Is it wrong to let my newborn (three weeks) sleep for nearly six hours at night without a feed?

[Yellowflowers]

Apologies to those posting due to lack of sleep. Am not showing off, an genuinely concerned.

My dd (breastfed with formula top ups on docs advice after poor start with feeding and losing lots of weight) has slept the last few nights for 5-6 hours in a row. (feed at 9 for hour and half, shorter feed at 12.30am then to sleep at 1.30am and awake around 7.30).

I know I am meant to wake her every 3-4 hours for a feed but the sleep is so wonderful that I haven't, though in daytime I do though she usually wakes for it automatically.

All my Internet research says newbornbaby's stomachs not big enough for them to sleep this long in one go. But she has started to put weight on now.

So my questions:

am I being horribly selfish letting her sleep this long on one go at night?

Should I be worried she is not waking up hungry after 3-4 hours at night?

Anyone else's newborn done this?

Okay, we had to wake my DD up at night every 3 -4 hours until she was about 4 weeks old, but she was really struggling to put on weight. Once she hit her weight, we stopped and within a week she was down to waking once. I would say as long as she is back up to birth weight, leave her be.

ds1 did this, he was a porker and slept for 6/7 hours at might from birth.

I would say, as long as her weight stays fine, you should let her sleep and count your blessings!!!

God no. A long as she is continuing to put on weight, and seems contented, let her sleep.

My DD slept for 5-6 hours right from the start. I can recall that DH and I would be hanging over the cot with a mirror at her lips to check if she was still breathing after 3 hours.

It depends. If you are keen to continue breastfeeding, this sleep may well not be a good idea.

If you are ok with the idea of your daughter ending up fully formula fed (which may happen, in the next few months) then the sleep is fine.

(If you want more discussion about this element, the breast and bottle feeding area is a good place to post.)

If feeding is going well, baby is gaining weight etc, then after the first couple of weeks then I'd let a baby sleep up to 6 hours at night.

However, if you're having some issues with breastfeeding/supply anyway, then I wouldn't want to miss a night feed.

I never woke dd if she missed her feed. My dd was bf also and if she slept through I did also. Her first no waking up night was at 2 mths.

I think you're doing everything right. You've got a contented baby that is sleeping well and gaining weight. The formula top-ups sound like they're just the ticket.... don't be pressured into exclusively BF if it isn't appropriate. I'd suggest that you don't look for problems if they don't exist.

Though I would add the suggestion that you could expressing when she's sleeping if you feel engorged. Then you can use that milk for the top-up bottle feeds instead of formula (this worked brilliantly for me).

God no, let her sleep.

Let her sleep ,if your method of feeding is working then don't change it

Oh Yellowflowers you just brought back one of PFB moments

When DD1 (16) was about 3 or 4 weeks old I woke up at 3am in a major panic because she'd slept for 6 hours without a feed. I phoned the maternity ward in right tizz and after asking a few questions about her weight etc their advice was to "be grateful that she's sleeping and go back to bed".

As long as she's thriving then you are doing a great job so just follow her lead.