BF newborn sleeping long stretches at night

[SomeSunnySunday]

Genuinely not a stealth boast - I'm honestly not sure whether this is ok, don't want to ask anyone in RL (for fear of seeming ridiculously smug) and won't see the midwife again until Monday.

My exclusively breastfed newborn has, on nights 5, 6 and 7 (she's now a week old) slept a 7+ hour stretch at night (after a fussy evening and lots of feeding until after midnight). She was almost 9lbs at birth, and when weighed on day 5 had lost 7%, which seemed fine. I just worry about her blood sugars etc if she sleeps this long. She is slightly jaundiced, but not sleeping especially long stretches in the day - 2/3 hours, feeds really well, and is starting to be a awake and alert for a bit after some feeds.

So, do I just go with this (in the knowledge that it's unlikely to last!)?. Or do I need to wake her? This is DC3 - the elder 2 were appropriately bad sleepers at this age so I've been (in a good way) taken by surprise this time.

[Rox19]

Hey,
My last2 ebf babies slept amazingly. Most recent went 1030-530 in week one then onto 6,630,730,8 etc by 1m. And always back to sleep until 8 if woke up earlier. Was 12h a night by 4mo.

Enjoy it. Lots of bf babies are good sleepers, nobody talks about it for some reason!!

[Toadsrevisited]

My DS was EBF and went 4-6 hours throughtout every night until the dreaded 4 month sleep regression- he's now 11 months and never really improved. Make the most of it- perhaps yours is just a really good sleeper?

[Bowchickawowow]

DS1 slept through from a few weeks old and had no problems with feeding / weight gain - he was ebf and nearly 10lbs at birth. He did fred a lot and frequently during the day. By 6 weeks he slept 9.30 - 6.30 and by 10 weeks 7.30. - 6.30. I stupidly expected DS2 to do the same!!

[BertieBotts]

I would ask your midwife if you haven't been signed off yet. I know it's Christmas but you can call labour ward any time, there will be someone there. With jaundice I think they ask you to wake if they haven't fed in 4 hours? I wouldn't like to say either way with a baby that little. Call them :)

[raffle]

I think with a jaundice baby you are ment to feed regularly to flush it out? Been a while since DS1 so advice my have changed. Congrats on new baby :)

[SomeSunnySunday]

Thanks all. Yes the jaundice issue (although it's mild) is playing on my mind a bit. I think I'll wake her after 4 hours tonight and then call the community midwives in the morning - they left me with a mobile number for whoever is on call. Really appreciate the responses (and hope that she is just an inherently good sleeper, it would make a nice change!).

[milkjetmum]

Yes was going to say if jaundiced feed 3hourly until it's gone (I used to allow myself 4hrs at night...). It can be a vicious cycle with jaundice as itmakes babies sleepy, so they don't drink enough, jaundice gets worse, they get sleepier...both my dds were jaundiced.

So sadly I think you have to set yourself an alarm clock until jaundice has gone, then you can go back to letting sleeping babies lie!

[SomeSunnySunday]

Thanks milkjet. I've just explained to DH that we are going to have to wake her tonight. He's looking at me like I've finally lost the plot.....! I'll feel far happier about it, though, if I don't let her sleep for too long.

[Superworm]

I would wake too until the jaundice has gone and she's regained her birth weight. Congratulations

[milkjetmum]

It can be tricky to get them to feed when so sleepy, I used to do a nappy change first to get dds a bit awake. In the early days I would tickle feet or wipe face with damp cloth then blow on it to rouse them enough to feed. Sounds a bit like baby tormenting I know, but you'll 'be able to relax on it as her weight gain goes on.

Enjoy your Christmas baby jealous

[squizita]

My dd wasn't jaundiced past day 3 so slightly different but did and always has since slept long times at night and less napping in the day. Her total hours sleep have been the lower end of normal but hcp have not been alarmed.
She has always woken only twice (with phases of once) a night with a solid 12 hours, but rarely naps more than 30-45 min at a time by day.

Hcp said she doesn't look either tired or underfed so let her be. I'm a worrier so have asked several!

So once the jaundice has fed out you might find its just your LO way of sleeping.
But I agree with PP who suggest feeding it out. My dd was born in September so there was far more sunlight.

[squizita]

...A typical night is down at 7.30 pm, wake 2.30 am, 5.30 am, then up for the day just before 8am. Sometimes just 1 wake at 3am!

[SomeSunnySunday]

That sounds great, squizita. Really feel that it's my turn for a sleeper. My 3 year old still doesn't sleep through the night!

Yes, there is really no meaningful sunlight at all here (Scotland), so I can't do my own phototherapy. I'll have to rely on feeding.

[GoogleyEyes]

Will she dream feed? Neither of mine would, but I know some babies will. As in, if you express a bit of milk onto your nipple and nuzzle it in her face would she latch on and have a feed while staying asleep? Because that would be the best of both worlds.

You could also use breast compressions to make sure she's getting plenty of milk to flush the jaundice out. Also, always worth checking kellymom.com for this sort of thing - it's really sound advice.

[SomeSunnySunday]

I'll certainly try dream feeding - I used to do it with one of my elder DCs but it didn't work for the other one. I'd forgotten about it!

I'll also have a look at kellmom (which again I remember being very useful first time around, but I seem to get less and less switched on to these things with each baby!).

Thank you.

[squizita]

Of course the day I write it down she decides to be a milk monster that night! 4 times which is hardly bad though!

[SomeSunnySunday]

It's Sod's law, isn't it.

The dream feed worked really well here. She slept from 12.30 until 4.30, then I dream fed her and she slept on until 8.30. Have probably also jinxed it now.

[GoogleyEyes]

Glad the dream feed worked. I always envied friends who had babies that would do it - mine woke up, refused milk, and then took ages to re-settle.