feeding. Cries or fusses when feeding. Regularly takes a long time to eat (more than 30 minutes)

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Do I really need to feed my newborn every 3 hours?

Your newborn baby's belly is tiny. He or she does not need a lot of milk with each feeding to be full. Your baby may want to eat as often as every 1 to 3 hours. Frequent feeding helps increase your milk supply and gives your baby practice at sucking and swallowing.

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How do I wake my newborn up to feed?

Pick your baby up, talk to them, move their arms and legs around, even tickle the bottom of their feet or rub their cheek—whatever works to rouse them.

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Should you wake a 2 week old to feed at night?

Once your baby is 2 weeks old and weighs more than when she was born, you will no longer need to worry about waking for feeds. You can then relax and feed in response to your baby's cues.

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How long is too long for a baby not to feed?

In the first few weeks of life, breastfeeding should be "on demand" (when your baby is hungry), which is about every 1-1/2 to 3 hours. As newborns get older, they'll nurse less often, and may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings.

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Can a newborn sleep too much?

A baby occasionally sleeping for longer than usual is not a cause for concern unless there are other symptoms. In general, it is uncommon for a newborn to consistently sleep through feedings or to sleep for longer than 19 hours per day unless they are ill or are having feeding difficulties.

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Should I wake an overtired baby to feed?

Let them get their sleep so they can continue having enough energy to feed well. Don't push them past their awake window just because you want to show them off. Some babies have easy enough temperaments that they will still be able to get to sleep even though they're getting overtired.

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What happens if baby misses a feed?

Don't worry, baby will ask to be fed as usual as soon as his stomach feels empty again. Your baby may be constipated and appear less hungry than usual, however once this passes everything will go back to normal. Or it may just be that your baby was enjoying the sleep and took longer to wake up.

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Is my baby lethargic or just sleepy?

Lethargy. Your young child is lethargic if she stares into space or won't smile. She won't play at all or hardly responds to you. Your child is too weak to cry or hard to wake up.

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Can babies sleep through hunger?

If your baby is older than 6 months, and/or weighs more than 15 pounds, then barring any medical issues, they are absolutely capable of sleeping through the night (11-12 hours) without needing a feed. But this is only true if they are able to take in their entire caloric needs during the daytime hours.

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How long can a 2 week old sleep without eating?

The amount of sleep an infant gets at any one stretch of time is mostly ruled by hunger. Newborns will wake up and want to be fed about every three to four hours at first. Do not let your newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks.

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How do you burp a newborn?

Sit your baby on your lap supporting the chin and chest with one hand. Rub or pat the back with your other hand. Tip: Use repeated, gentle pats on your baby's back. Rest your baby faced down on your lap and gently rub or pat the back.

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Are newborn hiccups OK?

Hiccups are normal and usually don't hurt your baby. In younger babies, hiccups are usually a sign that they need to be seated upright during or after feeding, that feeding needs to be slower for them, or that they need more time before or after feeding to relax.

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Is a 10 minute feed long enough for a newborn?

A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. But rather than worry about duration, it's important to know that the best way to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk is by feeding frequency, wet and dirty diapers, and weight gain.

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What is a good schedule for a newborn?

Most newborns spend most of their time asleep – they sleep 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. It's common for newborns to sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours between feeds, both night and day. Also, newborns need to feed every 2-4 hours. And they need your attention during the day and night.

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How do you know if your newborn is not hungry?

If your baby isn't hungry anymore, it's possible they'll try to tell you by: Closing their mouth. Turning their head away from your breast or their bottle. Ignoring the bottle or your breast.

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