Sleeping through the night
Hi there, my little boy is 11 weeks old and I am combination feeding him as he was slow to gain weight in the beginning and is now doing fine so am trying to wean him off formula top ups. He is now over 10 pounds and healthy and active. During the day he needs feeding approximately 2 - 4 hourly with the occasional day when he cluster feeds. However overnight he doesnt seem to wake for a feed. Last night was the first time we left him overnight without waking him and he slept for 7 hours. We had previously been advised to wake him 4 hourly due to his poor weight gain but am now thinking I should try to get back to demand feeding and it seems he is happy to go through the night. When I spoke to the HV she said babies this young shouldnt go that long without food but that differs a lot from what a lot of you say on here ie that your babies are sleeping through at an earlier age than mine. I have had some rather odd and contradictory advice from the HV's to date so would be interested what other mums would say. Thanks to anyone happy to share their experiences. A xx
Replies
hi angelina, glad you are still doing well, my lo was ebf and slept through 12 hours from 12 weeks to 18 weeks (it was a lovely rest for me!) that is unusual but he fed hourly for most of the day so he was clung to me the rest of the time (lol) his weight gain was always fine and no one told me to wake him.
sadly, it didnt last, by 18 weeks he began waking up once in the night on occasions, sometimes twice, in the end it never stopped until he was 7.5 months, on 3 good meals and 3 breast feeds and i did a small amount of cc as was shattered (he was waking 2 hourly and both me and hvs were certain it was no longer down to hunger). within 2 nights we'd cracked it. he's now nearly a year and does 10 hour nights. we've never got back to the 12 though!
i would say if he's gaining weight enjoy it while it lasts - because it probably wont last sadly ! x
I'll echo Alfie - enjoy it while it lasts!
My little man slept through 10 hours a night at 8 weeks, for 1 week! He then spent the next 2 months waking every 2 hours until we put him in his own room. Finally got him sleeping through properly at 6 months when I stopped feeding him when he woke in the night.
Ryan also struggled with weight gain at the beginning due to a dairy intolerance, but once he was diagnosed and I gave up dairy he gained weight fine, and my HV was happy with him sleeping through at 8 weeks.
All health professionals seem to have different thoughts and ideas, and I find it can be very confusing to new mums when the people supposedly 'in the know' don't agree! If you're happy that he's still gaining weight then let him sleep! I used to go to clinic to be weighed every week until Ryan was 4 months just for my own peace of mind.
xxx