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WAKING A SLEEPY BABY |
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Babies are often sleepy
during the first week or so. They may not awaken often enough to
feed. Remember, newborns need to eat 8 - 12 times in every 24
hours or once the feeding has begun, they may fall asleep again.
Here are a few suggestions for waking your baby. Some work better
on certain babies than others. When one stops working try
another. |
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Undress the baby to his
diaper to cool him off slightly |
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Rub and massage the baby
in various spots |
- Top of the head
- Bottom of the feet
- Up and down the
spine
- Across the belly
- Up and down the arm
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Change position of the baby
from cradle hold to football hold and back again
Change the baby's diaper
Talk to the baby
Try adjusting room lights
up for stimulation or down so the baby can comfortably open his eyes
Apply a cool washcloth to
the baby's head, stomach or back. Do not let the baby become chilled.
Premature infants chill more easily than term infants |
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Lactation
Education Resources, Bethesda, MD 2000 |
