🍼Habit or hunger? 🍼
This is a question I get asked all the time! How do I know if my baby is waking out of habit or hunger?
Sometimes it can be tricky to work out, especially when they are little, However there are some clues to help you work this one out that may just need a bit of detective work from you:
*Falling asleep quickly after feeding If your baby falls asleep within a minute or two of feeding, they might be waking out of habit. I used to pick my little one up for a feed, and as soon as he was latched on he would be asleep!
*Waking up at the same time
Babies who wake up out of habit tend to wake up at the same time each night, regardless of what happened the day before. If you have tried everything with their routine and making sure they’re had enough sleep and feeds during the day yet they’re still waking around the same time every night – probably habit!
*Taking a short feed
If your baby seems excited to feed but only drinks a small amount, they might be waking out of habit. This is similar to them falling asleep soon after but easier to spot in bottle fed babies where you can clearly see how much the have taken.
* Waking up after a short time
If your baby wakes up again shortly after putting them down, they might be waking out of habit. I had this when my eldest would wake every 20-40 minutes throughout the night and need to be fed back to sleep!
* Crying for a short time
Babies who wake out of habit might cry for a short time before falling back asleep on their own. I tell all my clients to wait. Wait and see what happens for a minute or two before rushing in. Give your baby time.
*Refusing the breast or bottle
If your baby consistently rejects the breast or bottle, they might be tired instead of hungry. I definitely had this with my babies! I sometimes offered a feed and instead he would be arching his back or looking around the room!
If you need any help working out whether your little one is waking out of habit or hunger, or how to break the habit and get your baby sleeping for longer stretches overnight, feel free to get in touch ☺️😴
