My baby is constantly waking to feed. How can I prevent this?

It’s common for newborns between birth and 4 months, to wake every 2-3 or even 4 hours to eat. Hopefully, by 4-8 weeks, babies can go longer and longer!

In fact, if your 1-month-old is still waking every 3 hours at night, it may be a sign of a growth spurt…but it may also be because they are not getting enough calories during the day. The latter can happen if Mom is not making enough milk (check with your doctor), your baby is only nursing from one breast during a feed; your baby gets too distracted during the meal (the sights and sounds of the day are too exciting), or naps last more than 2 hours at a time. 

Below are some tips you can try to help your baby sleep longer at night: 

1. Offer more daytime feedings and alternate breasts every 5-7 minutes 
2. Reduce distractions during feedings
3. Try introducing a Dream Feed or a Cluster Feed to your evening routine
4. If your baby is fussy within an hour of a meal, feed again—they may need a little more milk
5. Wake your baby for a feed if their nap lasts for more than 2 hours (you can lull them back to sleep after the feeding)

When trying out these tips, make sure you test out one consistently for a week before switching up your routine! It may take a couple of days for a young baby to catch up on those calories, and sleep soundly again.

Happiest Baby does not provide medical advice. Please seek the advice of your
healthcare provider if you have questions regarding a medical issue.