Are you still meant to wake a 5 week old every 4 hours to feed?

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Dd2 slept for longer than usual this morning, she was last breastfed about 4am then asleep by half past. I tried to wake her at 9 because she'd gone 5 hours since last feed but I couldn't wake her up no matter what I did! This had never happened before so I was a bit concerned. I tried feeding her, changing her, washing her face, etc etc but I couldn't get her to wake up properly. She would stir and then go straight back to sleep. She finally woke up properly at about 10.15 and gave us some lovely big smiles, which made me feel much better! But I'm wondering if I should have just let her sleep rather than worrying about her feeding? She's clearly totally fine, could it maybe be a developmental thing? The midwives drum the 'every 4 hours' thing in to you so much!

[Mommym24]

She's sleeping to learn new things like smiling and to grow. I would still try to feed every 4 hours but let them sleep if she really needs too.

[DonkeyHotay]

I never woke my baby to feed them. He was two weeks over and 9lbs. Was your baby prem?

[NeoShadowChaser]

I've never had that drummed into me by a midwife.

My baby started sleeping through at 5 weeks - there's no way I'd have woken him! Unless, of course, he was sleeping for hours and I was concerned.

[Thomasisintraining]

Never heard of waking every 4 hours for FT baby. Is your LO a premmie and catching up? Mine all slept for longer stints than 4 hours regularly at that stage.

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Oh ok! Bizarre that the midwives here go on about it. I will let her sleep in future! She's not premature so I'm assuming its all fine. :)

[DonkeyHotay]

I wish my newborn went longer than 4 hours. I remember a health visitor asking about feeding schedules and suggesting I stopped waking him (as if). I asked how she got her babies to sleep through and she said she stopped waking them. & from me.

[WiIdfire]

I was told to wake every 4 hours to feed. After we got home (5 days in NICU) I woke him every 4 hours but it was an absolute battle and he just wasnt interested in feeding at night. After a week of this, I gave up and he slept midnight til 6. By 6-8 weeks he slept 11 til 7. Never had any problems and he's always slept well. Did help (I think) that he was a bigger baby at 11lb2, so had a bigger tummy!

[foxessocks]

They did tell me to wake my baby 4 hours for the first few weeks definitely so yours isn't the only midwife saying that! I can't remember when I stopped but I think by 5 weeks I was letting her sleep for longer on the rare occasions that she did! My baby was 6lb14 when she was born and lost a bit in the first few weeks as they do but then was putting weight on quite well by 5 weeks.

Not sure if that helps really but just so you know some midwives do say this! Maybe it's to do with size when they're born?

[UmbongoUnchained]

Mine was every 3 hours!

[NeoShadowChaser]

I vaguely tremendous reading somewhere that when they got to a certain weight it was okay for them to sleep longer.

[NeoShadowChaser]

Tremendous? Perhaps remember is the word!

[NeoShadowChaser]

11lbs I think?

[OhWhatAPalaver]

She is gaining weight well and has had no problems so if it happens again I won't panic! I don't remember dd1 sleeping that well so early on so this is a pleasant surprise :)

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Thanks for all the quick replies btw :)

[BeMorePanda]

Dd1 fed every 3-4 hours. But dd2 slept through from 10/11 to 6/7 every night from about 3 weeks. Then she would wake up happy and have a big feed.

[BeMorePanda]

I let happy baby & good weight gain guide me.

[unimagmative13]

I was told max 6 hours and not regularly. I had a sleepy baby and had to wake every 3 but once weight gain was good they just left me too it X

[tappitytaptap]

My HV said no need to wake once baby was above birth weight and mine was a 6lb titch!

[tappitytaptap]

Should say the not waking didn't affect his weight gain...he is 2.5 times his birth weight at 16 weeks!

[weebairn]

DD1 started sleeping through at 6 or 7 weeks old. Sometimes 11 hours a night!!!

then she hit 4 months old and didn't sleep well again till 16 months

[weebairn]

She fed brilliantly and had gained weight really well as a newborn, though.

[FloatyFlo]

When I was in hospital the midwives told me to feed every four hours. They woke up me up one night to tell me to wake dd and feed her. My mum was when I told her the next day. She said she'd wake if she was hungry and it was mean to wake me when we were both resting and getting some well needed sleep on a busy noisy postnatal ward.

Basically.. I have no idea..

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Well it seems that if she's hungry she'll make it known, we've not had any such sleepiness in the last couple of days! She's decided to go back to max 3 hours sleep at a time!
Thanks for the replies everyone, if she sleeps for longer I'll make the most of it next time