well I earned the sh-tty mom award today...

sdkrlm

Last night Miss Avery was a bit fussy... we finally got her to sleep around 11:45 after I reluctantly BF her "on demand". 

I put her down in the bassinet, went to sleep and it wasn't until 4:45!!! that she woke back up!  that is 5 hours between feedings (depending on who you talk to, that is 1-2 hours past the "max" you should let a newborn go w/o food). 

I felt so so bad.  She had completely soaked thru her diaper and was pretty much starving.

DH woke up and said "wow, I didn't even wake up around the 1 am feeding" - um... honey, "there was NO 1 am feeding"...

I called the pediatrician and they said I really need to not let her go more than 4 hours at night...

 ::GUILT::

Mrs.SPM

She will be okay! Don't feel so bad. ((hugs))  :-)

Skatcat

Do NOT beat yourself up. If she was really miserable, she'd have woken up and started crying.  Personally, I think the rigid "feedings every 3 hours" thing is silly. What did moms do for millenia without doctors telling them how to structure their babies'  lives? (insert eye-rolling emoticon here)

847Christine

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it.  Our pedi said letting her eat & sleep on her own schedule was fine after about 3 weeks (since her weight gain was OK).  Evie even slept almost 7 hours last night!!!  Enjoy it while you can!

justgnat

She survived though. Just set an alarm for 4 hours from when she goes to sleep from now on incase she doesn't wake up.

Mrs.Mclstar48

dont worry too much, if she was hungry earlier she would have woken up.

I used to set my alarm for the max allowed just so neither of us slept thru it.

evasmommy

You did not earn such an award.  You got sleep, and so did baby, and she's healthy and fed   No worries, I think it shows how good of a mom you are that you worried for her. 

ocean71506

I am with Skat on this one.  I think the 3 hour rule is too rigid and it is different for every baby and different on particular days.  She would have cried to wake you up if she was in desperate need of food.  You are a great mommy!

lrngAUS

I agree with the others, surely she would have woken up if she was starving and clearly you all needed the sleep more.

I say bad bad bad Dr's for making you feel guilty 

 

mrsladd

I am soooooooooo very against the "wake a baby to feed them" rule (and against the every three hour rule in general).  Sorry, but that's just silly.  Some babies will sleep for longer periods early on, and that's fine.  If she was hungry or uncomfortable, she would have woken up and let you know...loudly.  Sometimes, when they have a good long sleep, the diaper can't quite keep up, and you get a leak.  That's ok, too, because as soon as she realizes it, you're making her comfortable, no worries.  You did not a thing wrong.

MiaMichelle

As long as she is eating well, and peeing/pooing well, I think you're OK.  Don't be too hard on yourself... it happens

AngelsAmid

You're a great Mom I'm sure she would have let you know if she was upset

rowanthefrog

I'm so late on this but I must have missed it when you had her.  So congrats!!!

Don't beat yourself up (so much easier said than done, I know.....I am constantly feeling guilty about SOMETHING.)

Hang in there, those first weeks are so tough, but it gets easier!

A

sharon2004

You have nothing to be guilty about - she's well-rested and did get fed.  I think it takes more than missing a feeding for a baby to actually starve, especially when you weren't witholding food and she wasn't crying.