Breastfeeding the first few days

During the first two to three days, the baby will mostly likely be sleepy. He does not know he is supposed to eat because of the nine months he received nutrition through the umbilical cord. Even though the baby is not really hungry, he needs to eat every 2-3 hours. The baby will go through periods of light sleep (which occur between 2-3 hours). Some of the things you may notice during a light sleep state will be small movements, grunting noises, rooting, hands to mouth, sticking out tongue or sucking motions. This is the best time to wake the baby and attempt a feeding.

In order to wake the baby, you have to remove the blankets! Who likes to wake up when you are snuggly warm in your blankets! Next check/change the diaper. After changing the diaper, place the baby in a sitting position and burp. This will usually cause them to open their eyes and become more alert. I have found that babies wake better with the lights dimmed. They have been in the dark for nine months and my eyes would hurt too if someone turned the light on too bright! Usually theses techniques will help to wake the baby and increase their interest in sucking.