# wake 7 week old to feed?



## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

Last night dd slept for 6 hours. She didn't wake for her midnight feed. I freaked out when I woke up and realised. And she wasn't even crying - just a little fussing. She's slept 4-5 hours sometimes and that worried me. But at 7 weeks should she be sleeping this long?? I used to have to wake her up to feed and set my alarm at night time but I thought we were past that. I know she's had enough to eat the last few days cause I've been supplementing and counting the ounces.


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## zombiemommie (Dec 6, 2001)

This is not scientific, just MHO. My dd is now almost 8 weeks, and she goes sometimes 6 hours at night. Even if she went 8 hours, I wouldn't wake her up. That is just me. *My* dd is over 12 lbs now, and eats every 2-3 hours in the day. She is a great nurser, gaining well, etc etc. I am eagerly awaiting the day she goes 8 hours, because the longest my ds has EVER slept in a row is 8 hours and he is almost 3 LOL.

Good luck


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## Ione (Jul 22, 2002)

When my DD was born, the midwives and baby nurses said to wake her to feed her at least once every 4 hours but ONLY during the day and to let her sleep as much as she wanted at night (never wake her at night, they said).
All the rest of the BF advice I got from them seems to be good, solid advice so I trust them.

I'm not an expert at all. But, IMHO, it's probably fine... and I'm jealous now, LOL.


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## jerawo (Jan 28, 2003)

My mom said that I started sleeping through the night at 2 weeks, and I was entirely breastfed until 10 months of age.

If she's hungry, she'll wake up to feed


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## Britishmum (Dec 25, 2001)

Be aware that if you supplement your suppply will dwindle.

Maybe one of our LLL experts can advise here?

Dd #2 slept like that at night. If your babe is gaining weight I'd say, enjoy the sleep!


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Yes, I am more interested in why you are supplementing (is it with artificial milk or you own pumped milk?), than I am concerned with her sleeping for 6 hours.

Counting oz is not a great way to make sure baby is eating enough, if you are giving some supplement from a bottle and then some from the breast, which obviously, you can't count. So, you wouldn't be counting all the volume she is having.

Is she wetting 6-8 cloth diapers daily? Is she pooping every day, or if not, when she does go, is is copious and soft?

Does she have active alert periods? is she gaining approx 4-8 oz/wk?

So, in answer to your original q, yes, it is not uncommon for fully bfed babies to start sleeping 6-8 hours at night, at around this age. One of mine did. But she was eating every hour and a half throughout the day.

The prev poster who was given advice to breastfeed at least every 4 hours, well, that is incorrect. One 4 hour stretch at night (for a newborn) is OK, but she should be fed avery 2 hours, from statrt of one feed to the next, during the day. And some babies will want to cluster feed, usually in the evening, not really letting go, for about 3 hours straight. This is normal and healthy. Breastmilk is very dilute and meant to be fed almost contiruously, unlike cow's milk for calves.

For more info of this type, I rec The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.


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## Mamaste (Dec 21, 2001)

If you are concerned about how much your little one is getting, your best bet it to let her nurse on demand. Don't watch the clock. Offer whenever she seems fussy. If you are currently having problems with weight gain, you may need to wake her during the night. If not, though, let her sleep! Some babies do sleep this long at this age. Let her!

One reason doctors can be so quick to prescribe supplements and switching to formula is because they can regulate and monitor formula. You can't measure breastfed nutrition -- and it drives them crazy! It's a little fact worth keeping in mind.







:

Watch for the signs Darryl posted (enough wet diapers, signs of growth and well-being). These are the important signs of well-being you need to know and watch for; breastmilk ounces pumped and/or consumed is not what you need to know. Sometimes babies do need a little extra help at the beginning. But if all is well now, relax and let your worries go! It's sooo hard to do, I know, but it's much harder on both of you if you are anxious and always counting ounces and minutes and bottles and pumpings. I used to obsess endlessly with my first baby, especially at times when things didn't seem just perfectly on target with what "they" said should be happening. In the end, nature's system did the job.

Your body knew how to conceive, grow and produce your beautiful daughter. It knows how to feed her, too. If you see signs that your daughter is healthy and thriving, there's no reason to worry yourself about supplementing and pumping and waking and measuring.







You can do it!


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## elaine (Oct 1, 2002)

I would like to brag that my 7 week old has slept from 8 pm -3 am. but usually just goes from 8-2. silly me, I usually spend much of that time here reading, instead of catching up on sleep.
I don't worry about it. I figure he needs time to grow.


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## Evergreen (Nov 6, 2002)

Mine started doing the same thing at that age and I was really worried too. However, shes in the 75 th percentile and gaining still, so I no longer think its a problem.


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

It's reassuring to hear other well fed babies have slept that long at that age. I'm not sure what to expect with each new 'stage'. We do have a problem with weight gain though and despite nursing on demand, working on her latch and breast compressions, she was gaining little. I'm gonna have her weighed this week and then try nursing exclusively again. I've been supplementing with my expressed breastmilk. I have to keep pumping cause her latch is still bad at 8 weeks and my milk supply starts to dwindle when she nurses exclusively... tried it twice now.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Oh, since weight gain is slow, latch not great, then probably it would be a good idea to keep waking her so that all in all, she only has one four hour stretch at night still, with other feeds at night being no more than 3 hours apart. Every 2 hours during the day, until you are sure latch is fine and weight gain (4-8/wk) good.

Good for you, supplementing with your own milk. When she nurses and receives her supplements, does she wet 6-8 cloth dipes a day, and poop a few times?


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

she easily has about 8 wet diapers a day but the poops are infrequent. I think I had another post about that. For the last 2-3 weeks, she hasn't had one poop on her own. It gets to 4-5 days and I use the thermometer tip - this was the LCs idea to stimulate her. She has her 2 mo well check up tomorrow - guess I can ask the Dr. but I'm afraid I'll just get another opinion







She is otherwise a happy content little baby who doesn't seem to be in pain or uncomfortable.


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