Are the other new mums telling whopping great lies?

[Katietatie123]

DS is almost 6 weeks old and formula fed. He's a hungry little soul and feeds about 140ml every three hours during the day, which is fine. He also feeds every three hours during the night, you can pretty much set your watch by him waking up on time. he generally feeds and then settles back down pretty easily.
None of this would really worry me were it not for the other mums who tell me that they already have babies who sleep for 5 hours at a stretch during the night. How how how?? Will he do this on his own? Is there some secret trick that I'm missing? Do I have an exceptionally lively child? Or are they just telling me lies?

They might be lying but they might just be lucky. It's possible but it isn't anything to do with anything they've done. Yes your DS will do it eventually on his own, so don't worry and don't blame yourself!

Hi katie I am in a similar position myself, altho DS is 16 weeks old. All of my friends have babies that have slept thru for weeks now (or so they say!) and DS sstill has a night feed and wakes at the crack of dawn. I like to think that they are lying...makes me feel better!

yes, probably lying! I agree with tinierclanger too. it will come in time.

Some babies do, some babies don't. My breastfed ds slept 8 hours (7pm-3am) from 8 weeks - but it only lasted til 18 weeks then I was lucky if he slept 3 hours at a time!

From my ante-natal group there was a mix at different times of babies sleeping 7-7, 11-6, waking every hour etc. Some were better sleepers than others but none did the same every night for weeks on end.

They might not be lying but they are likely to get a shock at the four month sleep regression (there'll be lots of info on here if you search) at which point you are allowed to cackle loudly.

Hi katie you're not alone!I like to think they're telling fibs too!Like Suzym my ds is 16weeks,she was sleeping thru about 9pm till 6am but for the last week of so shes been sleeping from 8pm then waking at 3am for a feed and going back down till 6.30am.

My DS is 18 wks. He has 9pm bf then sleeps til 5am. I can say I consider myself very lucky to get a full nights sleep.

Sorry, Moonface, but my DD slept 7-7 from 8 weeks and didn't have a 4 month regression (save a few wake-ups for illness, teeth and rolling over at 5 months)... it wasn't anything I did right though, it just happened. I think she was having about 6-7oz every two hours until 20 weeks or so though, so I guess she was filling up in the day time- I would say try to feed more during the day?

DS was sleeping through from 7 weeks. I can't quite remember the actual hours but 10 hour stretches were not uncommon. It was nothing I did, just luck. I remember telling a HV about it at a breastfeeding clinic and she said "for goodness sake, don't tell any of the other mums!"

It didn't really last, he woke in the night regularly due to teething etc from about 6 months and for the first 18 months of his life was an early waker (like 4.30am ). No 4 month sleep regression though.

They're all different, the only thing you can do is respond to your baby as needed and they'll get there eventually.

DD1 slept through very early almost from day 1 (the MW made me wake her during the night for a month), but she did gorged herself on milk during the day. By 18h she had a 24h worth of milk already. (no sleep regression either).

DD2 needed more time between feed, and woke up at night to make up.
I don't think they are lying and I don't think there is anything you can do.

Most people consider a 5h stretch sleeping through.

Both my DC slept from 8pm until 7am from 5 weeks old, but this was purely down to luck.

lucky you funnybumblebee! How old is your dd?

Mothers of newborns all lie to each other all the time. When I went to my HV class, we went round the room and all had to say how we were getting on. Everyone everyone said that they were doing well and loved being a new mum and were happy. I later found out that one mother was on the verge of being admitted to a mother and baby unit, another two were getting mild/ moderate PND and many of the others had problems with feeding/ sleeping/ husbands/ missing their jobs etc.

First rule is everyone is putting a positive face on, and second rule is FGS don't compare yourself to other mums, you'll go round the twist. It is perfectly possible that their babies are sleeping more, every baby is different, but don't let them worry you!

My DD slept through from 10wks (7-7 with dreamfeed). HOWEVER the 4 month sleep regression hit us at about 15 wk and we are now 21 wk and we sometimes have several waking in the night.

Babies sleep is so changeable!

One thing that worked for us in the early days was cluster feeding in the evening, so feeding 2 hourly just before DC goes to bed for the night - that may get him sleeping slightly longer stretches at night.

My ds1 slept through from 5 weeks and literally sailed through teething etc and no sleep regressions. wish id appreciated it more as ds 2, now 15 weeks is nowhere near sleeping through! he has no pattern for nightfeeds either, and will sometimes go through til early morning, then the next night will feed twice. Babies are individuals, I wish i knew why ds1 slept so well from the beginning, and still does now, and how I could help ds2 do the same but there isnt a magic spell unfortunately.

someone once told me that her 3 month old was 'sleeping through the night' and then followed it up with 'I only have to go ino her room to pop her dummy back in once at about 3am'.

So yes, people lie.

Emski, my DS feeds every 2 hours in the day anyway! His cluster feeding was more like 5 mins on the breast, 5 mins off, whinge, 5 mins on the breast...and repeat for 4 hours!

DS is now 14.5 weeks and has gone through so many different sleeping patterns. Before his 6 week growth spurt he was going 9-1.30, 2.30-5.30, 6-8/9 (after bringing in bed with me) but then it went horribly wonky for a good few weeks. He finally settled and was going 6.30-4.30-6 (praise the gods!) but his 12 week spurt messed that up. He hasn't settled properly from that one yet but seems to be starting his 16 week regression as his day naps are all over the place. He slept 9-6 Thurs night (woohoo!) and followed it up with 3 hourly waking last night, little monkey.

Also, people's definitions of sleeping through vary. Some people would say that when DS was going 10 hours, he was sleeping through. Some people say it's a 12 hour stint, 7-7 or simply sleeping when the adults are asleep. I wanted to count 9-6 as sleeping through but DH says it doesn't!

I wouldn't worry, babies will do what they want I reckon. The only thing I've found makes a difference for DS is proper day naps. If he doesn't sleep in the day then we're in for a crap night. We haven't changed what we do but he changes all the time. You're not doing anything wrong but the other mums might not be lying either.