Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not be concerned for DD?

211 replies

Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 13:12

My DD is almost 4 months old and has always been a fantastic sleeper, she's slept through without a feed since she was about a week old. Up until a few weeks ago she was having her last bottle at 8:30-9pm and waking up for her first the next morning at about 8:30-9am. Now she's having her last bottle at about 6-6:30pm and not having her first one the next morning until 10-11am. She's a perfectly happy& healthy baby and I'm soooo grateful for the sleep and that she's so laid back but others have questioned us. My dad is convinced this is not okay and it's not healthy to "let her" go that long without milk. I've never woken her up for a feed, I've always fed on demand (I know, shoot me). What do you think? Should I just be grateful and make the most of the quiet time or should I be concerned that she's going too long?

OP posts:
AndNothingElseMatters · 13/12/2016 14:19

When my DD was formula feeding I found that she went through a period at 3/4 months (can't remember exactly) when I couldn't get her to take much milk at all. Turned out the teat flow was too slow and she was having to work really hard to get enough milk out, so she'd get tired and give up.

Try a teat with a faster flow?

Sirzy · 13/12/2016 14:19

15 hours between bottles and sleeping for 16 hours a day at that age would be cause for concern to me. It may be nothing but I would be wanting it checked out.

Original poster
Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 14:19

misery yeah we did but she ended up wearing more milk than she drank.
dear 24oz? From what I can recall, unless I'm forgetting one that would make it 30

OP posts:
PrivatePike · 13/12/2016 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AndNothingElseMatters · 13/12/2016 14:21

Sorry I didn't notice miserys post there.

Should that be happening with a faster flow teat? I don't know. It never happened with my DD certainly but maybe it's common.

She doesn't have a tongue tie or anything?

DubiousCredentials · 13/12/2016 14:21

My babies always loved standing up holding my fingers from this age. I had no idea I shouldn't have let them. No hip or leg problems at all!

Basicbrown · 13/12/2016 14:21

wtf is all this nonsense about standing/ not standing....?

I am Confused about the hysteria on the thread generally. Take her and get her weighed, definitely I'd also offer a feed earlier in the morning, even if she doesn't have much until then.

1horatio · 13/12/2016 14:22

If she is fine the going to the GP won't harm her.

If she isn't... well, then not going to the GP might have devastating consequences.

So, please go.

And if you weren't a teeny tiny bit concerned you wouldn't have started this thread.

Nicknameofawesome · 13/12/2016 14:22

I personally think it's too long without fluids. Babies can get dehydrated scarily fast and it would bother me for her to go that long. I would get her checked and TBH I would wake her about 7 for a feed as I think longer than 12/13 hours is too scary for me.

DearMrDilkington · 13/12/2016 14:23

From Google,
A 4-month-old weighing 14 pounds needs 28-32 ounces.

So she is still under

DearMrDilkington · 13/12/2016 14:24

Sorry half my post went! She's only a bit under but you just don't want it to slip anymore.

Original poster
Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 14:24

private a few people have said they're in the same boat so others may have posted about it before..I haven't. Although maybe that's means it's not as rare as we think.
nothingelse because it's faster she can't seem to keep up and it leaks from her mouth. She's still on the first tests and they seem to work for her perfectly. It's just keeping her focused as she loves lights and noise. So the Christmas tree isn't helping! But no she doesn't have a tongue tie

OP posts:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 13/12/2016 14:24

I'd be a little worried about having gone straight back to sleep for a couple of hours after a 12hr sleep. Especially given the feeding issue.

Is 16 hrs typical?

PrivatePike · 13/12/2016 14:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Footinmouthasusual · 13/12/2016 14:27

Well take her to be weighted and then you will be reassured.

AndNothingElseMatters · 13/12/2016 14:27

Which brand of bottle are you using? Only my SIL found the Tommee Tippee bottle teats too fast for my nephew. We used Dr Browns and found they were very good. SIL switched to those and saw a big improvement.

SolomanDaisy · 13/12/2016 14:27

I think it's a good thing you're going to get her weighed. It does sound a bit outside the range of normal feeding and sleeping patterns.

Original poster
Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 14:28

I don't know about what's typical as I've never really counted her sleep before but she has always slept alot. She used to have a nap after her second bottle but since her first has got later (and she's gone up to 6oz) she seems to have it before the second

OP posts:
Basicbrown · 13/12/2016 14:29

MrDilkington babies drink different amounts to each other and on different days, it can't be determined by googling. The baby needs to be weighed if there are concerns with feeding.

Both my DDs were 25th centile all the way to 6 months and DD1 drank considerably less milk than DD2.

Original poster
Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 14:29

We used tommee tippe bottles, first teat

OP posts:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 13/12/2016 14:29

Private there was a very similar thread a few weeks ago. Similar aged baby, demand fed, slept through from one week etc.

ChaChaChaCh4nges · 13/12/2016 14:30

I also think it's unusual to still be on size 1 teats at 4 months - mine all went onto size 2 at around 6 weeks, from memory.

Basicbrown · 13/12/2016 14:30

I don't think she should be on first teats though OP

Original poster
Christinedonna · 13/12/2016 14:30

I can't seem to find her centile in her book but tbh we've had pretty useful visits and appointments where no one has wrote anything down

OP posts:
Verbena37 · 13/12/2016 14:31

OP, I would be concerned about how much solid sleep your baby is having.
Other weeks, if your ex can't take you, all and ask that the HV pops to you.
Babies that young are supposed to be alert and wakeful throughout the night and day and whilst some babies do sleep longer, your DD is sleeping a lot and not making up her lack of night time feeds, with lots of daytime milk.

You said I need your OP that sometimes she will only take about 6/7oz in a day. If she isn't having any milk through the night, that's unlikely to be enough for her to thrive.

It's not just about hydration, it's also about calcium and other vital vitamins and minerals.

Also, just because other mums on this thread have said similar things, doesn't mean that your DD is the same.

Hope her check this week goes well.