low birth weight

[sherri1357]

My granddaughter is 7 days old she weighs 5.13    but when you start to feed her she goes to sleep and its not a heavy sleep its like she is taking a quit nap what should we be doing

[margypops]

It is very common for babies to nod off in between nursing, the best way it to move them around so they wake up again ..it takes a bit longer that's all, as your dd is pumping off and she is getting the milk in the bottle that's okay as long as she is thriving ,.early and breech makes no difference ..

[sherri1357]

she was born early . because she was breech but shes doing better now thank you again. I was  just a worried grandma

[sherri1357]

Thank you she just seems uninterested in the breast so she is pumping and and the baby is taking that   she seems to be doing better keeps her mom on her toes. . thanks again

[amye_mt]

Was she born early? This is not uncommon in preemies. You must wake her up and make sure she eats. If you are bottle feeding, you can measure exactly how much she takes at a time. If you can keep her on a feeding schedule it would be easier. As long as the amounts she eats increases and she is gaining weight you are doing well. If she does not gain weight, you will have to be more forceful about getting her to stay awake long enough to eat. I remember that my middle son did this and we had to practically strip him naked to make him cold enough to wake up and eat. It was fine after the first month. He gained weight and started demanding feedings. New babies are a wonderful blessing and it is hard not to hover and worry over every little thing. You are right to be concerned. Monitor her progress and make sure she is going in the right direction. Congratulations on your wonderful new granddaughter!

[adgal]

Hi there.  My son was also a low birthweight...4lb 14oz.  Wanted to let you know he is now a healthy happy 2 1/2 year old, so try not to worry too much.

Newborns of all sizes tend to fall asleep quickly on the breast or the bottle.  Sucking is a soothing action for them and also can tire them very very quickly.  Also remember that in early days they tend to feed small amounts frequently.  So, is she eating at all?  How often is she feeding?  They say the average size baby eats about every 3 hours.  I found with my child it was more like every hour at the beginning and only for very short spurts.  Exhausting yes, but that is what he needed.

If she is not taking anything at all in, then as she starts to drift off you can take a coolish cloth and gently wipe her face with it.  Don't make it too cold as you don't want to startle her awake, just keep her up through her feed.  I also found that gently rubbing my son's feet worked well.

You may find though that she is doing just fine.  I think most of us feel our newborns may not be getting enough, but you can tell by how often her diaper is wet (it should be heavy and wet every 3 or 4 hours).  And of course weight gain, her color, etc. are all good indicators.  If concerned talk to her Dr., but you may very well find she is doing just fine.  Babies do a wonderful job of regulating what they need and instinct usually prevents them from going hungry.

Congrats on your new grandchild, and all the best to you!