Excessive Night Feedings?

So I'm currently rooming in with Ryan in the hospital right now.. we're going home in a couple hours (around 10am) yay! But obviously as a first time mom, I don't know much about night feedings. They're having me wake Ryan up every 3 hours to feed him, and we literally have to coax him (tickle him, move him around, etc..) in order to wake him up to eat, and then we have to continue coaxing him so he'll stay awake.I just have never ever heard of waking a baby up to feed them. Is this just something I've never heard of that alot of y'all do or is it just something stupid the hospital is wanting me to do? I'm at a loss here.

In the hospital you do what they say or they think you are a bad mom. At home, no, let them sleep. Baylee slept all night the first 2 nghts home and then she woke up once a night. Her pedicatrician said to wake her up if she has not woken up after 5 hours. So just let your baby sleep as long as possible

Quoting Proud Army Girlfriend:“ In the hospital you do what they say or they think you are a bad mom. At home, no, let them sleep. Baylee ... [snip!] ... Her pedicatrician said to wake her up if she has not woken up after 5 hours. So just let your baby sleep as long as possible”

also, I heard of someone who got their baby taken from them at the hospital for not feeding the baby, so just feed your baby like they tell you to while you are there

Quoting Proud Army Girlfriend:“ In the hospital you do what they say or they think you are a bad mom. At home, no, let them sleep. Baylee ... [snip!] ... Her pedicatrician said to wake her up if she has not woken up after 5 hours. So just let your baby sleep as long as possible”

Yeah, I'm definately doing everything they tell me I just wasn't sure if it was something I still needed to do at home or if it was just crap they feed you while you're here. I mean this poor kid literally is completely asleep while I'm prying his mouth open trying to feed him, I hate it!! So it's definately gonna stop once we get home.

Quoting Brittany -- Ryan's Mommy:“ Yeah, I'm definately doing everything they tell me I just wasn't sure if it was something I still needed ... [snip!] ... asleep while I'm prying his mouth open trying to feed him, I hate it!! So it's definately gonna stop once we get home.”

lol Yeah, you will develope your own routine at home and he will adjust. Don't force feed him. Like I said, Baylee only wakes up once a night and she is perfectly healthy. First 2 nights she slept all night and her doc did say to wake her up after 5 hours. So if after 5 hours he has not eaten then try feeding him. The hospitals tell you to do a lot of stupid stuff. They wanted me to throw away formula after the kids ate only 1 oz of 4 ozs. I was like "Um, no! That is a waste!" They wanted me to record every pee pee diaper and poopy diaper. Well, I let my kids pee in a diaper a couple times before taking it off and changing it. Poopy diapers come off ASAP! I just don't leave my kids in wet diapers for a long period of time b/c it causes rashes, but changing it everytime they pee is going to burn a hole in your pocket.

WhenAlex was in the NICU he was fed every 3 hours, even at night. Mostly because he had to be taking a certain amt by bottle before they would discharge him. Now (7weeks later) I'm very strict on the every 3 hours during the day, but once he's down for the night, I wait for him to wake up. Then he usually goes about 5hrs between feedings.

I know as soon as my husband and I got home from the hospital we never woke our son up to feed him, the general rule is never wake up a sleeping baby...and even though your son was born early Im sure that rule applies because if they didnt think he was healthy they wouldnt release him from the hospital, but at the same time since he was early you never know what they want or expect. Im sorry thats all I know I wish I knew something more definate to tell you.

Quoting *Melissa*:“ WhenAlex was in the NICU he was fed every 3 hours, even at night. Mostly because he had to be taking ... [snip!] ... during the day, but once he's down for the night, I wait for him to wake up. Then he usually goes about 5hrs between feedings.”

Yeah, he's had to take a certain amount by bottle before they would even talk about discharging him, but now he's over that amount by leaps and bounds.  

NO NO NO! A premature baby MUST eat a certain amount every day! He is too little to know his hunger signs and you need to wake him at least until he is past his due date. Premature babies have very different needs from term babies. When my daughter came home I didn't even wake her to eat, I just slipped the bottle in her mouth and she took it. Don't let Ryan go more than 4 hours without eating. You really can't risk him losing weight once he comes home. If my daughter hadn't been woken to eat, she just would't have woke up at all. You can't depend on him to wake when he's hungry. I know it's a pain in the butt, but it won't last forever and it is what your baby needs right now. Please trust me on this and follow your doctor's directions. If he/she says that Ryan no longer needs to eat so frequently, then that's fine. Ethan, my second preemie, is more demanding than my daughter was, so he will wake to eat, but his pediatrician gave him the ok to sleep through the night at 2 months old because he was gaining well. He still wakes once a night to eat because that is what his body needs. I know that Ryan's due date isn't too far away, so at least hang in there until that comes up!

Quoting Slvrmoon:“ NO NO NO! A premature baby MUST eat a certain amount every day! He is too little to know his hunger signs ... [snip!] ... that is what his body needs. I know that Ryan's due date isn't too far away, so at least hang in there until that comes up!”

She is 100% right!
seriously mama, do what they say!

Oh me! Okay, I was not aware you had a preemie! Don't take my advice as I know nothing about caring for a preemie. Both my kids were full term