Did You Wake Your Baby to Feed Them?

[SydSim]

Newborn babies (first few weeks) can be extremely sleepy. My patients think that if the baby has been sleeping for the past 8 hours, then he couldn't possibly need to eat. He may not feel hungry, but newborns do need to eat. Now don't get me wrong, many, many newborns will go for long stretches of time without eating anything, and will be absolutely fine. But, many newborns will start to lose too much weight and pee/poop less if they aren't fed frequently. So, babies are different (which is why you have so many different opinions and responses) Heck, one of the tell tale signs of low blood sugar in a newborn is that they act sleepy or sluggish.

Once a breastfeeding mom's milk is fully in and a good nursing pattern is established, most babies do not need to be awakened during the night if they sleep. Just my professional opinion - your nursing breasts make think otherwise I know I woke my daughter because I needed engorgement relief!

 

[sbell111]

Tell ya what...come back in 26 years..and you have some parenting experience under your belt..and I am sure you will change your tune about doing whatever your doctor tells you to do!!

A new parent to a first child is a very different person in all sorts of ways then a parent of a second..third or so forth child. Experience gives you a world full of expericence.

Leave the door open to common sense, and what feels right or wrong to you as a parent. And trust me...trust your "gut" and your wife's about your child.

As I read through the thread, I was surprised at how rude your post was. Then, I backed up and took note of who wrote it. It really wasn't a surprise after all.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I can't agree more! I've learned more in the past 13 years than I've ever learned before. Just because a medical professionals tells you something, doesn't make it a fact, or good for your family. Many nurses and doctors, you find, have different opinions on different matters - even in the same practice!
And after having a baby for a few weeks, you realize why they use sleep deprivation as a means of torture, because it certainly is!

I think this is the best piece of advice. That and not every doctor got an A.
Some doctors say get rid of the bottle at a year old, some say that it's okay that your 3 year old doesn't talk, some say rice cereal at a week old, some say no food until 9 months old.
It is some fact with a lot of opinion. I would never advise anyone to trust their doctors blindly. They are people with opinions as well and they cannot be experts on every subject.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

My baby beefcake weighed 9 lbs 13 ounces at birth and let me know loud and clear when he was hungry. I never had to wake him to eat and I never would have since he was healthy and growing.

Like many have said, unless your child is unhealthy or low weight it is probably not necessary to wake an infant to eat.

Julie Chin is very petite and never got too big during her pregnancy so I wouldn't be surprised if her son is on the smaller side. I suspect that's the reason for having to wake him.

Parenting is so intuitive. It really involves relying on what you know is best. Parents truly do know the most about their children. Doctors are there to advise, but I certainly don't do everything they say. For example, many doctors advise against practices like co-sleeping, which was really special in our household. Thankfully I have a supportive doctor who never told me what to do, but that is not always the case.

 

[sbell111]

Parenting is so intuitive. It really involves relying on what you know is best. Parents truly do know the most about their children.

I find that statements like that one and the all-too-popular "trust your intuition" tend to lead people into trouble as often as they lead them out of it.

 

[mjkacmom]

As I read through the thread, I was surprised at how rude your post was. Then, I backed up and took note of who wrote it. It really wasn't a surprise after all.

Why is this post rude? I think it's very important for new parents to learn not to blindly follow the advice of doctors. I think many of us have had a few situations where the doctor was wrong (mine told me my 18 month old had no language because he was a twin, when in fact he had weak mouth muscles that needed therapy, and than he in no way had torticollis, which the pediatric neurosurgeon diagnosed later, and he received PT).

I also think we go into parenthood with ideas of how we're going to do things, which can fly right out the window when we replace them with "whatever works," especially during the first few months (my sister never dreamed her babies would be sleeping in their carseats for a couple of months, but they did).

 

[KAMKIM]

As I read through the thread, I was surprised at how rude your post was. Then, I backed up and took note of who wrote it. It really wasn't a surprise after all.

I didn't think it was rude at all. It was the truth. Once you get some experience you will understand that sometimes your doctor does not know what is best. He/she wont know that child like you will. You'll see.

 

[KAMKIM]

Why is this post rude? I think it's very important for new parents to learn not to blindly follow the advice of doctors. I think many of us have had a few situations where the doctor was wrong (mine told me my 18 month old had no language because he was a twin, when in fact he had weak mouth muscles that needed therapy, and than he in no way had torticollis, which the pediatric neurosurgeon diagnosed later, and he received PT).

I also think we go into parenthood with ideas of how we're going to do things, which can fly right out the window when we replace them with "whatever works," especially during the first few months (my sister never dreamed her babies would be sleeping in their carseats for a couple of months, but they did).

Great post! You can read every parenting book and take all the classes. You can even have years of experience even with children. Once it becomes your child, everything changes.

 

[KAMKIM]

I find that statements like that one and the all-too-popular "trust your intuition" tend to lead people into trouble as often as they lead them out of it.

Typically your intuition will not lead you into trouble when it comes to your child.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I didn't think it was rude at all. It was the truth. Once you get some experience you will understand that sometimes your doctor does not know what is best. He/she wont know that child like you will. You'll see.

Great post! You can read every parenting book and take all the classes. You can even have years of experience even with children. Once it becomes your child, everything changes.

Exactly!
I had a doctor more than once misdiagnose my children. Once resulted in a visit to Urgent Care because the doctor blew me off and thought I was just a silly Mom and the other time resulted in a rush visit to the ER because once again the doctor did not believe me. That was a very scary ER visit. I obviously no longer use that doctor.
Don't kid yourself into thinking your doctor knows it all. They are not God.
Parents do know their kids best. A doctor only knows the child for the brief moments that they see them.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I find that statements like that one and the all-too-popular "trust your intuition" tend to lead people into trouble as often as they lead them out of it.

I find that people who blindly believe a doctor without doing any research of their own often find themselves in trouble. YMMV.

 

[sbell111]

Typically your intuition will not lead you into trouble when it comes to your child.

Then how do you explain the threads about people who damage their kids in various surprising ways? Obviously, those parents were following their 'intuition'.

 

[sbell111]

I find that people who blindly believe a doctor without doing any research of their own often find themselves in trouble. YMMV.

You and I are in agreement. Random internet strangers in an unrelated forum, however, is not 'research'.

 

[KAMKIM]

Then how do you explain the threads about people who damage their kids in various surprising ways? Obviously, those parents were following their 'intuition'.

Obviously those parents WERE NOT following their intuition.

 

[KAMKIM]

You and I are in agreement. Random internet strangers in an unrelated forum, however, is not 'research'.

I dont believe anyone on here would give advice to anyone that would purposely hurt their children - even though we're all random internet strangers. All we can say is yeah I did this and my kids are fine. This is no different than asking some of your girlfriends or co workers for parental advice.

 

[sbell111]

Obviously those parents WERE NOT following their intuition.

You're arguing that people should always follow their intuition, but that they should identify those times when those feelings are wrong? I doubt this is possible.

I dont believe anyone on here would give advice to anyone that would purposely hurt their children - even though we're all random internet strangers. All we can say is yeah I did this and my kids are fine. This is no different than asking some of your girlfriends or co workers for parental advice.

Interesting. When I shared that we were told that it is a good idea to wake the child, you not only did not accept that post in the spirit it was given, you stated that the professionals teaching the class actually lied to us. Heck, even when I offered that the fact that people disagree on this doesn't mean that either are wrong, you continued to deride any opinions that differed from yours.

Strange.

 

[KAMKIM]

You're arguing that people should always follow their intuition, but that they should identify those times when those feelings are wrong? I doubt this is possible.

Interesting. When I shared that we were told that it is a good idea to wake the child, you not only did not accept that post in the spirit it was given, you stated that the professionals teaching the class actually lied to us. Heck, even when I offered that the fact that people disagree on this doesn't mean that either are wrong, you continued to deride any opinions that differed from yours.

Strange.

Good luck with your baby!

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I find that statements like that one and the all-too-popular "trust your intuition" tend to lead people into trouble as often as they lead them out of it.

When you have a healthy, beautiful, smart three year old like I do, we'll talk.

Talking about parenting and actually parenting are two totally different things.

 

[KAMKIM]

When you have a healthy, beautiful, smart three year old like I do, we'll talk.

Talking about parenting and actually parenting are two totally different things.

 

[sbell111]

When you have a healthy, beautiful, smart three year old like I do, we'll talk.

Talking about parenting and actually parenting are two totally different things.

It took alot of nerve to write a post like that. It presumes that no one can give an opinion on anything unless they have walked in your shoes. It's shocking that you throw out this type of post without ever knowing the background of any of it's readers.

It's a lazy debate tactic and it does nothing to forward your position.

Also, it should be noted that the point that you are arguing isn't even about parenting, per se. It is about whether an individual should act solely on intuition. Given that plenty of examples of bad parenting can be easily given, I put forth the position that acting solely based on intuition is, at best, flawed. Your reply does nothing to challenge my position.