Author Topic: when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?  (Read 4252 times)

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Offline Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« on: January 19, 2006, 14:02:36 pm »
This question is the opposite of a "night waking", but wasn't sure where else to put it.  So they say not to let a newborn go more than 3 hours in the day without eating and no more than 4 hours at night...did you all do this for very long?  I was setting an alarm at night at first, but he kept waking before it went off so I stopped doing it.  Then last night he did a 5 1/2 hour stretch between feeds!   :shock:   Now I was quite happy with the sleep, but should I be waking him to eat or not?  He's 1 week old and eats rather well most times.  Just wondering when you all stopped waking them at night to eat....  TIA

Offline Windsurfer's mum

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2006, 14:07:38 pm »
I am no expert but if he was hungry he would wake up. If he has plenty the rest of the time then a longer sleep must be a good thing! let him sleep. Maybe set your alarm for 6 hours? see how it goes
good luck
clare
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Offline Kimberly®

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2006, 15:52:52 pm »
I never woke my newborn at night for a feed. We left her be at night and didn't really have to wkae her during the day.
Don't wake him, he'll wake when he needs food. If you start waking him, you'll find that he'll mix his days and nights and you really don't want that.
Kimberly

Offline branwen

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2006, 16:01:18 pm »
Hi there!  :D

Per our ped and due to a 12% weight loss I was told to wake my VERY sleepy newborn every 3 hrs until she was 6 weeks.  At 6 weeks my ped told me I could let her go a 5-6 stretch at night.  But around 5 weeks I started letting her go on her own.  It became too exhausting.  Like you I would set an alarm.

Since reading though, I have learned that this weightloss is rather normal, esp for breastfeeding mom, so I think I would do things a little differently next time around.  I do not think I would wake at night.  I'd stick to getting in 9-12 feeds daytime hrs (ie before midnight).
Branwen
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Offline rachelle

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2006, 16:16:28 pm »
I woke at 4 hours until 2 weeks, 6 hours until 6 weeks and then let them sleep.  I didn't set my alarm once, and Kalli went 6 hours at about 4 days, so I made sure I set my alarm after that.  I am just not sure it's healthy for supply to go that long that early.
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Offline Ami ~ 3 girls' mom

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2006, 17:11:42 pm »
I heard you don't have to once they regain their birth weight.

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2006, 17:36:24 pm »
I would definintely not wake your lo - if he needs to eat he'll wake up. As long as he's gaining weight I wouldn't worry at all. That's FANTASTIC that he already went 5 1/2 hours, do you know what I would have given for that???  :P
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Offline Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2006, 18:42:04 pm »
I am VERY thankful for the sleep and you all gave the answer I was looking for.   :D   I'd love to let him sleep and I figure if he's doing well, then he'll let me know when he's hungry.  Although during the day, I'm still having to wake him sometimes to feed him cause he's still in the newborn sleepy phase.  I'm making sure he eats atleast every 3 hours and sometimes more often depending on what's going on and if he's awake and hungry. 

Rachelle-
Won't your supply adjust to the longer sleeping period just like it would at any other time?  Just wondering....  I'm trying to do everything I can to be successful at bf this time and so far it's going well.

Offline rachelle

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2006, 18:50:31 pm »
I'd guess maybe you want to ask the breastfeeding board this question, just to be sure...but I think that at such a young age your supply is really still developing...so it might not have a chance to truly develop well if going 6 hours when so tiny.  But I don't know, ask on the bf board  :?
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Offline Florencia

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2006, 19:41:46 pm »
Research shows that there's is a decrease on the average glucose level at the 8 hour mark. The time in between that, it's good for any baby, even a newborn (haven't you heard about the newborns that sleep 10 hours stretches when they come home from the hospital??? there seem to be a lot of them around my family :twisted: )

So for baby, it's OK to spend as of 8 hours without a meal until the age of 6 months, then the lenght varies from kid to kid...

As for the milk supply, maybe you can pump at the 4 hour mark?  just for the first 3 weeks and that way you let lo sleep as much as he wants to and you keep your supply on top. Too much exhausting work, I know... but it'll be just a couple of more weeks.

Congratulations on your baby boy!!!!!!!!!!!
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Offline Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom

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when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2006, 19:44:41 pm »
Now I remember...that's what the timing is about...their glucose and that if it drops too low, bad news.  Thanks for the reminder.  But also good to know that 5 1/2 hours isn't too long.   :wink:   I know my supply is still adjusting so I'm being very careful about that.  I'm not planning that he'll do this every night, but just wanted to check in case he does.   :D

Offline Katet

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Re: when did you stop waking your newborn for night feeds?
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2006, 23:00:21 pm »
I've had big babies BUT I did get told, not to let them go more than 6 hours & then if they do the longer stretch to make sure that you don't deny them extra feeds even if they wake up hourly... on the "attachment/bf group" I used to belong to they said if you have a long stretch (ie over 4 hours) then don't be surprised if you get a few 1-2hour stretches... so even if I had fed 1 hour before, I did feed again IYKWIM
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