Too good to be true?

6 replies

idag · 07/08/2009 00:19

I am aware that many of you will think I am ridiculous for worrying about this, but I am a neurotic first time mum so worry about everything!

My baby girl is nearly 14 weeks now. She is exclusively breastfed,but we had a lot of issues at the beginning with latching on and poor weight gain. I use shields for every feed which work well, and she is now gaining weight slowly but surely.

Anyway, she has been sleeping through the night (9pm-9am) every single night since she was 8 weeks old. She feeds four times a day, at 9am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm for about 40 minutes a time. When I say this to people (family, other mums, midwives etc) they simply cannot believe it, so much so that I am worried that there is something not right as I thought that BF babies need to feed 6-8 tims in a 24 hour period, and there is no way they should be sleeping for 12 hours straight. I am sure it will not last when she starts teething but I just want some reassurance that this pattern is possible and I do not have the strangest baby in the world

Thanks

OP posts:

MillBill · 07/08/2009 00:22

Wow! My daughter turns two next week and I'm still feeding her at night! Lucky bugger!

AcademicMum · 07/08/2009 00:44

You may find that within a few weeks she starts feeding like a demon! Around 15/17 weeks or so I think is hardest until about 26 weeks. Enjoy your current status and so long as she is gaining and having wet/pooey nappies, don't worry!

Both my ds's slept fine from 6-8 weeks or so until around 4 months when both started waking every night for feeds (in ds2's case, every niht, every hour to the point where we co-slept not from choice but from necessicity). DS1 was ff but ds2 was bf. Both followed the same pattern except ds1 took to solids earlier/faster.

emboo1982 · 07/08/2009 00:52

Hi, my DS, 8mths,(still exclusive BF) would feed on and of for an hour every 4/5 hours but would happily go for 6/8 hrs most nights from about 6wks.
He was gaining plenty of weight, slept well between feeds and was generally happy.
My DP mentioned this to our HV and she was horrified, gave us a big lecture about blood sugars etc and made us feel like crap. We felt that bad we started waking him up to feed him during the night, big mistake!
Four weeks into new routine, new HV says we're insane and should not of started waking him!(still wants boob @1am)
This is my first proper attempt at BF (couldn't with DS1) and i was paranoid i was doing it wrong, he wasn't getting enough, my milks drying up and so on and so on......
IMHO if your little one is gaining weight(even tiny amount) is happy between feeds than i'd leave well alone,obviosly getting enougth milk and DC will let you know if hungry, enjoy your sleep while you can, in case teething does throw out your routine.

ramblingmum · 07/08/2009 07:32

My dd2 is 14 weeks and breastfed. She feeds about 5 times through the day then sleeps from 11pm to 8am. I thinks some times she would sleep longer ,but I end up waking her up as my boobs feel fit to burst. She is gaining weight and seems a very happy baby most of the time, so I'm just enjoying my sleep.

staylucky · 07/08/2009 13:32

I am so jealous

Anyone who tells you that you Should wake your baby for a feed clearly has never actually had a baby!

I could undestand that advice were baby seriously underweight or a poor feeder but clearly your baby is fine! Stop worrying and enjoy it! x x x

hairymelons · 08/08/2009 11:40

Your baby is not strange, she is a genius!
As the mother of a wakeful 13mo, I am very jealous. Long may it last

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