How to wake up a newborn

Waking up in the morning is sometimes a rather difficult process for an adult. Can you imagine how difficult it is for a child to get out of a warm bed? Moreover, the parents are endlessly disturbing, demanding something, rushing somewhere. But he doesn’t want to get up at all, and he does everything through force, as they say, “under pressure.” And the parents begin to get nervous, begin to raise their voices or even scream. And what happens as a result of such a procedure? After such an awakening, both the parents and the child are in a bad mood from the very morning. Let's start the morning pleasantly for the whole family, let's find out how to wake up a child “painlessly.”

How to wake up a newborn - 15 easy ways

Maternal instinct tells us to encourage and protect babies' sleep, since normally all newborns sleep as much as they want and wake up independently at those moments when they need such a need (for example, the need to eat).

And this practice is really good for all mammals - after all, in nature, babies are born in natural conditions without the use of a large number of medications during and after childbirth, and also are not separated from their mother after their birth more than what nature intended for their biological species.

However, for human babies things are a little different. Nature does not provide for the amount of medications that some children receive during birth - for example, when epidural anesthesia is used during childbirth, its side effect can be unusual drowsiness of the newborn. Also, the problem of long sleeps and difficult awakenings may be relevant for premature and low birth weight babies, babies with elevated bilirubin and babies who were separated from their mother in the first few days after birth (away from their mother, newborn babies can go into the so-called “energy saving mode”). . And if there is no mother or other caring adult next to such little sleepyheads who would help them build their sleep schedule and “remind” them that it’s time to eat, then the baby may receive insufficient nutrition and quickly lose strength. In this case, with rare independent awakenings, the baby may not suck as actively as before, receive little milk, lose even more strength and wake up even less often. A certain vicious circle develops, the way out of which is to wake the baby up if necessary at the discretion of the parents.

Is it necessary to wake up the baby for feeding?

If the baby wakes up less than once every 3 hours, but is in good physical contact with the mother, is gaining weight well, sucks enthusiastically while latching on to the breast and has a sufficient number of urinations and normal bowel movements - then this is probably the sleep pattern and wakefulness is its individual feature, and in this case the mother should not worry, but devote the freed time to her additional rest. Otherwise, it is better to help the baby wake up at least once every three hours during the day, and at least 2-3 times at night until the baby independently enters a mode that will allow him to feel good and gain weight well . The optimal regimen for each specific situation will be determined by the doctor observing the baby or a lactation consultant.

With all this, the mother should also pay attention to the condition of her breasts - since feeding on demand implies mutual “demands” of the mother and baby, then very full or painful breasts are also a reason to wake up the baby for an “extraordinary” latching on the breast at the request of the mother.

How to wake up a baby who doesn't want to wake up?

Of course, methods of awakening are very individual - different babies will react to them differently. By experimenting, every mother will find the most gentle and effective way to wake up her baby and maintain his interest in feeding until his drowsiness passes.

The best time to wake up your baby is when he is in REM sleep. In this phase, you can see rapid eye movements under the baby's closed eyelids, spontaneous movements of the arms and legs, lip movements (including sucking movements) and changes in the expression of the little face.

Try some of the following tips – which ones will help you?

If there is bright light in the room, dim it (it is much easier for children to keep their eyes open when they don’t have to squint);
Uncover the baby - remove the blanket or diaper;
Undress the baby down to the diaper if the room is very warm (sucking activity decreases at temperatures above 27°C);
Talk to the child, try to establish eye contact with him;
Take the child in your arms vertically in a “column”;
Ensure skin-to-skin contact by holding your baby gently to your chest;
Or vice versa - put the child away from you on the bed (many children wake up when they stop feeling their mother nearby);
Place your baby on his or her back on a flat, firm surface (a bed or soft carpeting may be too soft to wake up);
Use gentle rubbing movements to massage your baby's feet and hands. Stroke or give a light patting massage to the back;
Very carefully twist the baby from the left side to the right side and back;
Move your finger over your baby's lips in a circular motion.

If these methods do not help, you can try more active methods of awakening:

Wipe your baby's forehead and cheeks with a cool, damp sponge or diaper;
Change baby's diaper;
Try washing your baby under running warm water;
Express some colostrum or milk directly into your baby's mouth and wait until he swallows the small amount before expressing more.

However, after waking up, the baby may still be quite sleepy and not show much interest in sucking, or even try to fall back to sleep at the breast. Therefore, in order to support your baby’s sucking activity, try the following:

Make sure that the breast does not put pressure on the baby's face (support it with your hand);
Use breast compression technique to help milk flow more easily;
Change breasts every time the baby begins to lose interest in sucking (suitable for babies in the first days of life; for older children, consult a breastfeeding specialist);
Sometimes feeding in the underarm position (" footballer position ") helps the baby stay active and nurse longer than the crib or prone position;
Lightly stroke your baby's head in a circular motion while you breastfeed.

Please note that infants may doze off during feedings - especially in the cradle position or lying next to mom. This is normal and does not prevent babies from getting enough milk - after all, in the end, our goal is not so much to definitely wake up the baby, but to feed him on time. Therefore, if you feel that your baby is sucking smoothly and steadily with his eyes closed, just relax and enjoy feeding!

Call a consultant Do you have any questions? +7 (812) 956-3-954

Bibliography:

Newman, J. & Pitman, T. The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers. Roseville, California: Prima 2000
The womanly art of breastfeeding . – 8th ed. / Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman, 2010

Alena Korotkova, clinical psychologist, lactation consultant

Alena Lukyanchuk, psychologist, lactation consultant

How to wake up a child in February without harm to health

Get ready in the evening

If the child is still small, pack it yourself; if he is conscientious, motivate him to take independent actions the day before: prepare a uniform, collect textbooks, put the backpack in a visible place so that you don’t have to look for it in a hurry in the morning. If the preparations are organized, the mood will deteriorate less.

Massage your heels and palms

They have a lot of nerve endings, and their stimulation energizes the entire body. We rub our palms together, work on each finger, you can rub your earlobes, tickle them a little. Give the massage softly and affectionately, with hugs, and the baby will reach out to meet you.

Let me lie in bed

It is estimated that children do not wake up immediately - it takes about 10-15 minutes for a child to fully awaken. Let him lie around a little more and stretch after the alarm rings and his mother’s affectionate kiss. These precious few minutes will become the time when all metabolic processes will smoothly return to normal, blood circulation will be restored, and the cardiovascular and respiratory systems will begin to operate at full capacity.

Turn on the bright light

Do this also not immediately shouting “It’s time to get up,” but gradually: 15 minutes before getting up, light the night light, 10 minutes before adding a table lamp, then turn on the overhead light. The fact is that a baby’s consistently bad mood in autumn and winter may be a symptom that his active period does not coincide with daylight hours. This means that the daylight hours need to be changed (the active period is more difficult for a schoolchild to correct). Gradually adding light will simulate a sunrise. And bright lighting will suppress the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, and vice versa, stimulate the production of anti-stress hormones.

Turn on upbeat music

Only one that you yourself will want to dance to. This background plus dance gymnastics will add energy to the morning. At least for your morning. And the child will most likely get up just to turn off “that noise.”

Feed him some sweets

Not all children will agree to eat the ideal porridge for breakfast. Therefore, leave it until the weekend, and on weekdays prepare sweet yogurt, sweet tea or cereal with milk. “Fast” carbohydrates mobilize the body, and your mood will immediately improve. By the way, to make your baby feel hungry in the morning, reduce the evening portion. And don’t forget about vitamins - preferably in the form of fresh fruit.

Create a morning schedule

Point by point, list on paper the actions that you will have to perform in the morning: wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, etc. For the little ones, draw a schedule in pictures and follow it, saying the importance of each step.

Allow me a little pampering

For example, one cartoon. But this cartoon should be an encouragement for perfectly completed schedule items (see above). When unloved activities (brush your teeth, get dressed) are interspersed with pleasant ones (eat breakfast, play), it becomes easier to do the unloved ones. Do not succumb to childish manipulations and do not swap the pleasant and the important. Be decisive, otherwise this rule will lose its meaning.

Try to interest

When we are interested, we wake up instantly. Therefore, figure out what you can do to interest your preschooler. For example, complain that the slippers ran away at night and offer to look for them (the slippers, of course, need to be hidden first). Or use the upcoming New Year's holiday as a reason to organize an Advent calendar: the thought that every morning something tasty or a toy is hidden under the picture window will inspire your child to get up early.

Do not be angry

The smaller the child, the slower he gets ready. But he is even more sensitive to the tone of his mother, who is nervous, in a hurry, and raising her voice. The child unwittingly begins to copy adults and express his dissatisfaction in response. Try to contain your emotions and spend the morning calmly.

How to raise a child in the morning?

A child is still a small person, but his small body works physiologically in the same way as that of an adult. I think this is clear to everyone. Remember yourself in the morning. After the alarm clock rings, you, an adult, need some time to “wake up” your body. For some, one minute is enough, and for others, all 10-15 minutes. Why, having entered the room and told him: “Wake up!”, do you expect him to immediately get to his feet and go get ready?! So, speaking about how to wake up a child better, I would like to dwell on the following, so to speak, rules:

Under no circumstances should you wake up abruptly. During sleep, the body rests, all vital functions are slow. Therefore, it takes about 15 minutes to simply wake up the child’s body.
Therefore, in order to wake up for school or kindergarten, and in no case do not suddenly turn on the light in the child’s room, do not demand that he immediately get out of bed and go wash his face and have breakfast right away. Remember that your baby needs 15 minutes to transition from sleep to wakefulness.
If you don't have enough time, wake up early for the same 15 minutes.
Many people love to be hugged by their parents, simply stroked on their legs, arms, and back. You can give a massage to wake up the baby.

How to wake up a child with a massage?

Massage is the most harmless and most pleasant way to wake up a child in the morning. I wish someone would wake me up like that. So, let's start doing the massage.

Take the child's hands in your hands and rub his palms together. The palms contain many biologically active points, awakening which you wake up the entire body as a whole.

Now use your fingers to massage each of your baby's toes and hands.

You can lightly rub your child's earlobes with your fingers.

Then run your palms over the baby’s face, as if washing him.

From such touches your baby will wake up faster. Agree, a small massage in the morning is more pleasant than a sharp shake. To wake up your child, lightly rub his feet and hands. To ensure that these touches are not soporific, but invigorating, lightly tickle him or quickly run your fingers over his arms and legs.

How to wake up a child in a good mood?

Of course, you can wake up a child. But how can you make sure that he wakes up in a good mood? After all, sometimes it depends on how the whole day goes. There are small tricks on how to wake up a child in a good mood, thought out by experienced parents:

You can come up with some incentive to wake him up faster. For example, you can invite your child to prepare a toy or book that he wants to take with him to kindergarten. To wake up a child, you can tell him that his favorite cartoon is starting on TV or his favorite song is about to start on the radio. Just remember that the song or cartoon must actually start. I don't think you need to explain why.
An offer to look for something in the apartment will help to wake up the baby and help him get out of bed. You can, for example, say that at night his slippers ran away and hid and need to be found. You can tell your child that his favorite fairy-tale character came to your house at night and we will prepare a surprise for him, but he hid it somewhere. Again, the child must definitely find something interesting in the apartment. Otherwise, next time the child simply won’t believe you.
If you have a pet in the house, you can bring it into the child's room and start talking to it, gradually including the child in the conversation. The fact that his favorite animal is nearby will help him wake up and he can be petted. To wake up a child, you can say: “Look how Murzik has grown overnight!” or “Murzik’s tail seems to have become longer.” These words will interest the child, and he will open his eyes.
The most important thing about how to wake up a child in a good mood is to not argue with your child over trifles in the morning. Morning is not the best time to sort things out in the family. Smile and talk to your child in a gentle, soft voice, this will improve your mood.
In order not only to wake up your baby, but also to charge him with energy for the whole day, you need to prepare the right breakfast for him.