Okay, I'm an obvious first time mother... :-)
Is it normal for my 8 day old baby to sleep so much??
I'm talking like 80-85% of the time, he's passed out !!! We had our first appt. w/ the pediatrician today and he says his weight is down... I explained to him that baby Chase is sleeping ALL THE TIME ! He went to sleep last night at midnight and slept until I woke him at 7:00 a.m. ! I asked Dr. Singh today and he just tells me to feed him... hmmm... if he falls asleep while I'm feeding him... which happens all the time... what then??????? And he was born 8 lbs 6 1/2 oz ( C-section) and is down to barely 7 lbs... just looking for some help :-(

That's pretty much what they do at that age, eat, sleep, crap, repeat

They can't do much of anything so they get bored and go back to sleep

Yes, newborns sleep all the time. I had to wake my son every 3-4 hours to eat. That's normal for newborns.

If he's falling asleep while eating, have you tried removing his clothes? Gently tickling him? I had the same problem with my son and it was a job to keep him awake to eat.

Wake him up??? Heck no!! Be thankful he's a good sleeper -- you'll appreciate it later! :lol:

Wake him up??? Heck no!! Be thankful he's a good sleeper -- you'll appreciate it later! :lol:


He's only 8 days old. If he's losing weight instead of gaining you have to wake him to eat and Dr. Singh should have told her that.

He's only 8 days old. If he's losing weight instead of gaining you have to wake him to eat and Dr. Singh should have told her that.

:yeahthat:

losing over a pound of weight is not a good thing with newborns....I don't think any of mine lost that much weight after birth

My grand daughter was a good sleeper(my kids were good eaters :lol:) and her parents had to continuously wake her up to eat or keep eating....take the blankets off, undress down to a undershirt and diaper, or tickling usually keeps them awake long enough to eat

Okay, I'm an obvious first time mother... :-)
Is it normal for my 8 day old baby to sleep so much??
I'm talking like 80-85% of the time, he's passed out !!! We had our first appt. w/ the pediatrician today and he says his weight is down... I explained to him that baby Chase is sleeping ALL THE TIME ! He went to sleep last night at midnight and slept until I woke him at 7:00 a.m. ! I asked Dr. Singh today and he just tells me to feed him... hmmm... if he falls asleep while I'm feeding him... which happens all the time... what then??????? And he was born 8 lbs 6 1/2 oz ( C-section) and is down to barely 7 lbs... just looking for some help :-(


My dr. always said wake them during the day and make sure they eat and let them sleep at night.

Losing a pound in such a short time is NOT normal at least it sure doesn't seem like it.

If he is losing that much weight you should wake him at least every 3 hours to eat some doctors would say very two hours. It is normal for them to lose weight after they are born but not more than 10% of their body weight. If he falls asleep while eating then tickle his feet.

Also, I forgot to ask if you've set up a weight check at the pedi's office? You should do that until he gets back to his birth weight.

Is he on the bottle or the boob? My youngest would not stay awake on the boob to save his life.

My son did not sleep for the first six months of his life. I was psychotic with fatigue. But HE was abnormal - newborns typically sleep a lot.

Also it's not unusual for them to lose a little bit of weight in the first week or so, but 1.5 lbs seems like too much. Like Pixie mentioned, try giving him a bottle of breast milk and see if that doesn't perk him up. If I were snuggled up against someone warm who was giving me food, I'd nod off too. :lol:

Losing about 10 pct of body wieght after birth is not uncommon and should come back soon.

Newborns lose 10% of weight - January 2011 Birth Club - BabyCenter (http://community.babycenter.com/post/a26158703/newborns_lose_10_of_weight)

A newborn baby can lose up to 10% of her body weight in the days following birth. This is simply because the baby needs more food that he or she can actually consume. After ten days to two weeks, your baby should have regained her birth-weight and be starting to gain weight

Understanding Newborn Weight Gain (http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/understanding_newborn_weight_gain.htm)

Newborn Weight Loss | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/about_5325034_newborn-weight-loss.html)

Although new babies do sleep a lot, it isn't always normal. My daughter who is now 24 and healthy, was born with a congenital heart defect. One of the first signs (to me) was her excessive sleeping a very little eating. Many babies are born with a hole in the heart, which in most cases closes shortly after birth. In some cases this hole doesn't close and requires corrective surgery. Now, I'm not trying to alarm you, but it's better to be safe then sorry. I would voice my concerns to the pediatrician and REQUEST a referral to Children's hospital. They will do a few simple non-invasive tests that could put your mind at ease. I will say that in general a doctor can hear a murmur when this condition exists; however, there are many other congenital heart defects that can go undetected by a pediatrican. Trust me. Better to be safe then sorry. I wish you the best.

My son did not sleep for the first six months of his life. I was psychotic with fatigue. But HE was abnormal - newborns typically sleep a lot.

Also it's not unusual for them to lose a little bit of weight in the first week or so, but 1.5 lbs seems like too much. Like Pixie mentioned, try giving him a bottle of breast milk and see if that doesn't perk him up. If I were snuggled up against someone warm who was giving me food, I'd nod off too. :lol:

That was G's problem. After I took him off the boob all he did was eat and sleep. Best infant ever. N NEVER slept! :cds: 9 years later I think I'm still catching up!

The weight loss seems fairly normal to me..they do that..esp breastfed infants (they lose more weight initially)..my girl lost a pound herself..and by the next appt gained it back. She slept through many of her feeding the first week as well..but by about 2-3 weeks or so was so much more awake and alert and I didn't have to try to wake her anymore..she's still an excellent sleeper too. if your pediatrician isnt too worried, I think it will be fine. Just wake him often during the day..and let him sleep at night..lol

That was G's problem. After I took him off the boob all he did was eat and sleep. Best infant ever. N NEVER slept! :cds: 9 years later I think I'm still catching up!

Wait a minute...G is NINE? :faint:

Wait a minute...G is NINE? :faint:

G is almost 7, N is 9.

The weight loss seems fairly normal to me..they do that..esp breastfed infants (they lose more weight initially)..my girl lost a pound herself..and by the next appt gained it back. She slept through many of her feeding the first week as well..but by about 2-3 weeks or so was so much more awake and alert and I didn't have to try to wake her anymore..she's still an excellent sleeper too. if your pediatrician isnt too worried, I think it will be fine. Just wake him often during the day..and let him sleep at night..lol

Also I am pretty sure I read somewhere that csection infants are a little larger at birth then they would have been, because they swell from the fluids as well..and excess water weight is what they lose that first week (they are born with extra fluid because milk doesn't come in for a few days, and they live on their fluid and colostrum until it does)

When mine was still that little (he's 5 months now) he slept pretty constantly. He'd wake up every 1.5-3 hours for food, around the clock. He only just recently (in the last month, maybe) started sleeping through the night.

Toe tickling works pretty well to keep them awake for feeding. Also just try shifting around positions. It sounds mean, but make them a little too uncomfortable to fall asleep while eating. Not painful uncomfortable, but things like toe tickling, sitting them up a bit more, maybe some light jiggling. Try pumping a bit and giving him a bottle instead of a boob.

Did you ask your pedi about how much he's sleeping at night? I don't think they should be doing it that young. I don't think they should be able to, their stomachs are so tiny!

Yes..it is very normal for a baby to loose weight, and to sleep almost constantly through the day & night. Was he Jaundice? Keep up with the Breast Feeding if that's what you are doing, but maybe supplement with a Formula here & there. My Daughter started sleeping 6 hours a night when she was 2 weeks old, and Chase isn't much younger that that. One of the best ways to know if there are any heart problems, is to look at his lips, fingers & toes when he cries. If there is any blue tint, especially to the lips, he should go to the Hospital. But of course..it's better to let the Doctor determine that. As posted earlier..better to be safe!! Enjoy the sleep!!

You're supposed to wake him up every 3 hours to feed your baby. I set my alarm clock for every 2.5 hours to wake up to feed my babies and make sure they are okay since the deaf baby alarm monitor doesn't work, so I had to use the alarm clock.

If your baby won't wake up, undress him (including diaper if he won't wake up) and tickle him. He will latch on even while still sleeping to nurse. Nurse for about half hour. Both of my babies would never stop nursing, so my doctor gave me timer to use to help reduce spits up.

Send me a PM if you want to talk in private. I will be happy to help you. :smile:

Also I am pretty sure I read somewhere that csection infants are a little larger at birth then they would have been, because they swell from the fluids as well..and excess water weight is what they lose that first week (they are born with extra fluid because milk doesn't come in for a few days, and they live on their fluid and colostrum until it does)

:baby:
You are right ...

But I think I've figured it out... He wasn't eating that much and I wasn't waking him to eat. Now that I know "otherwise", I've made sure I'm waking him and more importantly, I started mixing the formula with bottled water rather than the well water we have here and he's eating a good deal more and more frequently. I do have a weight check on Tuesday and I'm anxious to see if he's gained more weight. Thanks for all the advice !!!

But I think I've figured it out... He wasn't eating that much and I wasn't waking him to eat. Now that I know "otherwise", I've made sure I'm waking him and more importantly, I started mixing the formula with bottled water rather than the well water we have here and he's eating a good deal more and more frequently. I do have a weight check on Tuesday and I'm anxious to see if he's gained more weight. Thanks for all the advice !!!

Is this a "new" way to care for a infant?? Back in the day you didn't have to "wake the baby " to feed it. They wake up when they are hungry. Now when they got too comfortable and fell asleep while eating we would just lightly thump them on the bottom of their feet. They would start sucking again and not even open a eye.
:shakingmyheadindisbelief: I bet you wake the baby up to change its diaper too.....

But I think I've figured it out... He wasn't eating that much and I wasn't waking him to eat. Now that I know "otherwise", I've made sure I'm waking him and more importantly, I started mixing the formula with bottled water rather than the well water we have here and he's eating a good deal more and more frequently. I do have a weight check on Tuesday and I'm anxious to see if he's gained more weight. Thanks for all the advice !!!


That's great! He should be gaining weight in no time. Good luck on Tuesday!

Is this a "new" way to care for a infant?? Back in the day you didn't have to "wake the baby " to feed it. They wake up when they are hungry. Now when they got too comfortable and fell asleep while eating we would just lightly thump them on the bottom of their feet. They would start sucking again and not even open a eye.
:shakingmyheadindisbelief: I bet you wake the baby up to change its diaper too.....

Seriously? Back in "the day" their also was no such thing as bicycle helmets, car seats, and other improvements in child care, does that mean we shouldn't opt to change? :faint::

But I think I've figured it out... He wasn't eating that much and I wasn't waking him to eat. Now that I know "otherwise", I've made sure I'm waking him and more importantly, I started mixing the formula with bottled water rather than the well water we have here and he's eating a good deal more and more frequently. I do have a weight check on Tuesday and I'm anxious to see if he's gained more weight. Thanks for all the advice !!!

You might not HAVE to wake him up to eat... I know a lot of times mine will take a bottle while still passed out. So long as they are sucking, no need to wake 'em up!

It's the times where you KNOW they should be eating more (like they've only eaten a fraction of what they normally do at that time) and have passed out and stopped sucking that you want to tickle, etc to prompt them to eat more. Pediatrician and OB told me at that age you can't overfeed them. If you try, it'll just come right back up.

You might look into some of the online baby communities. I'm a member over on BabyCenter (http://community.babycenter.com). They have different boards depending on when your child was born so you can keep up with lots of other moms who are in the exact same boat as you are! I find it reall helpful for the small stuff, things you don't want to call the pediatrician about. Feeding advice, sleeping advice, strange colored poo advice... just about everything imaginable will come up and somebody has dealt with it before. Plenty of new, first time moms and lots of experienced moms on there as well. They are usually pretty lively communities. Just remember it is the Internet and snark does happen on occasion!

You might not HAVE to wake him up to eat... I know a lot of times mine will take a bottle while still passed out. So long as they are sucking, no need to wake 'em up!

It's the times where you KNOW they should be eating more (like they've only eaten a fraction of what they normally do at that time) and have passed out and stopped sucking that you want to tickle, etc to prompt them to eat more. Pediatrician and OB told me at that age you can't overfeed them. If you try, it'll just come right back up.

You might look into some of the online baby communities. I'm a member over on BabyCenter (http://community.babycenter.com). They have different boards depending on when your child was born so you can keep up with lots of other moms who are in the exact same boat as you are! I find it reall helpful for the small stuff, things you don't want to call the pediatrician about. Feeding advice, sleeping advice, strange colored poo advice... just about everything imaginable will come up and somebody has dealt with it before. Plenty of new, first time moms and lots of experienced moms on there as well. They are usually pretty lively communities. Just remember it is the Internet and snark does happen on occasion!



Thank You ! I will check it out for sure

Thank You ! I will check it out for sure


I run a private forum for moms of little ones, if you're interested. The majority of us have been online together since we were pregnant (several years ago) and many are on their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th pregnancies. We're a tight knit and very supportive community. Many of us have actually met in person several times and developed offline friendships. Again, it's a private forum so the creeps are kept out.

PM me if interested.

Seriously? Back in "the day" their also was no such thing as bicycle helmets, car seats, and other improvements in child care, does that mean we shouldn't opt to change? :faint::

Is this a "new" way to care for a infant?? Back in the day you didn't have to "wake the baby " to feed it. They wake up when they are hungry. Now when they got too comfortable and fell asleep while eating we would just lightly thump them on the bottom of their feet. They would start sucking again and not even open a eye.
:shakingmyheadindisbelief: I bet you wake the baby up to change its diaper too.....

A baby will "wake up on it's own" when hungry. It will also fall asleep during feeding after only taken a small amount of food, that killed the hunger pang. You are creating a habit of being woken and feed every few hours weather the baby is hungry or not. Keep it up. Post back when your child is over weight and wakes up every two hours to be fed at 18 months old and you are exhausted!!:killingme

A baby will "wake up on it's own" when hungry. It will also fall asleep during feeding after only taken a small amount of food, that killed the hunger pang. You are creating a habit of being woken and feed every few hours weather the baby is hungry or not. Keep it up. Post back when your child is over weight and wakes up every two hours to be fed at 18 months old and you are exhausted!!:killingme

I'm gonna have to agree with you here..there were 7 of us that got preggo within a few months of each other..and I am the only one that didn't neurotically wake my baby every 2-3 hours to eat..and monster is one of two that sleep through the night :shrug: (the other is about 2 months older as well) I wouldn't let her go longer than 4 or 5 hours at first because I am nursing and didnt want supply issues...but for the most part let her decide her own schedule..she had a 1 am feeding for probably a month..then dropped it on her own. If it's a preemie or sick baby though then its probably better to wake them..


but like most things this is one of those things that people choose for themselves. but I do know that they try to make you worry and obsess over the most ridiculous things when you have a baby..so many of the moms in my circle obsess over the "amount" their baby drinks and how often..and ask me if I am worried because I don't know how much shes getting..or they obsess over the most minute of milestones and a declare their child a genius or they fear they are delayed because they don't follow things with their eyes at the right week or something. Im lucky I have grounded people around me who give me good common sense advice

A baby will "wake up on it's own" when hungry. It will also fall asleep during feeding after only taken a small amount of food, that killed the hunger pang. You are creating a habit of being woken and feed every few hours weather the baby is hungry or not. Keep it up. Post back when your child is over weight and wakes up every two hours to be fed at 18 months old and you are exhausted!!:killingme

Or better yet, at 4 years old wakes up and raids the kitchen every two hours for food, day and night!!!! Start training your child today.:lmao::lmao:

A baby will "wake up on it's own" when hungry. It will also fall asleep during feeding after only taken a small amount of food, that killed the hunger pang. You are creating a habit of being woken and feed every few hours weather the baby is hungry or not. Keep it up. Post back when your child is over weight and wakes up every two hours to be fed at 18 months old and you are exhausted!!:killingme


Wrong. I woke my child every 3-4 hours to eat. He's almost 4 years old. He's STTN since he was 5 months old and he's skinny as a toothpick.

Wrong. I woke my child every 3-4 hours to eat. He's almost 4 years old. He's STTN since he was 5 months old and he's skinny as a toothpick.

So how did you know that the baby would sleep all night? Forget to wake it up to feed it?:killingme It might of happened sooner if you just left it alone.

A baby will "wake up on it's own" when hungry. It will also fall asleep during feeding after only taken a small amount of food, that killed the hunger pang. You are creating a habit of being woken and feed every few hours weather the baby is hungry or not. Keep it up. Post back when your child is over weight and wakes up every two hours to be fed at 18 months old and you are exhausted!!:killingme

Condescending and arrogant remarks are better received when you at least use spell check.

I was seeking a few words of wisdom as a new mother, not a bunch of sarcasm.

Thanks !

So how did you know that the baby would sleep all night? Forget to wake it up to feed it?:killingme It might of happened sooner if you just left it alone.


Yes, you're right. Some nights I completely forgot that I had a child.

It's obvious you're clueless.

Yes, you're right. Some nights I completely forgot that I had a child.

It's obvious you're clueless.

NO, It's obvious you're clueless.

I'm gonna have to agree with you here..there were 7 of us that got preggo within a few months of each other..and I am the only one that didn't neurotically wake my baby every 2-3 hours to eat..and monster is one of two that sleep through the night :shrug: (the other is about 2 months older as well) I wouldn't let her go longer than 4 or 5 hours at first because I am nursing and didnt want supply issues...but for the most part let her decide her own schedule..she had a 1 am feeding for probably a month..then dropped it on her own. If it's a preemie or sick baby though then its probably better to wake them..


but like most things this is one of those things that people choose for themselves. but I do know that they try to make you worry and obsess over the most ridiculous things when you have a baby..so many of the moms in my circle obsess over the "amount" their baby drinks and how often..and ask me if I am worried because I don't know how much shes getting..or they obsess over the most minute of milestones and a declare their child a genius or they fear they are delayed because they don't follow things with their eyes at the right week or something. Im lucky I have grounded people around me who give me good common sense advice

You are doing very well for a first-time momma! :huggy:

It's Tuesday..how did the weight check go?? I'm sure that he's just fine. As far as sarcastic Posts go..just ignore them. It's all about Trial & Error, and ALL new Mother's have to come up with their own plan. So just roll with it, and enjoy the time while they are little. The first few weeks of being a new Mom can be scarey, but eventually you'll get the hang of it, and things will run smooth.:baby:

Okay, I'm an obvious first time mother... :-)

Congratulations.


Is it normal for my 8 day old baby to sleep so much??
I'm talking like 80-85% of the time, he's passed out !!!

Yup.

All my ninjae slept like that when they were little. There were a couple of times - even with my little guy, after I had been through it twice already - I felt the need to hold a mirror under his nose... just to be sure.

They just came out of a dark cavern where there was literally nothing else to do but sleep and shift around. There's a transition phase where they go from a barely conscious parasite to a cute little nipper that eyeballs you when you're making googley noises.

And being a baby is boring. They can't understand you, they don't even realize what your face is. They don't know they have hands and the little fish on the mobile are only entertaining for a minute or two. So if they're not eating, there's nothing to do but go on back to sleep.

It'll get better.



I have a feeling that somewhere between 30 and 60 days from now, you're going to be wishing that the baby would sleep like this again.

This feeling will last for about 4-5 years or so, disappear when your kids become really fun to play with - and will return when they turn 12 or so.

It's Tuesday..how did the weight check go?? I'm sure that he's just fine. As far as sarcastic Posts go..just ignore them. It's all about Trial & Error, and ALL new Mother's have to come up with their own plan. So just roll with it, and enjoy the time while they are little. The first few weeks of being a new Mom can be scarey, but eventually you'll get the hang of it, and things will run smooth.:baby:

Agree with everything you said. It can be scary for a little while when you're a new Mom, especially if you have no family in the area like I don't. My little boy is now 2 yrs old. My Mom was down from NY for a couple weeks after he was born. She still laughs about me asking her, "so this is really all he's gonna do?" :killingme Yep.....they sleep A LOT, they eat, they wet/poop a million times a day and they cry. And they do lose a little weight after being born and should gain it back quickly.

Agree with everything you said. It can be scary for a little while when you're a new Mom, especially if you have no family in the area like I don't. My little boy is now 2 yrs old. My Mom was down from NY for a couple weeks after he was born. She still laughs about me asking her, "so this is really all he's gonna do?" :killingme Yep.....they sleep A LOT, they eat, they wet/poop a million times a day and they cry. And they do lose a little weight after being born and should gain it back quickly.

You are very lucky to have your Mother, even though she lives in N.Y. When I had my first Child 38 years ago, my Mother was deceased. I had no one I could talk too, other than my Mother-in-Law, who was really GREAT support. But there's nothing like having your own Mom to talk too.

You are very lucky to have your Mother, even though she lives in N.Y. When I had my first Child 38 years ago, my Mother was deceased. I had no one I could talk too, other than my Mother-in-Law, who was really GREAT support. But there's nothing like having your own Mom to talk too.

I can imagine that was hard for you. I lost my Dad while I was pregnant so he never got to be a grandpa which breaks my heart. I guess when you think of having a baby, it's just normal to envision your parents being there to enjoy their grandbaby and to give you advice as needed.

Yes, it was great having my Mom here and she visits often because Long Island is only 5.5 hrs away. She's retired and always happy to see her only grandbaby. She recently got to experience the beginning of my son's terrible two's because she stayed with us for 7 weeks for surgery/recovery. I think a big part of her was probably happy to leave this time! :killingme

I can imagine that was hard for you. I lost my Dad while I was pregnant so he never got to be a grandpa which breaks my heart. I guess when you think of having a baby, it's just normal to envision your parents being there to enjoy their grandbaby and to give you advice as needed.

Yes, it was great having my Mom here and she visits often because Long Island is only 5.5 hrs away. She's retired and always happy to see her only grandbaby. She recently got to experience the beginning of my son's terrible two's because she stayed with us for 7 weeks for surgery/recovery. I think a big part of her was probably happy to leave this time! :killingme

You ,and Mom are very LUCKY to have each other! ENJOY the MOMENT!

Baby Chase is sleeping like a champ... IN HIS CRIB (although I did buy one of those changing pads, covered it with a soft snuggley blanket put it on the crib mattress and he sleeps in that)
We usually put him to bed at like 11-12 and he's up around 6 or 7 a.m. and he's up to 9.9 lbs !!


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Baby Chase is sleeping like a champ... IN HIS CRIB (although I did buy one of those changing pads, covered it with a soft snuggley blanket put it on the crib mattress and he sleeps in that)
We usually put him to bed at like 11-12 and he's up around 6 or 7 a.m. and he's up to 9.9 lbs !!


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:yay: awesome! and I see he is growing good and you are spared having to wake him up all the time! Baby girl was going to bed at 11 ish..but I started moving it back, and she didnt get up earlier like I thought..she just slept longer..woohoo..now we wind down and sleep between 8 and 9..and best yet, she sleeps in with me on weekends ..she gets up has "breakfast" then goes back to sleepw ith me. shes a doll. Im glad you get some sleep too!