S/O PSA about newborn feeding

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 1:27 am

After hearing a lot of mothers say you don't need to wake a sleeping infant every 2-3 hours to feed, I feel a need to share my story.

My baby got dehydrated and needed to be hospitalized on day 3 of life, because I didn't wake her to feed. At that early stage it's hard to know if a baby is gaining weight properly. Not worth the risk. Only AFTER a while of feeding frequently and knowing for sure that baby is gaining well, would I risk letting a young baby sleep past 3 hours. For an oldr baby obviously it is a different situation.

Just wanted moms to know. Thanks for reading.

amother

Celeste

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 1:31 am

How infrequently was your baby eating ? I thought most babies get discharged from hospital on day 2 of life, so the next day already she was back at the hospital? That sounds very scary

amother

Quince

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 1:37 am

A baby who during the day is nursing every 2-3 hrs (wake them up during the day if sleeping longer!) can go 4-5 hrs during the night without nursing, if sleeping longer than that you have to wake them up.
If they are not wetting/ pooing enough diapers during the day it means they are not nursing enough and should be woken up.

amother

Butterscotch ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 1:40 am

That sounds like a milk supply issue. A baby who is nursing every 2 hours by day doesn’t have to nurse every 2 hours at night. They can do one 4 hour stretch. If they got dehydrated that fast something else was going wrong.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:30 pm

You are right, there was a milk supply issue, but a first time mom is unlikely to be aware of that. I sure wasn't. Baby's bilirubin shot up because she wasn't peeing frequently enough. Specifically for a first time mom I thought it was important to clarify that the advice of not waking the baby to feed should not be followed blindly.

amother

Anemone

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:32 pm

I’d say the advice to FTMs should be to make sure their baby is having wet diapers often enough. My doctor told me a specific number to look for, I don’t remember it by now though.

amother

↑ Butterscotch ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

But it’s still not about not waking baby. It’s about counting diapers and noticing that baby is turning more yellow or looking lethargic.

amother

Papaya

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:36 pm

OP that sounds like a terrifying experience. I'm so sorry.

To other first time mothers, the way to gauge whether or not your baby is eating enough is if they are making wet diapers more than 4 time in a day. if not, you need to go to the doctor

amother

Ruby ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:48 pm

Thanks op for sharing, it was irresponsible of those posters on the other thread to be so nonchalant about not waking a baby to feed at night. I’m an experienced mom for reference.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:54 pm

amother Butterscotch wrote:

But it’s still not about not waking baby. It’s about counting diapers and noticing that baby is turning more yellow or looking lethargic.

That is all true, but still, if I had woken the baby every 2-3hrs to feed, that wouldn't have happened in the first place.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:55 pm

Thank you all for the support btw Heart

it was a horrible experience I don't want anyone else to go through Crying

amother

Lightgreen

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 8:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

That is all true, but still, if I had woken the baby every 2-3hrs to feed, that wouldn't have happened in the first place.

How long was she going between feeds?

amother

Tan

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

She was actually making the right amount of wet diapers What

Same! My baby had many wet and dirty diapers and lost a significant amount of weight.

I believe I saw a sleep trainer write that its not safe to sleep train before either baby weighs 13 lbs or s/he is three months old.

amother

DarkGray

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:01 pm

amother Ruby wrote:

Thanks op for sharing, it was irresponsible of those posters on the other thread to be so nonchalant about not waking a baby to feed at night. I’m an experienced mom for reference.

Experienced mom here too and I never woke my kids at night. If you’re concerned then go ahead but if baby is gaining nicely and having enough wet diapers then there’s no need to wake.

amother

Vanilla ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:03 pm

amother OP wrote:

She was actually making the right amount of wet diapers What

That doesn't really make any sense. How can a baby be dehydrated if they are having enough wet and dirty diapers?
Also if you were waking your baby to feed, but there were supply issues I don't think it would have made much of a difference.
I am sorry you went through that. It sounds terrifying.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:03 pm

amother Lightgreen wrote:

How long was she going between feeds?

4 hours usually

amother

↑ Vanilla ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:04 pm

amother Tan wrote:

So if your baby is not gaining of course you need to wake them.

amother

↑ Vanilla ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:04 pm

amother OP wrote:

4 hours usually

At night or during the day also?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 9:05 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

Experienced mom here too and I never woke my kids at night. If you’re concerned then go ahead but if baby is gaining nicely and having enough wet diapers then there’s no need to wake.

You're generally right, but in the first few days who knows how weight gain is going?