8 day ds, needing more at night?

[First Time Mom]

Hi ladies! It seems I am having a hard time remembering what I should/should not do for bfing a newborn. My ds is now 8 days old, all is going well with feeds for the most part but for 2 days he has only waken at 2:30am for feeds (so, he fed around 9pm, woke at 2:30, then woke again at 7:30am). I am feeding on demand as he is newborn (there's lots of time for 3 hr easy later), milk supply is good but not sure how long that will last if he only wakes once, I don't want a dip in supply. He is eating enough the rest of the 24 hour period as he's back up to his birth weight and having about 8 heavy wet diapers per 24 hour period. Should I wake him more in the night or not? I know this pattern can/will change but not sure what to do next time he sleeps so long, like I said, I don't want a dip in my supply. (He is currently almost 8 pounds, if that matters, and was born on his due date)

[jrmommyx2]

I am no expert, but I have been bfing twins for 17 months! My thoughts are- consider yourself lucky he is a great sleeper! My babies were 5 and 6 lbs when they were born and the lac specialist at our dr. office said to feed them every 3 hours during the day and then when they wake at night feed them- no need to wake them. At times I would cluster feed and I did do a dream feed. I think you are lucky that he is sleeping! No need to feed him if he's not hungry, right?! If you are worried about supply, you could pump. But I think your body will adjust and be fine.

[A pair of Charlies]

ooh I'm not completely sure TBH. What I do know is my own experience of night feeds and a newborn. So will share and hope it helps.

I did the on-demand initially at night. DS was 5 days old and his first night at home with me. I didn't wake him in the night. He slept an inch away from my bed, didn't wake for a feed during the night. When he woke for a feed in the morning, he fed with gusto. Midwife came over and gave me hell for not feeding him at night. I said I was feeding on-demand as they advised, and that he didn't demand. She said that if he didn't demand after 3hours, I should wake him. So that's what we did. Other Mamas I know, didn't wake their BF babies at night and didn't get the same NW issues that we had. DS didn't STTN til he was 10m old. He wasn't fed at night from 4m old ish, but he still woke every few hours.

I've often wondered what if I'd just stuck to the on-demand...

   Charlotte

[First Time Mom]

I will go the "demand" route, if he wakes then I'll feed, if he doesn't then I won't. Today in the day I did wake him earlier to feed (otherwise he would have went more than 3 hrs) and I found he didn't feed well but wanted a top up 45 minutes later. Thinking it would have been different if I had let him sleep and wake naturally.