Question
The newborn doesn’t like to sleep and has poor appetite. They don’t sleep well during their afternoon nap, and breastfeeding is also not going well. We are on a mixed feeding schedule, and we’ve only noticed these problems in the past few days. What has been the treatment situation and effectiveness so far? What should we do now? Do we need to go to the hospital for a detailed check-up?…
Answer
If a newborn cries and wants to be fed but can’t eat much, it might be because they haven’t developed good feeding habits yet. If the baby doesn’t have any other physical discomforts, such as fever or vomiting, there’s no need to worry excessively. The key is to gradually adjust the feeding schedule. If the baby can’t eat much at once, it’s easy for them to wake up hungry while sleeping. Parents should first ensure that the baby doesn’t sleep too much during the day, otherwise, they won’t be able to sleep soundly at night and for a sufficient duration. Gradually adjust the baby’s feeding times. A newborn needs four hours to fully absorb milk, which means the interval between two diaper changes shouldn’t be shorter than four hours. It’s crucial to manage the timing well; you should not change the diaper within four hours. If the baby cries, offer water instead. If the mother gives in and changes the diaper again before four hours, and the previous milk hasn’t been fully absorbed yet, it has been acidified in the stomach, adding new milk will mix with it and become sour as well. If this happens frequently, it can harm the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, leading to indigestion and potentially lifelong stomach problems. Feed the baby sufficiently during each diaper change, then feed again after four hours. The baby will learn that if they don’t eat enough this time, they’ll have to wait four hours for the next feeding, even if they cry. They’ll be hungry enough that…