Extending sleep

[meepymeepmeep]

My DS is 11 weeks and mix fed - BF with small formula top ups at some feeds and a larger bottle at 7.30pm (ish) before bed.

He sleeps from around 8pm to 2am when he wakes and is breastfed and usually goes back to sleep until around 6am (ish).

I know this is pretty good at 11 weeks but how can I work on him dropping or even at this stage just extending the 2am wakening?

Should I perhaps not wait for him to wake and lift and feed him beforehand at say 11pm or so?

Really would welcome any advice at all as am a first time Mum and really don't want to be too regimented and not enjoy my baby but am worried he perhaps lacks any proper routine.

I feed him whenever he wants or at least every 3 hours and do whatever it takes for him to get naps during the day every couple of hours - he isn't a great napper so I have to put him in the car for a drive or go out in the pram. I have read books that say to put ur drowsy baby down to sleep but having tried this I just spend more time trying to make him stay asleep and I end up with a very cranky baby!

I don't think you can 'work it' particularly and he sounds like a smashing little sleeper to me so it would be a pity to mess things up. My DS as a baby had the same pattern as yours at night and the 2am feed dropped away quite naturally in our case once we got going with weaning properly (which was 16 weeks in 2000). The disadvantage of waking him at 11pm is that you could find yourself with a grumpy baby & still getting up at 2am anyway.

I would occasionally turn in at 8pm if I were you. If you can get 6 hours straight sleep it's incredible just how good you feel!! As for the daytime naps, those sound like you're doing a great job. Don't worry :)

My advice would be don't change a thing. He sounds like he is doing brilliantly.

Thanks for your responses - my gut also tells me to leave it and enjoy it while it's here - and then I flick through these baby books and think 'oh no, he's not x, y and z' and feel like I am going to ruin him :) I may bin them as he seems pretty contented as he is.

I am going to go to bed at 8pm tonight :) (he may decide to revert back to being mental any day now).

Confucious he say.... bin baby books, they only make you feel inadequate :)

Seriously, if you've got a contented, smiley baby that is happy to go from 8pm to 2am without stirring, then soon it'll extend to 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am... quite naturally. Always trust your own judgement. You won't go far wrong.

I will, ta :)