Understanding Newborn Sleep Patterns: Tips for New Parents
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Newborns may not have a set sleep pattern and often alternate between hunger and tiredness. They might nap briefly and then wake to finish feeding. A personalized plan can be created by reviewing your baby’s current pattern, feed length, weight gain, and how you’re doing. Building a coordinated sleep and feeding schedule can help you get more rest while your baby improves milk transfer, gets stronger at the breast, and sleeps a bit longer between feeds.
breast: Refers to feeding at the breast; when a baby is "on the breast," they are breastfeeding.
feeds: Individual feeding sessions. Tracking how long and how often a baby feeds helps guide scheduling and assess intake.
gaining weight: Monitoring a baby’s weight change to ensure they are getting enough milk and growing appropriately.
sleep schedule: A plan for when a baby sleeps, coordinated with feeding times to improve rest for both baby and parent.
feeding schedule: A structured plan for timing feeds to support better milk intake and more predictable sleep.
transferring milk: How effectively a baby moves milk from the breast into their mouth and swallows; an indicator of feeding effectiveness.