Newborn sleep - will it last? Is it normal?

[Floopyandtired]

Second time mum. DS1 was and still is (aged 3.5) a rubbish sleeper, could never be put down as a baby, nocturnal for the first 2 months, woke hourly until aged 1, etc. Even now he still wakes once a night for a cuddle. We chose not to sleep train and just rode it out. DS2 is 2 weeks old and we had geared ourselves up for more of the same with sleeping, but so far he’s sleeping ok. Actually really well. For example last night he went down to sleep at 10:30pm then woke for feeds at 2am and 6:30am. He slept til 9:30am. He’s BF and gaining weight really well. Back above birth weight and plenty of wet and dry nappies.

My question is, should I be letting him go so long at night without feeding at this age? And will this “good” sleeping last from your experience? I’m fully expecting it to go to pot at some point but there’s a tiny part of me that hopes I may have produced a better sleeper this time. Humour me!

Don't tell the health visitor but my DC1 slept like this from 3 weeks. I did not wake her up for extra feeds, though did pump a bit to start with cos I was worried about my supply so early on. Never had any issues with her weight etc. She is now a 3.5 and a picture of health.

I shall avoid telling you about how wrong it all went at 4 months! (We took a different path to you a bit later on and she has been back to being a brilliant sleeper ever since).

Thought I had mad parenting skills, then had DC2 and learned it is luck of the draw.

DC3 due in a few weeks and am dreading the sleepless nights again.

Enjoy it and I hope it lasts.

It's always easier with no 2! Because you know what your doing this time around .. relax he's just a good sleeper 😀

My first was a nightmare sleeper. Ironically now that he's a teenager I can't wake him !!

My second slept through at 10 days and literally hasn't woke during the night since. He has slept through every single ailment he's ever had including a nosebleed. When I went into his room in the morning there was blood all over him and his pillow. Frightened the life out of me when I went in his room in the morning !!!

I was told by Midwife and health visitor to wake after 4 hours (which you baby is doing anyway) but my baby was a tiny 5lb dot so I’m not sure if that make a difference. As long as he’s gaining weight and having plenty of wet nappies I would embrace it if I were you.

I would never wake a sleeping baby that's gaining weight, they will wake when they are hungry. My son had a similar sleeping pattern early on and by about 2 months only woke once in the night. But by 6 months when his first teeth appeared it all changed!

My two were / are exactly the same, first DC is nearly four and still gets into our bed at some point every single night. Second DC slept through from 3 weeks old! I just let her get on with it, she was a decent size and was gaining weight and eating well. She still sleeps really well now at 18 months, it's so nice to have one that sleeps! Enjoy it

My first was like this. I was ill due to birth complications and she lost weight and I was told by midwife/Heath visitor to wake and feed her. However two GP relatives said not as sleep important for growth so i didn’t. She’s fine, late teens now. Always slight which correlates to weight graphs. Small appetite and quite petite but healthy and strong. My following two sadly were
Terrible sleepers. Enjoy it whist you can

DD was certainly a better sleeper than DS from birth. She slept through the night (at least 8 hours, often 11 or 12!) from about 6 weeks, then went through a rough patch between 5 and 7 months where she woke up very frequently, but is starting to do a bit better now at 7.5 months. Generally she wakes every three or four hours again now, which is much better than hourly!

Meant to say my first slept 7-7 from five weeks, so a long time with out a feed.

He's gaining weight, he has plentiful wet and dirty nappies so I wouldn't interfere with his pattern.

I would enjoy the sleep while you have it. It’s hard to say what will happen in the future. But my first (who was ff) was really tricky with sleep. My 2nd (who was ebf) was consistently much easier from the start. He didn’t sleep through regularly til around 2, but overall he has by far been the better sleeper and all around easier. My older one (now 8) still causes me more issues with sleep. They’re just wired differently.

Enjoy it! You never know it might last.

My first was similar to your first, generally appalling (still is actually at 2.5). My second was brilliant to begin with, only waking twice a night for a quick feed. Then he hit 3.5 months and since then has been up at least every hour, he's 11 months now.

Not saying this to scare you, everyone told me you don't get two horrific sleepers and I believed them so I found it really, really hard when it went to pot even though I'd done it before. I hope you actually do have a great sleeper though! Fingers crossed 😊

That's pretty much the exact same schedule my dd has (2.5 month) and has been that way more or less from 2 weeks. Prior to that I woke her a few times but then gave up and justlet her wake when she wanted to and so far so good.

Absolutely fine to let him sleep through once he's reached birth weight, which he has 🙂

My baby only woke once in the night and I got a bit cocky...4 months later, it all went to pot and hasn't been great ever since. So hopefully you're lucky with this one...just don't let him hear you say it 😆

Thanks everyone, what I’m taking from all of this is to enjoy it while I can 😂 x

Mine has slept through since 5 weeks. I never woke her for feeds. She sleeps 9-9 at the moment. We are approaching 4 months so bracing myself...hopefully we don't have a regression!