Is it ok to let him sleep through....?

[shonaspurtle]

Ds is 8 weeks old. He's been feeding approximately every three hours since birth with the usual increases during growth spurts, although these have been very brief. His weight gain is good (bang on 50th centile so far) and he is happy and well.

About a week or so ago he stopped waking at 3 am and was happy to feed around midnight and then again around half five (or thereabouts).

Last night though he slept through until 8!!! Is this ok? Will my supply be alright with him going this long between feeds? He fed for a long time at 8 and has fallen back into his usual 3 hour pattern this morning so far.

I have a very good supply (had problems with oversupply in the early days if anything) but don't want to be blase about this as we've had loads of problems with latch etc and I'm only just starting to find feeding straightforward and less painful.

I realise one night is hardly a pattern and he could well be up every 2 hours tonight but just wanted to check that this isn't going to sabotage my considerable efforts to breastfeed ds.

I really feel that we've turned a corner - don't care about the extra sleep, mad as that sounds .

[Wallace]

ds2 started sleeping through at about that age. Now he is 6 months an awful sleeper. So my advice: enjoy it while it lasts

[calmontheoutside]

DD slept through very early and at my week 6/7 checkup I asked whether I should continue waking her for a feed at night (2ish). The reply was a definite, Absolutely Not! If she sleeps through, leave her.
It had no effect on what I could give her in the other feeds, and I continued to wake her up at 10ishpm.
I gradually cut down the feeds one at a time over the next year and a half, and cut out the final 7pm one at 18 months - and still got sore boobs with much milk when I cut it out, which shows that I was obviously still giving her good milk, even though it was just one final feed per day.
DD continued to be a brilliant sleeper. Lucky us - but they're all different.

[welshmum]

It's ok to let him sleep through but it's not ok to mention it on here
(love the name, I loved the High Life - do you look like Shona??)

[poppiesinaline]

let him (and make the most of it!) You may be lucky and it may last.......

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.......................... or it may not

[cece]

He'll wake up if he is hungry so enjoy it! Never wake a sleeping baby is my motto!

[deaconblue]

Ds started this at 9 weeks and continued to 17 weeks, I'd make the most of it. He's learning the difference between day and night and is stocking up to go through the night. Good little chap.

[Hattie05]

Hi shona, My dd - same age is doing exactly the same. Of course its ok - enjoy it! . Occasionally she wakes at 3ish for a feed but mostly goes from midnight until 7 or 8, its clever how they seem to know its nighttime and not to wake up isn't it?

[Mumpbump]

Speaking as someone whose 11mo ds has only just started to sleep through until 06:00ish, enjoy it!!!

[yellowrose]

Hi shona - may I just say how lovely it is to hear that you are so positive about bf and your baby at only 8 weeks old ! I am an insomniac (since I was 13 yo) so never coped very well with lack of sleep, although just like you I felt my baby and my bf relationship was far more important than a few extra hours of sleep

As your baby sounds so healthy and gaining weight well, I wouldn't be that concerned about his sleeping longer at night at 8 weeks. I would have been worried if he wasn't thriving and was a bit younger too, but he is doing really well at 8 weeks and obvioulsy finding his own pattern of feeding.

As you say it may not last (sorry if this upsets you, but my DS was very unpredictable, a rubbish sleeper for first 9 months and then all of a sudden an angel sleeper since 9 months to now at 2.7 years old - he still bf now but never during the night as he is a very heavy sleeper thank goodness !!)


Please also read kellymom.com if you haven't already. Lots of scientific info. on feeding patterns as well as mum's supply. It will help you with anything unpredictable too !

Well done and good luck

[BuffysMum]

My last bf babies slept thru 7 til 7 most nights from less than 2 weeks old.....though they were big to start with which I think helps as they have larger capacity tummies.

Def let sleeping babies lie IMHO

[shonaspurtle]

Thanks everyone for your advice & opinions! I will stop worrying then and enjoy the extra hours for as long as they last (if he ever does it again that is...)


(welshmum - I am ginger but hopefully not as nippy a sweetie as Shona )

[calmontheoutside]

I wasn't meaning to sound smug. I was really answering Wallace's perceived negativity. Having read that again also, it wasn't negative. You just hear soooo many Just-you-waits... SORRY...
MIL had entirely different experiences with her five children, sleeping, eating, talking etc, etc. She did say that had the last one (my DH) been the first he'd have been an only child...