Feeding FAQ: 0-8 weeks – Breast Feeding

My 4-week-old baby wakes at 6am and then feeds and naps all morning

My 4-week-old son normally wakes around 6am and it is impossible to get him to go back to sleep or even settle in his cot. He feeds at 6am for approx 10 minutes on the breast, then is happy to sit in his chair or play on his play mat for an hour. By 7am he is ready to feed again (approx 15 minutes). He will then generally doze for approx 30 minutes between 7.30 and 8.15am. After this nap he wants more feeding, once again a small amount (5 or 10 minutes). This pattern continues throughout the morning: little naps and continuous feeding until I can get him to settle for his afternoon nap at approx 11.30am. Once asleep he will sleep soundly until 2pm. At 2pm he feeds well (approx 20 minutes) and then is generally awake for the two hour social time, however it is hard work to keep him awake for the entire time. At 4pm we go out walking and he will sleep until 5pm. We then follow the routine of feeding and bathing and 90% of the time he will be asleep by 7pm. He then sleeps soundly until I wake him at 10.30pm. He is normally so sleepy and impossible to wake up fully so he only feeds for 10 to 15 minutes. He will then settle back to sleep very quickly and will wake up at 1.30am for another short feed, settle back to sleep and wake at approx 4.30am, short feed and then will sleep till 6am. I have tried to get him to stay on the breast for longer at the appropriate times however he is just not interested. Please can you suggest how I can get him to follow the routine correctly.

He weighed 7.14lbs at birth and is now 10.5lbs. He feeds at the following times: 6am 10mins, 7am 15mins, 8.30am 5-10 minutes, 9.30am 5-10 minutes, 10.30am 5-10 minutes, 11.15am 5-10 minutes, 2pm 20 minutes, 5pm 20 minutes, 6pm 15mins, 10.30pm 10mins, 1.30am 5-10 minutes, 4.30am 5-10 minutes.

He naps at 7-7.30am, 8-8.30am, 9.30-10am, 11.30-2pm, 4-5pm. He settles at 7pm-10.30pm, 11-1.30am, 2-4.30am and 4.30-6am.

The pattern your son has got into in the morning, is of snacking rather than taking a full feed. During the later part of the day, after his long lunchtime sleep, he is feeding better and so manages to have a longer gap between feeds.
When he wakes at 6am treat this feed as a night feed. Have as little light as possible to feed by and keep eye contact to the minimum. Don’t change him unless you really have to.
Swaddle and hold him until he is really sleepy before putting him down. This should help him to settle for another hour or hour and a half. If you feel he has fed well at 6am and he settles again, then leave him until 7.30am before feeding. Make this the first feed of the day so open the curtains and feed in a chair rather than in bed. When you feed him make sure he is not getting too warm and snuggly on you which is causing him to become drowsy too soon. About ten minutes into the feed your baby may become sleepy as he has received the hormone Oxytocin in the fore milk and this has an effect of a sleeping pill on him. He needs to go on feeding for at least another 10 minutes in order to receive the hind milk. This is much thicker and creamier and will fill him up so he is able to wait for at least three hours for his next feed. When you feed him in the mornings and you feel he has had enough after 10 minutes, unlatch him and place him on the floor. You can put him down on a clean sheet or blanket but he needs to be away from your body warmth so he stirs and wakes himself again, enough to finish the feed. You may need to do this several times in the feed to make sure that he has really emptied one side and so will be full.
Your son is still very young and his sleep needs may be a little more than those stated in the routines. If he has taken a full feed at 7/7.30am he will be ready to go for a nap around 8.30am. If he shows signs of being sleepy before this, take him to his room and change him. This should stir him enough to get towards 8.30am before being settled to sleep. Wake him by 10am and offer him a feed. Again make sure he takes a full feed, not just ten minutes, even if you have to put him down several times to wake him. Topping and tailing mid feed can also help rouse him. Again try for a small awake period after his feed time. Let him kick or sit in his chair. He may only be awake for 15-20 minutes before needing to sleep again but he will learn how to fall asleep on his own rather than associating it with being fed if you have this short spell awake.

Keep trying to keep him awake in the afternoon; again make sure he is not too warm and
change his position several times, giving him different things to look at.
Getting a baby really awake at 10pm can take time. Begin to wake him at 9.45pm by putting the lights, opening his swaddle and putting on a radio or some music. It may take him a good twenty minutes to really wake up. Potter around the room and stroke the backs of his hands now and then, whilst talking to him to help him stir. Once he is fully awake then feed him in a well-lit room with a radio or TV on if you like. Again if he gets sleepy after 10 minutes put him down to wake him again. Change him mid feed and let him have some time kicking on his change mat or on the floor. You could use this time to get yourself ready for bed and then offer him the breast again. Or if he has emptied the first then offer the second in his room which you have darkened. You may like to consider expressing this feed and having your partner give it to him so you can get an early night. If you decide to do this, split the feed into two halves, about 2-3 ozs in each bottle. Then wake your baby at 10pm and give him the first bottle. Give him a quiet kick time, but keep him awake until 11.15pm when the second fresh bottle is offered in a darkened room to settle him. By splitting this feed you will ensure he gets a good feed to see him through to nearer 3am and also by keeping him up for some time he will be more likely to begin to have a longer stretch of sleep in the middle of the night.
A fully breast-fed baby may need two feeds in the night, about 2.30am and 5/6am for a few more weeks. Making sure that he is gaining his 6-8 ozs a week and taking full feeds in the day rather than snacks should help him get nearer to the routines for his age.