Are you constantly feeding your newborn?
The newborn feeding and this period is rough for mamas. You feel like you are a normal human being before; but now, you’re a walking milk producer.
Sometimes your breasts feel empty, making you wonder whether you are not producing enough milk. And when your baby takes 30-60 minutes every nursing session, no wonder you can’t get any breaks.
Here’s Why Your Baby Feeds Every Hour
If you continue newborn feeding every hour, then it is “snacking.”
Well! so, what is snacking?
Your baby is snacking instead of taking a complete feed. Snacking means they are drinking enough milk that they are filled up enough to doze off in cozy mama’s arms.
Some babies stop feeding after a few minutes of breastfeeding and stare at you with those big cute eyes.
How to Make Stop Newborn Feeding Every Hour?
Newborns need feeds every 2.5 to 3 hours. You need to get them on a proper newborn breastfeeding schedule to make your baby take full feeds.
Follow these below tips instead of cluster-feeding your baby.
- 1. Make Sure Your Baby Is Drinking
Does it feel like you’re a human pacifier to your baby?
When you gives newborn feeding every hour but still the baby feels hungry. It might be because the baby is relying on nursing to fall asleep.
But how can you ensure the baby is eating and not using a pacifier? To ensure it, check the baby throat to see if it moves. You’d see movement in the throat if drinking just as yours will while you were drinking.
Observe if the baby is making any swallowing sounds to ensure the baby is consuming milk. Babies might not be drinking if they not making any swallowing sounds.
Lastly, make sure the baby stays awake while drinks. The newborn could be genuinely hungry but isn’t taking as much as needs because of falling asleep while drinking.
To keep the baby awake, tickle, change positions or burp her in the middle of feeding.
- 2. Offer A Pacifier After Feedings
Let’s say you frequently fiving newborn feeding to soothe the baby to sleep. Then slip a pacifier into the baby’s mouth as the baby begins to doze off at the end of the feeding.
Try to break baby’s hold from your breast by inserting a finger into the baby’s mouth. Then gently insert the pacifier in mouth so the newborn can continuously suck on that instead of your breast. It helps opens up the suction and allows you to pull away.
The baby gets to continue to suck and soothe herself to sleep with a pacifier.
- 3. Dream Feed Before You Sleep
Put your baby to sleep before your bedtime. For example, baby is asleep by 7:30 pm, and you’re in bed at 9 pm. This hour, try to dream-feed her before you fall asleep.
Of course, the newborn falls asleep!
Newborn feeding while sleeping and before you going to sleep will make the baby feel full tummy. It provides extra time for the newborn to sleep more. Also, it makes baby feel tired, and then can fall back to sleep.
- 4. Take the Help of Another Adult
Another good way to get a good chunk of sleep is to work shifts with your partner.
For instance, your spouse can be on babysitting from 7 pm to 12 am. Then you can cover the following hours from midnight to 5 am letting your partner sleep.
Prepare pumped bottles so your spouse can feed the baby at midnight when you are asleep. If you are lucky, your baby won’t wake you up at midnight so that you can get quality sleep.
- 5. Create a routine
We might not realize it, but babies pick up much more than we give them. They can benefit from having a consistent routine of newborn feeding we adapt them.
Bathe her, dress her up in fresh clothes and then give feeding. Keep this up for a few days; the newborn will learn the timings and expect bedtime feedings according to your routine.
Conclusion
It’s never easy when you are giving newborn feeding every hour and don’t let you sleep for long stretches. Offer a pacifier to soothe her to sleep, provide her to fill her belly, and consider working with your spouse.
It will help you get a long chunk of sleep. Keep your pumped bottles filled with milk and take others or your spouse help to feed your baby on shifts.
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