Q: Night feeding?
Posted
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:27 PM
Q: My daughter is just over a month old and still wakes up every
hour crying and rooting. Could she really be hungry? Is there anything
we can do to get her to sleep better?
Conner Herman & Kira Ryan: We
know how exhausting it is to feed every hour. The bad news is that
month-old babies' stomachs are still very small -- approximately the
size of your daughter's fist. Since they can't hold much, they often
need to be filled up frequently. That Big Gulp of milk you wish she
would eat just won't fit yet!
However, at this age you can
gradually start to stretch the time between her feedings, with the goal
of feeding her every three hours during the day and possibly even less
frequently at night. In an ideal world, this will help her sleep in
several three to four hour stretches at night.
Until she's old
enough to sleep straight through the nigh, remember to take care of
your sleep needs. The first three hours of nighttime sleep are the most
critical for adults. Do everything you can to ensure this first part of
your sleep is uninterrupted. This may mean going to bed at 8 or 9 p.m.
for a few more months, but we promise that your days will be much more
enjoyable!
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