Why would you expect a 4wk old to sleep through the night?

[Clary]

Chatting to a 2nd-time parent colleague about how the new baby is doing, OK he says, but we're trying to get her to sleep through now. She's 4 wks.

I expressed surprise. He meant sleeping 11pm to 6am (not really sleeping through then) but even so. Apparently the thing to do if the baby wakes at 3am or whatever is to give her water so she stops wanting the milk. Is this a good idea at 4 wks?

And why would you have a baby at all if you weren't prepared to give up a few weeks/months of nights to deal with them waking? Mine are good sleepers but they still wake me now and then - and when they were tiny babies (and 4 wks is tiny isn't it?) I was fine with them waking me.

Oh well, now tell me I'm being judgemental! I was quite at the water thing tho - are you not supposed to feed a tiny baby milk whenever they need it? (It's a while since I looked after one, but still....)

ds2 (nearly 5 weeks) did 9.30-3 ONCE 2 weeks ago- I was thrilled, but it has not been repeated and I don't feel I can expect it to be.

(last night he did only midnight to 3.45 (after a looooong evening of feeding in front of the telly and dh's intensive winding) and then 4 to 6 followed by a series of half hour naps and copious wind!! I am shattered.)

At this stage I feel they're far too new to regulate their needs according to an adult timetable. I think this couple will have a fairly awful time trying to get their 4wk old into any sort of routine & probably depress themselves deeply.

rantohills it's his second child tho.

Maybe he was sleep-deprived. TBH it wasn't really the hope of a full night which shocked me (after all, we can all hope - and actually DD did 7pm-6am at 9wks (not the boys tho)).

I was more worried by the water thing. Yes MrsB I feel they may have read this idea in a book. But yes, surely a tip to try at 6mo or so if your baby is still waking for milk.