How long before I wake sleeping newborn for feed?

[Babyaug2020x]

Hi guys,

My LO is formula fed and is almost 3 weeks old, I was just wondering how long I should leave him to sleep before I wake him for a feed?

He usually wakes up himself after around 2 hours, 2 and a half at most but sometimes in the last few days has been sleeping 3-4. Is this okay or should I wake him?

He seems to stir around the 2 and a half hour mark but sometimes doesn’t fully wake up and just goes back to sleep.

Thank you!

[SleepingStandingUp]

I wouldn't leave him more than 4, probably now like 3 1/2. If he rouses then goes back to sleep, can you dream feed him? We do that if the babies have an early feed, we dream feed them about midnight without waking them ideally

[Thinkpinkstink]

Congratulations!

I'm not medically trained, and only have one child, but my general feeling is that if he's average weight, and otherwise healthy, I'd let him sleep. Especially if he's drinking a standard amount of formula (which is far more nutritionally predictable than breast milk) in a day.

Maybe I'd wake him up at the 6 hour mark, but even that's probably not necessary, really.

[CochonDinde]

Mine was a hell of a sleeper. Used to go 14 hours before we woke her!!

[Thinkpinkstink]

Sorry by 'not necessary' I mean I'd imagine he'd wake by 6 hours.

If he slept 6+ hours if probably check in with my HV or GP to confirm if it sounded normal.

[MyName007]

Why would you wake a sleeping baby? If he is hungry, he will wake up. I was like you with my first-born and was putting the alarm clock every couple of hours, but DM told me stop and I've never looked back. If the baby content, he will sleep as long as he wants. Leave him be.
Congratulations and lucky you!

[ShyTown]

Presuming full term, healthy weight, fed well during the day and no jaundice or anything like that then I personally wouldn’t wake.

[Raindrop87]

I've been told to feed every 3 hours but I've got to admit, it does seem crazy to wake a sleeping baby...

[Scubalubs87]

Let him sleep and enjoy the longer stretches.

[TeacupDrama]

Don't wake a sleeping baby in the night if they sleep all day and are awake every 2 hours in the night I would wake in the day, if your baby weighs over 8 Lb they don't need to feed every 2 hours.

[NatalieH2220]

Like others have said providing otherwise healthy and a good weight I wouldnt wake for a feed.

[Lilice]

If you're talking about during the night, i wouldn't wake him up for a feed. During the day, I'd wake him up after 4 hours.

[Wishing56]

Agree with others - i used to wake my girls after 4hrs in the day and at night would leave them. That meant that they got their fill of formula in the day and night time slept longer stretches. From 7 weeks they slept 7+hrs a night.
When i first started leaving them (around 3 weeks old) i found they woke up every 4hrs anyway.

[TheHuntingOfTheSarky]

I ignored all advice with both of mine and let them sleep. Didn't have any adverse effect whatsoever on their health, weight gain or sleep patterns when they were older, and from my point of view I was able to get a decent rest which was fantastic. Go with your gut instinct.

[shartsi]

Don't wake up a sleeping baby. Baby will wake up if they are hungry. I don't know why some health visitors tell parents that babies must feed every 3 hours. Thankfully I never took this advice.

[KB13]

If during the night don’t wake him. We didn’t with either of ours and they slept straight through the night from 3 months. I will be doing exactly the same with our 3rd as well. Let a sleeping baby sleep and you do the same 😊

[Racoonworld]

I got told by the health visitor it’s ok to leave to sleep at night if they’re back up to their birth weight.

[Pegase]

Every baby is different but I would wake every four hours in the day as in first month they do not always stir themselves when they need feeding and low blood sugar can make them even more sleepy and harder to rouse. Also their tummies are still very small so to get the requisite amount of milk they will have to catch up at some point and you do not want that to be all night long!

[GreenLeafTurnip]

If he was born full term you should be fine. My son was weeks early and we had to wake him every 2 hours until he started gaining weight and had hit the 40 week mark for gestation. But to be honest I would always er on the side of caution and ask your midwife or health visitor.

The reason you have to wake them is because their blood sugar levels drop which makes them sleep which in turn can cause them to fall into a coma if they are roused and fed. That's for premature babies but it would have really helped me if I had known that when he was born!

[Darkstar4855]

As PP have said, if your baby is a healthy weight and producing regular wet nappies then no need to wake. Mine would sometimes do 5-6 hours at that age which was great!