Your newborn’s needs
Feeding and sleeping are the two things on your newborn baby’s mind – usually in that order! Trying to balance the two and working out which one your baby needs more at any one time, is how you’ll spend most of your time in the first few weeks as a new mum. But as you get used to your new life with your baby, you’ll find that creating a feeding and sleeping routine will make life easier in the months to come.
Your newborn’s feeding needs
You should start beginning breastfeeding within half an hour of your baby being born. Feeding your baby will take up a lot of your time in the first few days. It’s a learning process for both you and your baby which will change from day to day and as your newborn grows. Just remember that while your baby will be the one in the driving seat when it comes to feeding, there are ways to encourage a routine which suits both of you.
Day 1 – Your newborn might only seem enthusiastic about feeding a couple of hours after being born and take little interest after that. But it’s important you encourage them to feed at least every 2-3 hours throughout the day for the first few days.
Day 2 – Neither you or your baby are expected to get it perfect straight away! As a guide, feeding every 1.5 to 3 hours – making up around 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours – is best.
3–4 days – Your milk will have “come in”, baby is latching well and you might find your baby seems much more satisfied after feeding once you reach this stage. You will notice some changes in your baby’s nappy too!
5–28 days – You will both hopefully be finding feeding a lot easier by now. As a guide, 6-8 times in 24 hours for 10 to 20 minutes on each breast is quite normal.
If you are concerned that your baby isn’t feeding regularly enough, then it might help to make a chart by writing every hour from midnight to 11pm down one side and the days of the week across the top. Tick the chart at the points when you feed your baby. You could even add columns for a wet or a dirty nappy. Soon you will see a pattern which will help you to understand your newborn baby’s needs. However it is most important to stay relaxed so try not to add too much to your busy schedule.
Your newborn baby’s sleeping needs
For most of us, sleep is a time to process all of the information our senses have uploaded throughout the day, so it’s no wonder your baby is always nodding off! Newborn babies aren’t built for long stretches of sleep; and the constant rounds of up-and-down, asleep and awake can be stressful for both of you. Don’t worry – there are things you can do to make it easier on the both of you:
- Your baby will need to take little naps throughout the day. By making the most of those precious moments when your baby is asleep, you can catch up on much needed rest too!
- By learning to read your baby and recognise the signs of tiredness, soon you will notice your baby’s own tell-tale signs, then you can settle them down at just the right time.
- When it comes to night-time, close the curtains and create peace and quiet throughout the house. Keep excitement and play-voices to a minimum and switch on the night-light rather than the main one. A bedtime routine – like a bath followed by a story – can help your baby to recognise the end of daytime and the beginning of night.