Having a hRd Time Breastfeeding!!!

J.,
Call the La Leche League it is free advise from mom's who have BF their children and are trained to help you. FREE!

You can look them up online or what not..

I had the same issues with my DD, don't give up... get her undressed like many of the posts suggested and I used a cold wash cloth to wake her up.

it is just an adjustment, it will resolve itself in due time...

Hi, congrats! I had the same problem with both of my children when they were that young. Try taking all of her clothes off, that will wake her up. Tickle her feet too. This sounds cruel, but with my oldest son, I had the same problem, I would take a washcloth and wet it and rub it through his hair and his feet, he hated it, but he woke up enough to eat.

Sometimes, they just want to suck a little and go back to sleep, so it is not something that has to be done at every feeding, but if you feel like she needs to eat more and stay awake enough to eat it, try those tips.

Good luck!

Been there done that. With both my kids I ended up going to a lactation consultant after being home for a week with each. I learned that it just takes time to adjust. I think with this next one I will try on my own for a couple of weeks. That is just me personally. You do what you need to do. Have you tried completely undressing her down to her dipaer? That is what they told me to do with both kids in the hospital after they were born. Good luck.
G.

You already have some good responses here. But I wanted to point out to you, and any other moms out there that may not realize how easy it is to check for dehydration. I was floored that one reader said she had no idea her baby was dehydrated until it was very severe. Any decent HCP should have told you how to check for this. It is esp. important in the hot weather like it is now.
Simply check the anterior fontinel. It should be flat, not bulging or depressed. If it looks like someone shrink-wrapped the babies scalp over the scull, they are dehydrated! Suppliment with water between feedings if needed, no formula is needed if breastmilk remains the main source of nutrition.
Someone did mention jaundice as a possible cause, but did not mention how to remedy it.
If your baby is jaundice, sunlight to the skin will breakup the jaundice quickly. Just remember, sunlight to a clothed baby won't work, nor will it work if you use sunblock. It will work however even on cloudy days. Do it in short frequent intervals to avoid sunburn. If direct sunlight is not possible, you can imitate this with bili blankets or bili lights, sometimes available from your local hospital or medical supply company. Bili lights are the same as plant grow lights, so you can set this up easily yourself, unless you're Amish and don't have electric, even then, you could rig it up to a battery with a little more work and ingenuity.
Another possibility that no one has mentioned yet is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) The low sugar makes the baby lethargic, so then she eats less and becomes even more lethargic. best way to combat this is using an eye dropper to drop expressed breastmilk down her throat, once her sugar level is up to normal, she should perk up and eat (okay, drink;)) like a champ!
Oh yeah, another cause of her symptoms is a sore throat... she wants to nurse, but then it hurts to nurse, so she gives up, only to awake hungry again. The two most common causes for a newborn to have a sore throat is having swallowed amniotic fluid with meconium in it at or before birth, if this is the prblem only time will heal it, patience is the only remedy. The other common cause is Thrush, a yeast infection in the mouth. Many good remedies for Thrush have already been discussed here recently. You can search the archives to refresh your memory.
M., CPM

You have to wake her up. Undress her to her diaper, put a little water on her back, tummy. Get her awake and a little uncomfortable, I would not wake up if I was warm and cuddled either. Once she is awake, make sure she is latching on well. Laleche league has meetings, try to find one, those gals are expert. I read a book called nursing your baby by Karen Pryor, It is a very old book, but was very good, and laid it all out.
One night I was miserable, I was engorged, baby wouldn't latch, and I finally reread the book. It said, at this point, take a hot shower and express the milk some. It worked! I nursed one for 1 yr, and one for 18 mo, and it was wonderful, and that was 34 yrs ago. It is a wonderful food for your baby, and it releases endorphins while you nurse that give you a real feeling of well being. I hope you persevere. Good luck. You are just starting on the biggest adventure of your life.

If she is covered uncover her or even take some of her clothes off. Also changing her diaper might help. If she is gaining weith ok, she is probally getting enough. She will get the hang of it, just be patient and good luck!!

J.~
Just about every BF mom has gone through this at some point. Your baby may still be very sleepy from the delivery or anesthesia (if any). There are simple ways to try and wake him/her up. One way is to do baby sit ups. If he falls asleep, sit him up as if sitting in your lap. Then support his head and rock him back and forth like doing sit ups. That is one of the ways that a lactation consultant gave me advice about. There are great resources on the web - www.babycenter.com and la leche league.org. You can also call the hospital that you delivered at and ask for a lactation consultant and usually they can give advice over the phone free of charge. His pedi is always a resource and you'll probably be bringing him back for an office visit soon so you can ask those questions at that time.
You'll be fine BF. It could take a little time for mom and baby to figure each other out. Everyone is different. Email me if you have any further questions - ____@____.com luck, P.

It may help if you don't feed her at her first cry. Make her wait a bit and she will be hungry enough to stay awake. Her feedings don't have to be on "the doctor's" schedule (every 2 to 4 hrs.) Let her fuss a bit more, and wait a little longer. She'll stay awake when her tummy is truly empty. The waiting for true hunger probably won't last more than 15 minutes, maybe half an hour at the most.
good luck!

L. - mom of 4 ages 20,20,16 and 14 - all were breastfed. (yes, the twins were a challenge, but we made it for 4 months then they went to the bottle. It was miserable when they got off schedule. I felt like a cow! So much milk, and a baby latched at all times!! LOL)

Congrat on the baby!

So far everything I've read is the same, although for my premmie daughter the lactation nurse advise me to wet a wash cloth and put and ice cube in it. If she started to fall asleep to gentle rub her jaw line with the cold cloth to stimulate her to drink. It worked 95% of the time. The other times I would rub the bottom her foot with the cold wash cloth. I also found that schedule feeding really worked for us (I know lots of people hate the idea of it, but we were required to do it because she was a premmie and I wouldn't do it any other way now.)

I know you already have a ton of answers but after reading a few just wanted to give you a quick response. My daughter did this exact same thing! I could not get her to stay awake to nurse no matter what I tried! She nursed great while we were in the hospital (20 mins. on each side!!) but as soon as we got her home she just slept and slept! I was so worried that she wasn't getting enough to eat. I tried all the "normal" things like removing her clothes, changing her diaper, tickling her feet, etc. None of it worked for me. We just had to fight through it & I fed her more often. Her dr said as long as she was gaining a normal amount of weight she was ok. She's now a 16 lb. 4-1/2 month old and eats like a hog! It was tough sometimes I won't lie, but you will make it through! I encourage you to stick with it since it seems like breastfeeding is really important to you!

You feel your starting over again and you are but try having an 11 year old and a 3 month old. I feel like I am learning everthing all over again. I tried breastfeeding my older daughter and I hated it. I had some trouble in the beginning before I left the hospital, but got some help and she did some better after we got home. Although I felt like she wanted to eat all of the time and it was getting me down. After two weeks I gave up and went to bottle feeding. When I found out in September of this year that I was having another baby I knew then that I was going to bottle feed right from the beginning. My husband uderstood why, but he asked me several times are you sure you don't want to try breastfeeding again. He said it might be different this time, but I did not want to find out. I took what I feel was the easy way. I know everyone says breastfeeding is the best for the baby, but my daughter who will be 4 months old on the 19th of July has bonded just fine with me. She takes the bottle well and is growing everyday. I did have a friend who did have trouble breastfeeding. She found out her daughter was not getting enough milk from her and was not gaining any weight. Is she having trouble sucking. If this is the case she is trying so hard that she gets tired and falls asleep. My youngest daughter did this at first with the bottles I was using because there was nothing come out. On the other hand I did read in a book I have that if a baby falls asleep while nursing or bottle feeding try burping them to wake them up or if breastfeeding try switching to the other nipple. I hope this helps.

We had the same issue with my son, now 3yrs old. I would have to undress him completely(sometimes including daiper) and give him a sponge bath while I fed him. I used cool water and a washcloth and wiped him down everytime he started to fall asleep. It was quite challenging. Other things to do are to make sure they are very awake....this sometimes means letting them cry awhile, playing with them, tickling them while they eat, and/or holding them up in the air to give them a different perspective. Keep at it and if you are still worried in a few days call your ped to just go in for a weigh in and nothing else. If she is gaining weight, then no worries...the sleepies will work themselves out.

J.,

This behavior is completely normal for a newborn, but you are right to try to get her to feed longer. It's better for her to eat bigger meals every few hours and then take longer naps rather than snack all day long.

We used to have to wake our daughter to feed her. It was really difficult at times. Try undressing her. Use a cool washcloth. Or maybe even just laying her down flat on her back for a few minutes (away from the coziness of snuggling with you) then pick her back up and start again.

One thing that worked really well for us sometimes was swinging her in the air - my husband would hold her with one hand under her head and one under her bottom and swing her side to side (I hope this makes sense). It often made her really alert.

I hope this helps. Remember that this really is the most difficult phase - trying to get her on a sleeping and eating routine. It will get better and better. Hang in there. I hope you have help from your husband or some family members. Taking a nap for an hour or so while someone else looks after the baby can make a huge difference.

Hi, J..

My son used to do the same thing when he was very tiny, and the pediatrician suggested undressing him a little and tickling his feet to keep him awake during nursing. We used to open up his jammies so he would be a little cool and be able to stay awake for 15-20 minutes or so. Good luck!

L.

Which ever hospital you delivered at probably has a lactation consultant. You should contact them if you need help. I always find them to be very upbeat and encouraging making me want to stick with it! I had a baby on the 1st at wakemed in cary. I know they told me to call whenever I needed to, even if it was 6 months from now when he was getting teeth.
I am having an extremely rough time with nursing for the same reason and I am not making enough milk. Have talked to several nurses and have been told to rub the shoulder, ear, top of the head, strip them down to the diaper, change the diaper... whatever works to get them up. Don't touch the back of the head or cheek because they will pull away or turn their head toward the touch. Good luck to you! I know I am about to throw in the towel too.

Congrats on the new baby!!
I remember those days. It seemed I never left the rocking chair. We nursed around the clock. At the time I thought it would never end. Now I kinda miss it. I'm going to paste a lot of links below for you. Some of these lead to even more links. But it's all good reading. Especially if this is your first time nursing. I remember using some of the tips you'll read about like taking baby's clothes off, tickling feet, using a cool washcloth against the skin.
When you have some time, you gotta check out kellymom.com. It's the best breastfeeding site I have ever seen, and I've seen many. It's got tons and tons of info and I really like the forum section where moms talk to each other. Their forum is moderated by breastfeeding professionals so you know you are getting medically sound advice. For free. Plus it helps to talk to other moms who are going thru the same thing at the same time as you.
Best wishes!!

Nursing Your Newborn
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

Breastfeeding Basics in the First Weeks
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/index.html

Here's an excerpt from one of the links you may find helpful this very minute:

SLEEPY BABIES
If your baby is sleepy here are some suggestions to help keep the baby awake and interested:

* make sure your free hand is supporting your breast so the weight of the breast isn't on the baby's chin
* switch breasts as soon as the baby begins to lose interest in active nursing, this *may* need to be done every 30 to 60 seconds at first (the first few times you do it). You should begin to see a difference within a couple days of doing this.
* Burp and change diaper. Burping should be done with the baby sitting supported upright on mom's knee or lap rather than over the shoulder because it's also less sleep-inducing.
* nurse in clutch or "football" hold as opposed to cradle hold - it's a little less "cuddly" and sleep-inducing.
* massage the baby's head (crown) in a circular motion while nursing. Also using a wet cold washcloth and wiping back against the grain of the hair growth can help Try this for several days and see if there's improvement
* Place baby on your lap with legs near your tummy and head on your knees. Gently supporting baby, raise in sitting position, like doing a "sit- up". Do this two or three times, then do "side to side" a couple times.
* You can also try breast compression.

You may want to reduce any outside or excessive stimulation. (bright lights & noise) Sometimes babies just need to tune out all the noise/light and they do this by falling asleep.

Here's another I thought was really good:
"My newborn wants to sleep all the time! Should I wake him to nurse?"

Yes, if he doesn't wake on his own. Many newborns are very sleepy in the early days or weeks and may not exhibit hunger cues as often as they actually need to eat. Newborns should be nursed anytime they cue hunger, but at least every 2 hours during the day and at least once during the night. Once your baby has established a good weight gain pattern (at least 4 ounces per week, for babies under 4 months), you can stop waking baby to nurse and let him set his own pattern.

Hi J. B.,Really is rough going there!I wanted to add something no one has thought about so far.You mentioned that she would cry when she wanted something to 'eat'.Does eating here mean something other than breast milk?If so, maybe she's preferring that taste over the other.If eating here is simply nursing,then 'forgive me'.It doesn't apply.God bless and hope you and your baby start bonding more.S. L.

Congratulations on your new baby!

I had this trouble with my daughter (among many, many others). We had to interrupt nursing sessions every 5-10 minutes to sit her up, tickle her, just bug her until she'd wake up. As soon as I saw she was starting to drift off, I'd unlatch her. Often, this would make her mad enough to wake her up.

Another trick we used a lot was to undress her (except for her diaper). The cool air on her skin would wake her.

It was so annoying and frustrating to have to keep bugging her so she wouldn't fall asleep.

It took us a good 3-4 weeks before my daughter and I made it through a full day without one of us crying over nursing, BUT we made it. And we ended up nursing very successfully until she was just over a year old. Once we both had figured it out, we were so glad we stuck with it.

Hope this helps. I feel your pain.

I agree with everything already mentioned, and just wanted to add one thing I learned from a lactation consultant: Don't overdo it. Sometimes newborns who are overstimulated will just shut you out. I definitely found that it worked better to go gently but persistently. I wish you the best, the beginning is so hard, but so worth it later on.

There's a lot of great advice here. I went through the same thing with my little one. I just wanted to say that it will get better!! This is the most difficult time of it all. Stick in there because soon you'll be a pro and it'll get so much easier and she'll be nursing less often so you'll be able to rest more. It's a wonderful experience that you'll treasure forever.

Hey J.! Sorry to hear your having trouble, but don't give up. I am an RN on a post partum unit and I am happy to help in any way I can. Here are some tips: After eliminating any drafts in the room, undress her down to the diaper. Make sure she is skin to skin with you. Gently rub your fingertips along her spine, with just enough pressure to make her wriggle (babies don't like that and it is a good technique to wake her). You can also tickle her feet. Use a soft, cool (not cold), wet washcloth and gently rub it across her face and hair. A couple things to keep in mind: If she is nursing even for a short time every time she wakes, she is likely hungry and wanting to nurse, but not hungry enough to finish. This may put her into a "snacking" type of routine. If possible, try to hold her off for 2-3 hours between feedings to help her get hungry enough to finish. Babies have a natural need to suck for soothing and a pacifier may help in between feedings. I also frequently see new moms rock or gently pat babies while nursing. Try to avoid any of those types of behavior that generally help babies to sleep because that it exactly what they will do, not matter how hungry they may be.
You are doing the best thing you can for your baby and it will get easier! Let me know if I can help in any other way or if you just need to vent! Congratulations and best of luck to you!!

This happened to us with our daughter. I had to pump and then feed her with a syringe. We had to literally squirt it slowly in this side of her mouth (so she would not choke) and give her a minute to swallow (in her sleep of course!). This went on for a week or two. The nurses in the hospital had us do this. We also tried putting a wet, cold wash cloth on her legs, belly, head, etc to wake her up. Keep tickling her cheeks and neck while you try to wake her while nursing. Maybe try pumping and giving her a bottle just to get enough in her belly for the first few weeks. It should be ok soon, this won't last long.

W. M

You've gotten some great advice from other moms on this...but I feel I have to just add how important it is to get those feedings in when she's so little. It is extremely important she is peeing and pooping enough (is it 8 pees?? per 24 hours? I'd start keeping track)...

Not to freak you out, but I had the same problem with my first child and could not wake him to save my life. After 5 days he was severely dehydrated (I had no idea, it was my first) and ended up in NICU with severe jaundice...he probably had it anyways, but the dehydration made it much worse. So, pleeaaaaaase DO NOT hesitate to take him into your ped's office to get a weight check and to GET MORE HELP if you need it. Having a hydrated baby is MUCH more important than simply breastfeeding...even if it means supplementing a little bit to get you through this tough spot! I know all the La Leche people would shoot me for saying that, but hydration is really most important here. Best of luck and go bug your doctors! That's what they are there for :)

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

Wow, it's only been a week? You have to give it some time. You are both just getting used to each other! It takes time for a baby to establish a routine. Everything is brand new! I am of the opinion that babies sleep when they are tired and eat when they are hungry! Don't give up! Breastfeeding is a gift that only YOU can give your precious baby! I have never met a Mom who said "I wish I had never breast fed my baby" but I have met many who wished they had.
Get some rest and relax, it will happen!

Hello!

another outlet for information for Breastfeeding and things that are in the area is the La Leche Ledge. I just typed that in my search bar and it popped up the main site for them. they have a advice line and they also can put you in contact with local people in your area so you could possibly have a face-to-face.

H., birth doula, mother of three, military wife

Don't give up!!!!! I went to a lactation consultant for 6 weeks to help me get her to suck properly. Call Annie or Jane at A Mother's Place at Centennial Hospital if you are in Nashville... maybe she is more tired than hungry... but don't give up on your child...mine is almost 3 and I'm still bfeeding and she is the healthiest child... sometimes after a tramatic birth they are tired ... does she nurse when she's awake? Is she loosing weight? Just hang in there. It will get easier...you will be so glad you did.

I would try changing her diaper when she starts falling asleep. Even if it really doesnt need to be changed, go through the motions and just put the dry diaper back on. This helped my son to stay awake during a feeding. Good Luck!!

I have four boys, however my first two my twin boys were six weeks early and very small. They would go to sleep all the time usually five minutes after nursing. Have you tried rubbing her cheek or stripping her clothes off. Sometimes i would change their diaper even if they were not needing a change, the air to them seemed to wake them up. Also you may try a cool wet cloth on her face or leg. I would sometimes play with their legs, anything to get their attention, sometimes when they are in their deep sleep, it can be really hard. Just stay patient, ie ended up sometimes going to sleep while they were nursing because i was so tired out. So i know and understand what you are going through. I hope this helps.
G.

I had the same problem with my first daughter. The nurses at the hospital said to undress her. Or to wipe her down with a cool wash cloth to stimulate her. Just piss her off enough to make her stay awake to eat. Hope it gets better for you! And congrats!!

I also went through this, you are not alone...I had to undress her down to her diaper and rub her face to keep my little one awake. Also try talking to your baby while feeding and not in a soft voice, of course don't scream but loud enough to keep the attention. Good luck, bf is wonderful I hope it works.

I have to agree with Sarah, the nurses also told me to undress my daughter to wake her for nursing. This is really the only advice I have to offer, but as a fair warning..it did not work on my daughter. She sleeps just like her Daddy, and he sleeps like a "dead man!" lol.. nothing can wake her, even now and she is 3. I would give her what she would take and express the rest for the next day, which ended up being pointless because she would wake to eat just like yours about a half hour later. They are tough cookies, but hang in there, as long as you keep feeding and expressing your supply shoud be fine and when she gets a little older this shouldn't be an issue anymore.
Good luck and congrats!!

You may want to try to pump your milk to keep it flowing. You are able to freeze it or donate it for the preemies if you hospital has that option but take care of your supply first. Does the baby have her nights and days mixed up? You may just try to let her cry a little while to let her get good and awake or try the pacifier and if she goes right back to sleep she is probably not hungry. I hope you have success soon. Don't give up if that is what you really want to do is breast feed. I breast fed all three of mine.

I have a 10 week old who had the same problem. It does get better. I used a cold wet washcloth to keep him a little "uncomfortable". Also try striping her down to a diaper so she is a little cold. I never tried this but a friend recommended holding an ice cube in your hand and dripping the melting water onto the baby. Also try to keep her awake before she starts falling asleep. You can also squeeze your breast and give her a shot of milk which might keep her interested. Good luck and don't give up by 3 weeks my baby was starting to sleep longer and nurse better. PS giving bottles now may cause nipple confusion and deter her from nursing if she figures out the bottle is easier.

J.,
I too had a very hard time breast feeding. Your baby being extremely sleepy could be a sign that she is getting dehydrated. You may want to bring her to the pediatritian for a weight check and to check her glucose level. Also, make sure she is having enough wet/dirty diapers. I was determined to breast feed, but I had trouble with supply. I had to supplement with a bottle. I was scared to death that my baby wouldn't latch on if I tried a bottle, but I learned if I calmed her hunger with some formula first then tried to latch her on it worked better for me. (Everyone is different!) I know they usually recommend trying to latch and breast feed first and then supplement with a bottle. My baby just screamed because I had such a low supply of milk at first. I would calm her with an ounce of formula 1st and then bring her to breast. That was better for both of us becasue I was frustrated too. It took about a week for my milk to come in and my baby would have starved if I hadn't supplemented. Also... Medela has Lactation consultants that are great. Go online for info there. I hope this helps.

One thing you need to consider is if you are taking ANY pain killers for your recovery. If that is not a factor..(it was for me) then here are the tips I got from the lactation consultant:
make sure the lights in the room are bright... and the room is not too warm and strip her down to a diaper. And try try try again.

I had a really hard time with my daughter's latch and her staying awake, which led her to nursing all the time. which they do any. But we made it to 18 months! Much longer than I had even planned. We just got good at it. So stay with it!

Keep in mind that breast are not pacifiers. The baby and you need your rest. You have to try to keep a schedule. I would suggest writting down the time she nurses and for how long-this might reduce your anxiety and therefore increasing your milk supply too-your body will not produce the quality nor quantity of milk needed to nurture her if you don't get peaceful rest yourself.My breast fed babies fed anywhere from 2 to 3 hours apart-at this age. It does sound like she may just need some good rest pat her back,rub her forhead gently,whatever soothes her. I would try to let her sleep inbetween feedings-she's only a week old,and little ones and new Momas really need to rest-your doctor probably has a recommended time for both of you. Keep in mind that no 2 babies are alike. Relax and enjoy this addition to your family-let that 7 year old help inbetween feedings-reminding them what a good helper they are and teaching them to be a nurturing,helpful,special feeling person. Good Luck

This happened with my second too. What worked is offering the breast every two hours during the day and every four overnight and if she fell asleep, pump the rest and feed her the pumped milk from a bottle which is easier to drink. My daughter was a bit jaundiced which accounted for the sleepiness and drinking more milk is the main thing that clears it. If your baby is not drinking even from a bottle I would consult your pediatrician. You could also call a lactation consultant. They can help anyone continue with breast feeding! Its worth a small fee considering that formula will run over 100$ a month for the next year. Also the La Leche League is free and a great source of support.

Just one point of view that I didn't see in my quick scan of the other responses. I TOTALLY sympathize with you, my first was a sleeper/snacker (only wanted to sleep on the breast, though, when I took her off she was awake). Through the soreness (which lasted until I quit, despite there being nothing wrong with her "latch" according to the pros), cracked nipples, thrush, mastitis,lactation consultants(of varying opinions), pumping and feeding, etc, We made it about 4 months breastfeeding (about the time I returned to work-PT-where pumping just didn't really work out) and I just absolutely tortured myself over the decision to go to formula. Please don't torture yourself over it. You're only at a week, you're both figuring this out (again) so it's probably going to get a lot better in the next little bit. Take the other readers' advice, etc. But only you can make the decision for you and your baby. Breast may BE best for baby, but mom has to have a say in it, too, and it should be a mutually beneficial experience. Trust me, formula makes smart, healthy kids, too, and you aren't a bad mom if that's the option you end up taking. Even if in your heart, you want to breastfeed her for a year. Best of luck to you and congrats on your baby girl!

Hang in there! Nursing requires quite a bit of energy for a newborn and she probably just needs to rest to get some more strength up so that she can nurse some more. She'll get stronger and better at this soon. This will definitely pass. You're probably very tired in the meantime, though. If you are too exhausted, you could try expressing some milk and then giving it to her with one of those large "eye dropper" sort of things (the kind they use to give babies liquid medication - I forgot what they are called). That way, she'll be getting the milk without having to work so hard for it and then will hopefully sleep longer and you can get some rest. Hope this helps. God bless you.

.

Does your daughter have jaundice? I ask because my daughter did, and it makes babies sleepy. It took her about a week to get the hang of breastfeeding and in the meantime I was in tears because she wouldnt nurse and my boobs were giant watermelons lol. I even took her to a lactation consultant and she would not wake up while we were there! But then, all of the sudden she "got it" and she woke up and latched on and we had 28 months of a great nursing relationship :)

You might want to call your hospital and ask for an appointment with a lactation consultant( should be free) who can give you some better advice since you can go in and she can see how the baby nurses and what you can do to ensure she is getting the right amount of milk and you are getting the right amount of rest. One thing is, do you take her off the breast when she falls asleep, or leave her on? A sling-like a ring sling-is great for snackers.

Good luck! Its usually not easy in the beginning, but once you both find your stride its the easiest thing in the world.

Our daughter was the same way...we would wipe a cool washcloth on her feet or move her little arm like a water pump(just bend it up and down at the shoulder joint)...all things the nurse at the hospital taught us. Those are the two that worked the best for us...it does get better...the first few weeks were rough...but she eventually just settled in...and as long as you are feeding her on demand she should be fine...my daughter still only nurses 5 minutes at a time now at six months and has been doing so since she was just a few weeks old...(once the doctor said it was ok to let her set her own schedule and not make her stay awake for additional feedings). She is gaining weight just fine...almost 20 pounds already and no problems at all.

First, good for you for wanting to breastfeed and congratulations on your new little one.

Second, the first 3 weeks are the hardest. It does get easier, a lot easier, with time.

Finally, there are a few things you can try. Try undressing her, changing her diaper (this woke my daughter up pretty good), or try putting a cool wash cloth on her face, feet, back and belly.

Good luck!

When this would happen with me I'd start stripping that baby. Pull of the blanket, the booties, poke at their feet, whatever it took to pep them up. It usually worked. You are warm, she's all wrapped up, who wouldn't fall asleep. It'll get her in the habit of staying awake & then you can wrap her back up again when she's done. Congrats on your sweet baby.

Try changing her diaper before nursing. This used to wake my little guy right up. You can also try brushing her cheek a cold wet washcloth. If that still doesn't do it, then try holding her upright before nursing. Newborn babies have a baby doll reflex. If you hold them upright, their eyes open. You might also try the football hold to nurse- less cuddly and more down to business. :)

Pinch her heels, tickle her toes, and get her naked to where shes cold and not warm and comfy. She will wake up and eat. Just be patient with her even though you are exhausted. It's new to her and new to you! Congrats on your new one

The sleepy new baby, sweet but a trial on the breasts that are trying to get adjusted to feeding a new baby. Don't worry about her getting enough, she will get enough even though she's 'in and out'. I agree with the others, don't keep her all cuddly and warm, strip everything off, rub her, tickle a little. But this may not even help at times, sometimes they are just in their little zone and nothing will wake them up! I would suggest pumping right now to avoid engorgement and get your supply healthy and going. She will wake up eventually and it'll be a full feeding every hour or two at first. It never hurts to have some back up in the fridge, plus it will help your production. Good luck. I had a really hard time with all of this, three times, but successfully breastfed all of mine for awhile.

Hi J.,

Congratulations! :) My third daughter was like this ... the only thing that worked for her was to expose her feet and take a cool washcloth and put it on the bottom of her feet (a trick I learned in the NICU at the hospital) while she nursed. It did the trick and she ended up nursing until 26 months!
Good luck! Enjoy this time it goes by so fast!!

Cris
www.handcraftedheartandsoul.com