Bedsharing + BFing newborn Question

KacieLeigh

My son is 1 week old today!  My girls were both early and jaundiced so I had to wake them to eat.  DS is already back at his birth weight so I've been letting him wake me to eat.  He has stretched his night feeds to 3hrs which is great...but only if he's snuggled up to me.  If he's in his PNP he only sleeps 2hrs.  So is he really hungry at that 2hr mark and he's only sleeping b/c he's being cuddled?  Should I wake him every 2hrs for a while longer?  Last night he slept a 4hr stretch followed by his typical 3hr stretches.  As much as I loved the sleep, I worry about my milk supply!  (I had supply issues with my girls...)

waterchick12

As long as he's up to birth weight and you feed him whenever he's hungry and he is having enough wet and poopy diapers I don't think you should worry about waking him at night. When mine were that age thier sleeping patterns changed all the time. GL 

SoftSpot

I would stop waking him. Newborns have erratic sleep patterns. Enjoy the extra sleep/rest/shower/lunch.

00jennifer00

I wouldn't let him go more than 4h if it were me, but I'm more comfortable with 3h.  All my babies have done fine getting back up their birth weight, I'm more worried about them entering a too-deep sleep before they are ready for it.  With potential supply issues I'd also want to be on top of night feedings too.  One of the best things you can do for your supply is to continue to nurse at least once between 1amand 6am when your body drops its biggest dose of prolactin.

KacieLeigh

00jennifer00:

I wouldn't let him go more than 4h if it were me, but I'm more comfortable with 3h.  All my babies have done fine getting back up their birth weight, I'm more worried about them entering a too-deep sleep before they are ready for it.  With potential supply issues I'd also want to be on top of night feedings too.  One of the best things you can do for your supply is to continue to nurse at least once between 1amand 6am when your body drops its biggest dose of prolactin.

 I know my potential supply issues from last time are definitely factoring in to my discomfort with him sleeping too long.  I also didn't know that about the 1am-6am thing.  Thanks for that.  I've never heard that!

lady_tytah

KacieLeigh:

00jennifer00:

I wouldn't let him go more than 4h if it were me, but I'm more comfortable with 3h.  All my babies have done fine getting back up their birth weight, I'm more worried about them entering a too-deep sleep before they are ready for it.  With potential supply issues I'd also want to be on top of night feedings too.  One of the best things you can do for your supply is to continue to nurse at least once between 1amand 6am when your body drops its biggest dose of prolactin.

 I know my potential supply issues from last time are definitely factoring in to my discomfort with him sleeping too long.  I also didn't know that about the 1am-6am thing.  Thanks for that.  I've never heard that!

I didnt know about that either! Got to love learning something knew...will definitely remember this

BriDaily

My DS would sleep 3-4 hours at a time even during the day... and that was for the first few months of his life. I would basically hear him waking up and go lay down on the bed and he would nurse for 30 minutes to an hour, but be half asleep still, then he would zonk back out! My boobs were producing SO much milk, I wish he had woken up every two hours! Or that I was being a wet-nurse. Either way, enjoy the sleep during the night... babies follow the sleeping cues of their mother. Plus co-sleeping helps babies regulate their breathing patterns better. And your body will produce milk more easily, because you are getting more sleep!