Let's Breastfeed

Sleeping babies – to wake or not to wake? Part one

Yes, it does feel mean and harsh to wake a little baby who looks so super peaceful, but there are good reasons why one should wake a baby to feed….and when you realize what they are, all that guilt will instantly melt away. So here are some of the reasons you should wake your little one.

The early days – day 0 – day 3

• Your baby needs colostrum to get rid of the bilirubin accumulating in his/her gut.
  When your baby is inside the womb, lots of red blood cells transport oxygen around the body. Once your baby is born, the body needs to get rid of some of these red blood cells, so that body begins to break them down. The waste product is called bilirubin and if it is not excreted, it is reabsorbed into the body and this leads to jaundice. The only way the body can excrete this waste is via the gut, in the form of poo. Colostrum is an amazing laxative. So the more colostrum your baby gets, the more nappy action you will have and the less jaundiced your baby will be.
• The more your baby feeds in the early days, the more milk you will have long term.
  In the breast, right next to the milk producing cells, you have little cells called prolactin receptor cells. These are dormant, but each time your baby feeds, a few more are activated and are able to catch the prolactin molecules and encourage milk production. These cells are most responsive in the first 3 days, especially after the birth. So the more you feed (or express if you need to) the more cells you will activate and the more productive your breast will be.
• Colostrum is a fantastic pain killer.
  Depending on how the birth went – you may find relief through various forms of painkillers. But what about your baby? Sure the baby is build to cope with the birthing process but what about the excess pressure of a ventouse or forceps delivery? Well, thankfully you don’t have to worry about it, as your body will take care of that.

Okay, you now you have 3 good reasons to wake the baby up – but let’s just tie it all together for you.
If your baby doesn’t feed well and frequently in the first 3 days, he/she will not benefit from the laxative properties of colostrum. This means your baby will have less bowel movement and the bilirubin will be re-absorbed – resulting in jaundice. When a baby develops jaundice, waking to feed becomes a lot harder as baby is very sleep, and this makes the situation worse.

Many babies find feeding after their birth quite difficult and if you have had a c section, you will know that often a baby will have so much mucus in their tummy, feeding is not very high on their list of priorities. So encouraging baby to feed and offering the breast, will quickly highlight whether you need additional help.

If you are still expecting your baby, have a look at the Beginners Guide to Breastfeeding eBook. I cover the early days in a lot more detail.

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This entry was posted in Your Newborn and tagged breastfeeding, colostrum, early days, Jaundice, Let's Breastfeed Practice, Richmond, sleeping baby, Twickenham. Bookmark the permalink.