can a newborn sleep TOO much

[notveryinventive]

Hi,

My DC3 is 4 days old and has slept quite a lot. Yesterday was the first time she was awake for more than half an hour at once, but today she has not really been awake since half 8 AM. She has woken up for feeds (sometimes we have to help her wake up), but has fallen asleep mid-feed which has led to her not feeding much. For this reason I am trying to wake her every 3 hours, instead of 4 to get enough nutrients in her.

I dont know if I should be worried or not. I've tried to look it up, but I keep getting the "you know your baby" line, which is fine, but as she is only 4 days old, im not sure if its normal as she is no different today than the last couple of days. Also I cant find much about too much sleep, only tips to get them to sleep and tips to wake her, such as changing a nappy or taking off a layer, but this is fine then 5 mins or so into feeding she's fast asleep and not feeding anymore.

My midwife is coming tomorrow to weigh her, but should I ring someone now? She doesnt have a high temp, she is just difficult to wake to give her a good feed. I did read that her nappies should be OK which they are (ie weeing and pooing). She just seems very sleepy and not very alert.

Should I be worried?

My DD was very very sleepy as a newborn and she lost quite a lot of weight (about 11% if I recall correctly - it was only 8 weeks ago I ought to be more precise!) going from 6lb 10 to 5lb 15 oz when she was weighed on day 3. I forcefed nursed her with lots of skin to skin that night as I was worried and she put on about 6oz overnight.

If she is being weighed tomorrow I would just wake her every three hours for a feed and see what the weigh in brings. DD is 8 weeks now and becoming much more alert and engaged but she is still a champion sleeper. Perhaps we just have 2 easy, contented babies?

Well....my newborn dd was the same....slept and slept and slept, having to be woken for feeds.
I was quite suspect about it all as she is my third baby, and my mother's instinct said it wasn't quite right.
I consulted hv and gp only to be told that some newborns sleep more than others, and a few of them rather a lot.
It still niggled though, as her milk intake was so small.

I sought a further opinion, and as it turned out she had a chronic UTI and was really ill.

Get her checked out - it certainly can't do any harm.