For some reason I feel like this piece of knowledge is this weird secret that only gets passed to some moms and not others … or not until it’s too late and they’re several weeks in to their exhaustion… I know I didn’t hear it until a few days later than I wished.
I think there is some debate on this topic, and I totally agree that waking them every 3 hours is important … until they regain their birth weight. After that, stop.
Until you’ve actually done it, you never fully understand the gruel and horror that is setting your alarm clock for every 3 hours all night long. Because part of the misunderstanding is that you are sleeping between those alarms. HA! Not quite. You are feeding a baby, which in my case, was a good 45 min process, plus a diaper change, plus the time it takes you to fall back asleep. You’re praying for an hour and a half of sleep between.
Brutal.
So stop the madness, and stop waking up your baby once they’ve regained their birth weight.
Not so fast
Of course, that doesn’t mean they might not still wake up every 3 hours. They probably will, out of habit. But there’s a difference between waking up to a crying baby and waking up to your alarm clock. But at least you’re giving them a shot to stretch it out further, before it’s really ingrained in their rhythms.
I read various opinions on this topic – some said to wake them up every 4 or 5 hours after they’ve regained their birth weight, some said not to wake them up. But, if they are thriving and gaining weight, I really believe in not waking them at night. This will help them learn to connect their sleep cycles and sleep through the night faster. And, help YOU get rest so you can be the best mom you can be.
Two Cent Tip
Invest in blackout shades for the baby’s room AND for your room (or a sleep mask). In those early morning hours, when the sun was rising but you still needed to go back to sleep (and needed your baby to still think it was nighttime), they’re crucial.
