9-week-old sleeping through the night

[TheBerry]

My 9-week-old has started sleeping long stretches at night. Instead of sleeping too I'm lying here worrying! I've been advised generally just to leave him, but is it really ok to let him go maybe 10 hours without feeding??

I wouldn't be so worried if he was a heavy baby, but he's only on about the 30th centile (71st at birth). All the medical professionals I've seen have said his weight gain is fine, he's thriving, he's following his own curve, but I just don't really believe it - he doesn't feed particularly well in my opinion and I don't believe he's getting enough. However, I have been known to prognosticate on the bleak side and be generally anxious.

He just had a frenulotomy today.

As long as he feeds well during the day and is generally gaining weight then I wouldn't worry. My three all slept through the night from about 6 or 7 weeks old and I just left them to it. I'd check in on them occasionally, but that was it.

I just fed them plenty during the day and they were fine. All are grown up now and in their twenties.

I genuinely don't feel that he feeds well during the day. His tongue tie hasn't helped, and he's in the habit of a bad latch now, and he's so gassy which sometimes interferes with his feeds. The health visitor etc reckon he's found his curve between the 50th and 25th centile, but I just feel his growth is lagging. Whether that's paranoia on my part, I can't say!

My baby went though a phase of this and now doesn’t sleep if that’s any help! I used to do a dream feed about 10pm before I went to sleep and if I felt engorged would do another 3/4am. I found he ate better when asleep as no distractions! He’d go down 8pm and sleep til 4 no feeds if he could. The dream feeds meant he slept til 6am for many weeks. X

I wonder if the tie release will impact his sleep? DD had a rough 48 post release and then improved in fits and starts. Keep an eye on his wet nappies. Anything less than 5 in 24 hours and have a chat with an IBCLC and probably wake over night(dream feed might work too). But if he is having 5 plus wet nappies and growing well let him sleep. Some babies do sleep though earlier than others.

@DrJump nope - slept 11 hours last night. We tried to wake him to feed him, he wouldn't feed. He's not feeding much today, either. I'm concerned frankly.

It's worth speaking to the person who released the tie. DD had a rough few weeks post release with little weight gain and frankly rubbish feeding. I spent maybe a week trying feeding and then top up with expressed milked. She came good in the end. However I was in regular contact with the IBCLC who recommend to help me over the fits and starts.

In the meantime you could try breast compressions while baby is feeding at the breast to help ensure more milk gets in with less effort from baby.

Here is a link for breast compressions

If you're concerned get a second opinion.
You know your baby best.
If he is gaining weight it suggests he is in fact having enough but again, you know your baby best.

My DS slept through since birth. I had to wake him until he regained his birth weight and his jaundice had cleared. He wouldn't always want the night time bottles but I found if you massage the teat on the roof of their mouth they seem to latch better. If you're bottle feeding that is.

After his jaundice had cleared I didn't wake him anymore. Think that was around 3 weeks.

My friends baby slept through from 8pm to 7am every night from 8 weeks! It didn't ever change. We had babies within a week of each other and she could never understand why I was so exhausted all the time! Her second child was completely different 😁

Mine slept 7~7 with a dream feed at 10pm from 6 weeks. Just make the most of it & maybe try a dream feed if you're worried?

Hi @TheBerry - I agree with you, I think you should push for your health visitor or GP to assess and monitor this properly. For the few weeks after DD was born, she was sleeping loads, and I thought "this is great, newborns are easy peasy" - turns out a sleepy baby can be a baby that isn't getting enough food (which I didn't know, I couldn't tell how much she was getting because I was breastfeeding) and she hadn't gained enough weight. However, for ages they said she was fine, and then suddenly a u-turn! In fact they were considering taking us back into hospital at one point, if I didn't give her formula (which I did).

Trust your instincts!

Ds was born on Halloween and slept through the night that Christmas Eve, I have never had such panic when I woke up and realised!! He then was a very good sleeper. The gp did say to wake to feed if weight began to drop but it stayed ok so we just went with it. Next ds however never slept, even now at 15 he needs very little sleep!!!

You have a mother worried about her child and you’re here sharing links to participate in your little university research? Absolutely unprofessional and inconsiderate to do so. You should have started your own thread and asked there, instead of crawling through the boards hounding people on their advice threads.

@Sd20aaw i have reported your post, totally inappropriate

Your baby weight 71 stone at birth? Jesus!!!!!

My baby slept through from six weeks old. He was a poor eater too. Don't worry about it. If he's hungry in the night he will let you know. Just enjoy it!

Hi SmallPrawnEnergy,

Thank you for your comment, I completely agree with you. I am sorry I have caused offence.
I am new to mumsnet, I joined this evening to use the platform as a way to advertise a piece of research that aims at helping postpartum women. I’ve only ever previously used mumsnet to browse when my child was a little younger, he’s 3 now.

I will remove my post in this thread and will find out how to start a separate thread as you suggested.

I apologise again.

Take care!

I agree with you! Any idea how I can remove my comment. I apologise again, I am new to this forum. I didn’t mean to cause any harm or offence.

I wouldn't worry unduly but also wouldn't ignore mother's intuition. Eleven hours is too long IMHO. I would check carefully baby is showing no signs of lethargy, dehydration or ill health and I'd wake to feed. I wouldn't be fixated on the percentile, just the trajectory and health.

You can report your own comment.

OP my little boy slept through the from 7 weeks, he's now almost 3 and has almost consistently slept through (bar the odd regression, teething and illness episode). You just have a unicorn, enjoy 🦄

I have thank you so much.

In regards to the post. I am a mother myself, and when my son was this young one night he would breastfeed almost all night and others he would go about 7 hours without crying for milk.

I would always say trust your gut 100%, with a baby that young especially, as their mother you often know without knowing how you know if something is wrong.

Typically though, if a baby is hungry they will let you know.

Newborns can be so confusing and it doesn’t come with a manual (I wish it did). If you’re concerned, I would suggest speaking to the doctor/ your midwife if you’re yet to be discharged/ health visitor to get some more solid advice.

All I will say is that for now, try and sleep when your baby does. It’s normal to be anxious and be kind to yourself in that situation.

I wish you the best.

If your concerned you are probably right .. I always think mums know best

Thanks so much everyone for your responses! Sounds like it can be normal in some cases, but in other cases could be a cause for concern.

@RedPandaFluff at what point did they decide your baby wasn't gaining enough? So far they're just telling me he's found his own curve, he's thriving, but I just see a baby who's slowly dipping down through the centiles 😬 I have to say though, I'm an anxious person and on many occasions my "gut" has been totally wrong.