9 week old not sleeping very much - problem?

[LittleMissB83]

Have put this thread here instead in case it gets a little more traffic... I guess I’m looking for a little reassurance despite what the baby books say!
My DS is 9 weeks (also my PFB!). So I’m new at all of this.
We had a difficult pregnancy and he was diagnosed with IUGR at birth (a long baby but weighing 2374g / 5lbs 3oz). He was very sleepy for the first week or so but for the following 4-5 weeks he cluster fed from 9pm-2am most days and once every 1-2 hours in the day. As a result he gained 7lbs and is now at a normal weight. He still cluster feeds but no longer at night.
My question is about his sleeping. He still feeds anything from every 1-3 hours including at night. His longest unbroken sleep was 4 hours. As a result I worry he doesn’t sleep enough across 24 hours. In an average night he might get 8-9 hrs max, in short bits, even though I take him to bed at 9pm and get up about 8am. This is because of feeds etc. In the day he will get another 3 or so hours in the pram, sleeping on me etc. This doesn’t seem enough. Any thoughts whether this is a problem? and if so what I could do? He’s a calm baby apart from all the feeds: not colicky, doesn’t cry much etc so lucky in that respect but not sure if he needs more sleep for his health.
I also don’t mind cosleeping with him because I’m a LP anyway but I’m nervous that he was a LBW baby and it’s placing him at risk. Is anyone aware whether the added risk is only for LBW babies who have not caught up in their growth?
TIA.

It sounds fine sleep wise. Sleeping 9-8am and waking for feeds is good going, is he easily resettled at night?

Naps sound fine too. Sleep cycles are around 45 mins at this age. Most babies will have four naps a day.

It's fine to co-sleep if he's caught up weight wise. Just follow all the guidance around duvets, pillows etc.

He usually wakes up because he needs feeding so I will feed him then hold him for about 20 minutes afterwards before putting him down. So I am usually awake for 45-60 mins at a time.

Was he full term? If not you may need to correct any expectations you have relative to his due date.

Other than that is he crying a lot a night once awake, or just crying for feeds then feeding and sleeping again.

Do you get him outside much during the day, pram sleeping in the garden, lots of sling walks. It seems to encourage more sleep, and there is evidence to say that babies who sleep outside more establish their circadian (day night rhythm) quicker.

You aren't getting enough sleep yourself because your baby isn't an angelic "good sleeper" but your baby will be fine on that amount. His sleep cycles are shorter and don't forget you are not getting back to sleep as soon as he is. Although mine weren't lie birth weight one of my kids slept like that for 2.5 years, waking every 45 minutes to two hours and only cat naps in the day. He's 7 now and healthy, tall for his age, doing well at school... Talk to your health visitor if she's approachable and if you want - babies who sleep this way are hard because adults need longer sleep cycles, but he'll be fine.

Sounds ok to me. Babies are mostly good at getting the sleep they need.

If he’s waking for feeds then the feed is more important to him than the sleep. Remember their tummies are tiny at this stage. He’ll get bigger and be able to go longer as time goes on.

You sound like you are doing well. The lack of sleep is awful I know. Hang on in there.

Answers to questions:

He was 38 weeks so early term. Dr has told me to adjust for a few developmental things on this basis so perhaps the sleep is the same - eg establishing breast feeding is about 2-3 weeks behind.

We get out for fresh air every day - I’m very keen on that! He does sleep nicely in the pram in the open air.

He’s never a fussy crying baby unless he’s poorly eg after jabs or has some bad wind. He just cries for food and then is back off after he’s had his feed.

Thank you, you’ve all made me feel much less worried! I am not getting a lot of sleep myself but mainly was just worried about him.

Does he have awake, alert periods or does he just eat and sleep? Wondered because of your update.

My dc2 and 3 were both born at 38 weeks and it made no difference I could see. Dc2 was very much the same as dc1, born at 41+5. Dc3 was different despite the same gestation as dc2.

Sleep is very much something that babies have to development, even though it seems like such a natural thing, so your DS is effectively 7 weeks, so it sound like he is doing just brilliantly and you are doing all the right things

My DD (3 months) has been a good sleeper from the start, and at night has alwayds cried/grizzled for a feed (depending on how long I took to stir) and then straight back to sleep during or after the feed. However, sometimes if she fell asleep during the feed and didn't take so much milk she would wake up again sooner, so I do sometimes try some gently, annoying, tactics to keep her awake and feeding a little longer...so tickling/ rubbing her feet, and tickling around her neck. This helped to start to stretch the gaps between feeds.

Are breast or formula feeding?

Have you got the wonderweeks app/ book (audiobook is great for listening to whilst feeding). I only got it a couple of weeks ago, but it makes sense of so many things, and when babies sleep deteriorates temporarily it is nice to understand why.

He has alert periods in the daytime when we will have a play but not so much at night. He initially had his days and nights muddled up so he was more alert at night than the day but seems to have sorted that out!

We are EBF. I used to have to tickle to keep awake etc but he’s a bit of a guzzler now!

I know 38 is a term baby but I think the drs at birth said that 38 + IUGR means that he was a bit like a prem baby; to be honest it was all a bit confusing!

Are you feeding lying down at night, I also feed lying down before her main nap... Which is now (and is making typing this message really hard!!).
Read up on safe co sleeping guidelines, rather than the NHS no co sleeping, which is no help to anyone, as it's estimated that something like 70% of parents will resort to co sleeping at some point, so you may as well be set up safely ready. We have a co sleeper cot and I have a thin cotton sheet and a cellular blanket, with the duvet over the top, so that when ever DD is in bed with me even when I am awake I throw the duvet completely away onto the other side of the bed. I have one pillow which never protrudes forward of my head/shoulder. After most feeds now I put DD back across in her cot, as I sleep better that way but sometimes I fall asleep whilst she is feeding and they is fine too. DD is in a sleeping bag.

I do feed him lying down at night but I always seem to fall asleep by mistake! Luckily I clear the duvet away first and have a big king sized bed so it’s been ok but I probably need to plan more for co sleeping, with a thin blanket etc. DS is usually in a sleeping bag too but the accidental dropping off to sleep does make me nervous.