Don't hate me! But is this normal?

[grumpypumpkin]

My 9 week old daughter seems to be sleeping loads lately. For the past 4-5 days she has been sleeping 8 hours plus at night (12 hours last night!) plus lots of sleep time in the day (maybe 3 naps of 2 hours each). When awake she is cheerful, smiley and alert. She feeds for about 10 mins a time (exclusive bf) every 3-4 hours in the day. I am having to express more to stop my poor boobs leaking everywhere at night, they are used to her previous snack bar approach.

I am worrying that she is sleeping too much, and that she is ill. In fact, I postponed her vaccinations this week as was concerned, despite the nurse wryly observing that she seemed "bright as a button" in the appt. She has has a snuffly nose and a few sneezes.

She has also just started sucking her thumb and seems to be doing it a lot, which coincides with her getting snoozy.

Am I being a neurotic first time mum and should I just be grateful? I am worried she is not getting enough stimulation and her development may be affected.

Yes be grateful....and it may not last so enjoy it while it does!

Two of my friends have had babies who have slept through from a few weeks old,and they were breastfed too.

Obviously there are things you can do to help your baby to sleep and get into good habits however most of it is just the way they are!

Both mine slept through pretty much from 3 weeks.

I think it's because they have their father's 'appetite' gene and stuffed themselves from 7am - 7pm.

I remember being worried when DS(PFB) napped loads in the day as well as sleeping 12 hours at night.

Make the most of it, both of mine are early risers who don't stop all day now.

I think that the thumb sucking may be helping. My dd1 spontaneously learned to do this around the same age (fingers not thumb) and she got great comfort from it. She used to sleep from around 6.30pm until 7am, plus two quite long naps in the day.

We paid for it big time with dd2. She needs far less sleep. :)

Just enjoy it, if she is happy, alert when awake, gaining weight etc, no need to worry.

Lucky thing (you and her)

DS3 (12 weeks) sounds just like your daughter. DS1 and 2 weren't, and it was much harder work as a result. Just enjoy and be grateful and hope / pray that if you have any more they are the same. (I will join you in that prayer!)

Just a thought - maybe her 'snack bar' approach before was because she wanted to suck for comfort, and now she's found her thumb she doesn't need that anymore because she comforts herself? Also, if you express to stop leaking at night, you might stimulate your milk supply more, so maybe consider just wearing a bra with pad at night for a couple of nights until your supply adjusts?

Thanks peeps.
Yes Lions I wonder if her ability to comfort herself means that she does not need to suckle as much.

I forgot to mention that her pooey nappies have now reduced to one a day, with 4 or 5 wet nappies a day. This is big reduction from previously when nearly every nappy had a poo in it, some quite green (got myself all tangled up in foremilk/hindmilk knots with that one!)

As I am trying to do baby led stuff I am doing my best to "go with the flow" as much as I can, but find myself hovering over her and talking to her when she stirs to try and wake her for a feed.

Have to express a bit as leaking through 2 pads and a bra, unable to sleep on my side as seems to squeeze milk out!

Will try and relax and be grateful!

Yup, DS3 also has recently started doing less poo nappies too.

I don't do baby led much though, because his feeds have to fit around the other two - school runs, trips to friends / soft play / doctors etc.

Despite differences in routine, sounds like we're both lucky to have relaxed babies.

And I take it back - leaking through 2 pads and a bra - yes I see why you want to express a bit!

My DD started sleeping for 8 hr strethces at 8 weeks old. It didn't last (she did it until 14 wks IIRC) and she's currently waking at least 2-3 times a night, sometimes more, so just make the most of it while you can!

I thought that expressing is a way of increasing your milk - your brain Tunis it's s baby feeding do will keep telling your boobs to make as much milk. I think you need to just let your body sync with how much your baby wants - which means putting up with the hard leaky boobs for a short while, until your brain realises all that milk isn't needed...

Sorry, predictive text on iPhone making funny words for me there...Tunis = thinks!

Haha OK Curly will stop worrying and start sleeping!
Boobs not so bad last night, think combination of her taking more before bed and supply catching up with reduced demand.
Thanks!