# Newborn - when can I stop setting my alarm to wake DD @ night to nurse?



## J2 (Aug 12, 2006)

DD is 1.5wks old. I started out setting my alarm through the nigth to ake her every 3hrs to nurse. I know now that she is gaining (a whopping) 2oz per day - so I know she is certainly getting plenty to eat! Yay! So I have stretched that to be about 3.5hrs, though often she wakes before my alarm goes off anyway.

At what point can I stop setting my alarm through the night to nurse her and just allow her to sleep and wake up on her own...even if that means she might do longer than 3 or 4 hours stretches (which I'm not sure she would anyway, but at some point she might)? She was 9lbs 2oz and birth. Then about 9lbs 8oz at 6 days old. At the rate she is growing, she is probably 10lbs now. She has a 2wk check up on Thursday so I'll know more then about her weight, not that that necessarily matters especially siince I already know she is growing great.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

With full-term, gaining, past birth-weight babies I wouldn't even consider an alarm. Never set an alarm with either of mine and both had some 5 hour runs the first couple of weeks.

-Angela


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## J2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Ah...thanks! Yes...she was definitely full term...went to 41wks (and I knew exactly when I conceived). And yes, as I mentioned, gaining well and fast exceeded her birth weight. So I guess I will just...let us sleep. She'll wake me up - though she is very quiet about it! But I still wake up to her little noises. She is right next to me after all!


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
With full-term, gaining, past birth-weight babies I wouldn't even consider an alarm. Never set an alarm with either of mine and both had some 5 hour runs the first couple of weeks.

-Angela









:


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## LivVLW (Sep 15, 2004)

Hi there.
I just wanted to whole heartedly agree about the no alarm. You don't need an alarm if you are co-sleeping. That was one of my favorite parts. When the baby wants to nurse you just have to half wake up. The baby will let you know. Some nights you might go more hours asleep and some (teething) nights you might feel like the baby is nursing non-stop!
Good for you for nursing and co-sleeping. YOU can get more rest this way too.

Totally ditch the alarm.
Take care.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

I'm agreeing with everyone else to ditch the alarm. I never used one and my DD started sleeping a 5hr stretch at night at about 1.5wks. She regained birth weight at 7 days old. It was great! She was born 50th percentile for weight and is now 75th. She's healthy and eats plenty.

I say she'll wake when she's hungry. Enjoy the sleep.


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## dawncayden (Jan 24, 2006)

Did she have jaundice? Thats the only time I have heard of waking babies to eat every 2 hours. But once jaundice is gone, I think you let them wake up themselves.

Did your doc or midwife tell you to set an alarm, just curious


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## Mamja (May 23, 2007)

With my slightly jaundiced baby we were told to feed at least every 4 hours (waking her up if necessary). At her 2 week ped appt the doc said the jaundice had resolved, but to keep feeding at least every 4 hours until her 1 month appt, just to be safe. Of course, I don't think she has ever slept longer than 3 hours at a time so far.


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## gkb2215 (Jan 21, 2008)

Maybe take a middle road? Once the pediatrician said it was fine to let her sleep through the night (I think this was at our 2 week visit), I just started setting my alarm to go off 5 hours after a feeding. She never slept that long until recently, but it gave me a sense of security to know that she wouldn't have more than a 5-hour break between feedings.


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