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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

Should I be concerned or thank my lucky stars?

25 replies

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 07:47

I'll be as brief as I can (while hopefully still being clear) :

I've recently become a mum again, DS1 was probably your 'average' newborn i.e. woke every 3 hours, always woke screaming until he was fed and began to sleep 6-7 hours around 6 months (though by no means every night).

DS2 is just over a week and is a different kettle of fish. He rarely cries (though he does get unsettled with wind where he gives out short sharp 'shouts' but can be soothed by moving him around/ rubbing etc).

From birth, he was sleeping in 4 hour stretches, the past few days these have sometimes been 5 hours. Last night, he was fed at 22:00. I tried giving him both breasts (he normally just feeds for about 20mins from one per feed) to try and get him to sleep a longer stretch at night- which he took happily. He had wind so dp stayed up with him until about 2:30 when he seemed to be hungry again (started rooting etc). I got up, popped him in his basket while I went to the toilet and when I came back, he was sound asleep. I decided just to let him sleep and I lay down too - I've now woke up (7:40) and he's still sound asleep! That means he's went from 22:00- 07:40 with no food- should I be concerned or just shut up and be grateful that he seems to sleep for long stretches and, compared to ds1, barely cries? I'm not sure if he's just much more placid in nature?

I should add that he's fine with all the checks the midwife has done, he feeds really, really well (ebf) and when weighed barely lost any weight which midwife said was great for ebf. When awake, he is alert and happy and the only things that seem to phase him are getting his bum exposed to cold air and trapped wind.

He's still asleep now and I'm sat here with huge boobs wondering if I should be waking him and feeding him or enjoying the fact that I have two minutes to myself and make a ????

Really appreciate any thoughts.

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IllGetOverIt · 03/03/2013 07:50

Don't wake him!!

IllGetOverIt · 03/03/2013 07:54

He'll let you know when he's ready. Which probably won't be long. Get yourself a brew and enjoy the peace.

By the time you settle to have your tea/coffee he'll probably be ready for a feed and wake

Our 3dc is an 'easy' baby. Very content and happy. Such a contrast to my other 2. I've always followed the mantra 'never wake a sleeping baby'. Though I do if I have to give them medicines.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Don't wake!

OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 07:56

I don't know honestly. That's a long time for a newborn to go without anything.
So I would probably get jittery and prod him a bit. But that's just me.

OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 07:57

also you must have hurty boobs I imagine!

seeker · 03/03/2013 07:59

That does seem like a long time- he's not jaundiced at all is he?

rubyjuice · 03/03/2013 08:01

My DD1 was like this, I did used to wake her, purely to ease my own discomfort.

OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 08:03

Btw I had a ds2 who never cried as well. It was amazing but he never went that long without a feed, I don't think.

ds3 is a different story!

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 08:06

Not at all jaundiced (mw checked him Friday) and yes... I have giant boobs! He's still lying there but is starting to wiggle/ snuffle a little so may be waking. I'm wondering if this is the 'calm before the storm' and in the next few weeks he'll find his voice/ want feeding more. So alien to me after ds1 that I can't quite get over the difference, it's like this is some sort of trick!

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RoLoh · 03/03/2013 08:09

Sounds like good luck to me

My dd was similar. She slept constantly the first week and for long stretches at night. I only woke her during the day to feed, not at night. After a two weeks she did start to wake at night for food but usually only once, occasionally twice. Now at 4 months she is regularly sleeping through 8 to 7 am. (I am sure I have now jinxed this!)

So if I were you I wouldn't wake your ds and let him keep his own night patterns. It will hopefully set him up for good sleeping later on. Get some sleep while you can!

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 08:16

Ahhh thank you folks, feel reassured now. MW over for her last visit Tuesday so I'll mention it then (I've been keeping a feeding/ sleeping log). DS has just opened eyes! Time to get some relief for my ridiculous knockers!

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openerofjars · 03/03/2013 08:19

DD did this: she slept through the night after 4 weeks. It properly freaked me out and I would wake up in the morning pinned to the bed by my boobs! Her big brother was a poster boy for colic and still sleeps badly at the age of 4 so I think she decided to be nice to us.

PrincessOfChina · 03/03/2013 08:29

DD was like this (although bottle fed). She took large feeds from week 1, and would sleep 4 hours between feeds in the daytime and from being a week old she went 7 hours at night.

When she started sleeping even longer we did introduce a dream feed for a while as slightly worried she would get dehydrated.

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 09:00

Still not woken, keep thinking he's going to but just eyelids giving a little flicker etc. That's now 11 hours since last feed... should I wake now , seems like an awful long time.

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OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 09:03

I would, but then I'm not a medical person - I'd just be concenred about him getting dehydrated iyswim? I have NO idea if this is likely.

I presume you've felt his skin, not running a temp or anything?

OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 09:04

I mean it won't do any harm to gently shake him - if he won't wake you have a problem, if he will then you aren't giving him the idea that 5am is 'morning' as it is a reasonable time!

notapizzaeater · 03/03/2013 09:05

I'd probably wake him just for my own peace of mind

RobotHamster · 03/03/2013 09:07

Yes, its a very long time. I'd definitely wake him

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 09:08

Just heard him do a giant poop so defo going to wake him. He doesn't have a temp so if I don't come ack on thread for a bit it's because I'm feeding and changing him but I will come back on to let you know all is well.

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OutsideOverThere · 03/03/2013 09:15

Oh cool I hate that dilemma though of change nappy (and babygro) (and sheets) (and my clothes) first or feed first!

teacher123 · 03/03/2013 11:28

All ok wiggy?

Wiggy29 · 03/03/2013 12:01

All is fine! Sorry for delay! When he woke he didn't even cry (ds1 always woke howling&didn't stop until fed), it had been so long that milk was spraying all over his face as he was trying to latch on . He had a big feed, then I changed his nappy& because he seemed happy I let him have some bare bum time. He's had some cuddles& we watched birds in the garden (even though I know he can't see them yet)& then he went down for his nap about 30m ago.
I took advantage& jumped in bath as for some reason stitched& general crotch area feels 'heavy' & a bit throbby today.

Thank you all for your advice, I'm still going to mention it to mw on Tuesday just to get her thoughts on it.

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noblegiraffe · 03/03/2013 13:35

I think night feeds in the early days (and a week old is very early) are supposed to be important for establishing supply, also I think 11 hours is a very long time for a newborn to be going without a feed, I was told 8-12 feeds every 24 hours.
Perhaps you should repost this in the breast and bottle feeding topic asking for advice from a breastfeeding angle? There are lots of knowledgable posters there.

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MiffieandMaddy · 03/03/2013 22:00

Hiya. I had this and was told not to let her go over 4 hours without a feed in first month (although at night I did stretch to 5). I was actually really happy as it worked out she fed 3 hourly in day and five at night and by two months she was mostly going from 11pm to 6am!!! I would be worried about dehydration for such a little one. That's what my HV said anyway. Although they all contradict each other I find.

One more thing. Don't wake him for feed, just gently pick him up, pop nipple/teat in mouth and he should 'dream feed' at night. Good luck

Wiggy29 · 04/03/2013 07:04

Thank you, I'm defo going to ask mw about it tomorrow as yesterday he fed 6 times (roughly 3 hour gaps) but then slept from about 22:45 until now! I just woke at 6:30& he was sound asleep. He's starting to stir now but not just sure if that's because of noise dp is making getting ready or if he would have woke naturally.x

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Wiggy29 · 06/03/2013 14:41

Hi, just thought I'd update. The mw came yesterday& when he was weighed he'd lost 4 oz, she's advised waking& feeding him every 4-5 hours, feeding both breasts& nappy changing between breasts so he's fully awake. She did say that if he hadn't lost weight it would have been okay to leave him. Woke him last night& today- feel like the meanest mother but know it's for the best. He'll be weighed again Friday so I'll keep you posted.

Thank you all for your advice.

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