Can a newborn sleep too much?

[MrsKoala]

I have a 2wk old baby and he sleeps all the time. He sleeps in the day for longer than 3 hrs and when i wake him he doesn't want a feed. He has fed 3 times today and will feed 3 times in the night. If i wake him and put him on the boob he just falls back asleep and wont eat. Even when he does eat he doesn't seem to take much.

I know he is tiny (well he isn't really he was 9lb12oz at birth and was 9lb4oz on Monday) and has a small stomach and he was 2wks early by c-section, so might need more rest. But he is eating and sleeping less than our first ds (who was smaller).

I am starting to get worried.

I think he should have at least regained birth weight by now. My first was a poor feeder and so she was kind of exhausted during feeds. I had to keep waking her up and used to dab her little forehead with cotton wool during feeds. It was hard work.

I'd be concerned he's not getting enough to eat so is overtired. He should be waking for feeds etc.

That does seem really sleepy, is he jaundiced at all?

Hmm, my ds was also brought along 2 wks early by c section and was 8.10lbs then so a fair size too. He literally slept all the time for the first 4/5 weeks. I had to wake him to feed him in the day every 3 hours. He would feed quietly for 5 mins then fall asleep on boob and slept for Another 3 hrs till I woke him again. He did lose about 10% of body weight but was at birth weight within 3 weeks. Hv not bothered just said keep waking to feed. If I didn't wake him he would sleep for 5/6 hours straight without moving!!! It lasted for about 4/5 weeks. I reckon he wasn't ready to come out so just slept till he was fully baked!!

he was jaundiced and lost 11% of birth weight. He put on 210g between Fri and Monday. The MW seemed happy with that. MW is coming out tomo to sign us off. But i am starting to get concerned.

Also at 7 months he still sleeps more than any baby I know!! Probably naps like a 3 month old baby lol!!

That's what i am thinking feekerry. He is exactly the same. DS was nearly 3 wks late and was very 'lively' from the start. They seem so different. Other than these 2 i have no experience of babies at all.

I was 4wks early and slept all the time so mum thinks this is normal. I can't help but worry tho.

Ye I did worry too as dd was 16 days late too and often did awake periods of 3 hrs before needing a nap since birth. I did worry but Hv wasn't bothered really and there was a real difference when ds properly woke up at 5 ish weeks. Tbh even at 7 months he sometimes doesn't make it more than 90 mins between naps lol!!

I'd be wondering if the jaundice was returning. Do discuss this with the midwife tomorrow.

Can you post this on the feeding board? I'm less concerned about the amount of sleep than I might be about the lack of interest in feeding. There are clever ladies there who will have very wise advice I'm sure.

Congratulations, by the way

Dd was five weeks early and pretty much slept till her due date. We woke her for feeds and changed her nappy halfway through when she fell asleep. She was jaundiced when she was born; it makes them sleepy but they need lots of milk to wash it out so keep waking him for feeds.

If he is regaining weight (albeit slowly) & pooing/weeing, then should be ok?

(I had a v small baby born full term at 5-11 who was 5-4 at 7 days, subsequently dropped to 5-2, & slept more & more. It turned out I had milk supply issues. It doesn't sound as if you do?)

his jaundice has gone and we have lots of wet and dirty nappies. He needs waking a lot on the boob. But i do have an astonishingly fast let down and can pump about 4oz in 5-10mins (which is about how long he feeds before dropping off). milk is flowing out of his mouth when he feeds and he often gets hiccups and wind, from the gulping i imagine. He also cluster feeds at night and then seems to graze and sleep for the rest of the day.

I had the same too re let down etc (easily pump 5oz off one side in matter of mins) so I wasn't bothered about the short feeds (3-4 mins then asleep again) as I know I had tonnes of milk as I did with dd1.

My DS was 2 weeks early but was teeny, 6lbs exactly, and he was very sleepy. He did wake himself for feeds though (3 hours during the day and 4 hours at night - he'd read all the books in utero it seems!) He was otherwise ALWAYS asleep. I kept forgetting he was there

Ps. He was mostly asleep until about 12 weeks.

DD slept for FOUR MONTHS. 6.5lb, slept 8 till 6 reliably from 2 weeks. Unwillingly awake for about 45 minutes from about 4 till 5, then needed a long sleep to get her ready for bed at 8. Had masses and masses of milk, as you say, milk pouring from mouth - she grew fine, but not super-fast.

ENJOY IT!