Sleepy Newborn

According to my pediatrician, this is pretty common. My son, who is now 7 weeks old, did the same thing for the first several weeks and I was concerned, too. To keep him awake, you can blow gently on his forehead, or gently rub his cheek. As long as he has the number of wet and poopy diapers he's supposed to every day, I wouldn't worry too much. Hope this helps! Congratulations and good luck!

A couple ideas from what you said and what we experienced... Our first had jaundice (had it worse than it appeared by skin color). He was VERY sleepy all the time because of the jaundice and then because of being sleepy, he didn't eat much and then lost "too much" weight because of it. He still had wet and poopy diapers, but just didn't eat ENOUGH. He'd literally just eat and sleep and not be able to stay awake through a feeding. He was borderline for having the billiblanket...we first sunned him in the window all the time to see if that would work to help the jaundice and thankfully it did. I think jaundice usually peaks at 5 or 6 days though. May be worth a doctor visit to ease your mind if it really doesn't seem right...to make sure he's gaining weight alright and all.
Another thought is if he's awake and alert just fine at other times is to get him going with a routine/schedule. This is yet another thing that a routine/schedule helps with...being alert to eat. The routine is eat, then awake play time, then sleep, then eat, then awake play time, then sleep, and so on. When you nurse, a hormone is released for both you and the baby that make you sleepy (same hormone as in turkey that makes you sleepy). So the routine helps because he is then eating right after he just napped (except the bedtime feeding), but you may need to still get him out of the drowsy state just after eating. So a routine helps to:
- have alert feedings because the baby is not sleepy/ready for a nap when trying to eat
- helps the baby to distinguish day from night and thus helping the baby to sleep through the night from the time he/she is about 13 pounds or 2-3 months old, which is good for restful sleep for baby, as well as the rest of the house...with the routine, the baby will typically start sleeping through the night around this time on their own
- helps to promote full feedings so sleep is not interupted due to hunger (so it then promotes full naps because of the full feedings)
- helps to promote full naps as opposed to cat naps, which allows for more restful sleep as a full nap allows the baby time to reach REM sleep
- helps the parent to know what the child needs, like especially providing the opportunity to nap before the baby is OVERtired because often when they show signs of being tired, they are really overtired and then have trouble falling asleep due to being overtired.
When doing the routine/schedule, after feedings it may be necessary to play with him and stimulate him right after a feeding until he comes out of the drowsiness from that hormone being released. I did that with my kids and then they'd be alert until I laid them down for nap at nap time...then they'd fall asleep on their own at nap time.
So a schedule would look like this....a 3 hour schedule which we continued up until after the baby was sleeping through the night and then showed signs of being ready to extend to a 4 hour schedule (signs being we had to wake them for feedings routinely after being established in the routine that they would wake on their own for the feeding at the right time and also seeming like they could go longer between feedings since they were less focused while eating anymore). So the schedule looked like this until I want to say about 4 months...
6am eat
7:30-9am nap
9am eat
10:30-12noon nap
12 noon eat
1:30-3pm nap
3pm eat
4:30-6pm nap
6pm eat
7:30-9pm nap
9pm eat
10:30eat and to bed for the night
Before sleeping through the night, I'd feed on demand in the middle of the night and then wake the baby to eat in the morning at 6am to begin the schedule of the day.

It's nice if they can have an entire 'real' meal instead of snacking all day (lets them get the fatty hind milk instead of just the foremilk). But it sounds like your boy is getting enough so I wouldn't worry too much about it. It sounds like you're doing the right things to perk him up - you can also try running your fingernails along the bottoms of his feet and (this sounds mean, I know) putting a cool damp washcloth on his chest or back. The other posters are right, though - he will outgrow this in a week or two. Congratulations on your new baby!

Jessica:

congratulations....

the output is very important... if you continue to be concerned it would be worthwhile to have a lactation consultant come out for a visit.

have you had your check up with the ped?

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

Hi Jessica,

All newborns are very sleepy for the first couple of weeks and my son did the same. I figured out that my son liked one boob and was a fast eater so yours MIGHT be the same. He will tell you if he is not getting enough and if you are still worried, call your doctor and ash him/her. Hope all goes well for you. Enjoy these sleepy few weeks as you will find after about 2 weeks, he wakes up and its all fun then!!!

Sounds like you are doing good things with the diaper and such... If you want to avoid a snacker (I did, too time consuming to keep latching on,off, on, off, on... every 20 minutes) then I think the trick is... "annoy" him - guffaw. The stellar doula who helped me with my first son was practically cruel (not really) gently stroking the flat of her nails against his head in a manner clearly not meant to be soothing him to sleep, picking him up, undressing him, supporting his head and tipping him heels over head a bit to rouse him... she suggested that newborns are sleepy folk... and being right there with mom is just sooo... comforting they drift off easily... a good nursing should last about 10 minutes or so... then they'll really get a good belly full, grow, grow, grow and sleep for longer periods between nursing. Its a process... you're doing great!

I am a nursing mom still for 4yrs now none stop while pregnant with my 2nd I stopped 1 wks before and started nursing second child and still nursing my 1 yr old.
I had trouble with my 1st daughter she seemed to fall asleep as soon as she was in position. I think she just loved being so near that it made her sleep.I tried taking off diaper too didn't work. I would start to talk to her say ya time to nurse sqirt a little on her lip and those 1st few days I had to open diaper and not have any blakets near so she wouldnt think its time to sleep. dont worry it will pass as long as he is getting some in his system he will be fine. Also try massaging check to encouage suckel. How wonderful congrats on ur new baby : ]

If your milk has just come in over the past few days he is probably getiing more efficient at emptying the breast. I wouldn't be too concerned as long as you see plenty of poops and pees. Around the 3 week mark he will begin a growth spurt and you will see an increase in his appetite and interest.

Keep up with the exclusive breastfeeding and try to avoid bottles right now as it could affect your supply. Babies are pretty smart and he probably won't let himself go hungry.

Hi Jessica

I used to undress my son who would do the same thing. Also I would tickle him on the bottom of his feet or actually have a cool rag sitting by me & wipe his arm or face to help wake him up. They usually worked & he would get a bit more in before he would fall asleep - pretty soon he had the hang of it & wouldn't sleep until he was finished.

Good luck! Also, if you are looking for babysitting arrangements for your son when you return to work, I'd be happy to help you out. I have a soon to be 5yr. old son & am looking to babysit a little one in my home. I am married 13 years & a SAHM for over a year now - we live in Chicago on the southwest side near Archer & Oak Park Ave. I live by 2 parks that are each 1 block away from me. If you'd like to know more or if I can help you out, please email me at ____@____.com not, best of luck w/ everything - they are absolutely awesome & the time goes by too fast!! ;)
J.

Okay this may sound awful but we (my husband that is) would get his hands wet and hold my son to wake him up to nurse. The LC said it was important for the newborns to eat for a particular time in those first few weeks so we needed to keep him up for feedings. We would also unswadle him and undress him and it was hard. I think it got better with time but this is what we did. Good luck!

Again it may sound awful but my husband would just dampen his hands and hold my son naked just to wake him up to nurse. My son didn't like it of course but it did the trick. I hope no one thinks it is mean....

Rub right above his ear or tap his chin to keep him going. That's the way that we kept our daughter eating/awake when she was really little. The lactation consultant at the hospital showed us. Congrats on the new baby! It sounds like you are doing a great job!

H.

Something that helped me was gently "shrugging" the shoulder that is not pressed against your body. This will trigger a suckling reflex and was taught to me in the hospital by an IBCLC (certified lactation consultant.)
As long as he's having enough wet diapers, you are doing a great job. Make sure you're waking him every 2-3 hours to feed, and don't be surprised if all he wants to do is feed all day one day soon! It's pretty typical.

Feel free to contact me anytime!
Amanda
aspiring IBCLC

Hi Jessica,
My son was born early and I needed to make sure he ate as much as he could. He would fall asleep while feeding too so the doctor told me to tickle his feet while he was feeding! It worked. Something that simple kept him aroused enough to keep him feeding. Good luck!

My son mastered the art of "sleep eating" when he was a newborn. I couldn't keep him awake no matter what I did. Our pediatrician suggested rubbing a hand up his back to get him to wake up. That had marginal success.

He's eating enough, don't worry. In a few weeks he'll start to be awake more of the time and then you won't have to second-guess yourself as much. Remember that his stomach is very small right now, and it doesn't take much for him to get enough to eat.

Try a cool wet rag on his forehead or gently flicking the bottom of his feet. Those worked for my little one when he was a newborn. Also, whats more important is diaper output, as long as he's having enough wet and poopy diapers, he should be fine. I was worried too with my little boy, but it sounds like youare doing a great job!

He likes to snack and then sleep. That's all. It's ok if they do that. My toddler still likes to come by me during the day, and she's always very busy, take a little sip and then move on. As long as he has wet diapers and has gained weight (I think he should be back up to his birth weight by now, or maybe in another week, I don't remember), then he's doing fine. He won't starve himself. If you are still worried, you can pump a little to increase your supply until he's nursing more. Just be careful, you can pump too much and end up with so much milk you don't know what to do with. Congratulations on your new son and you're doing great. Don't worry about a schedule, babies put themselves on their own schedule naturally and even if they don't, there is no rule that says they need to eat when yo think they should.