Community› The Bump Message Boards› Babies: 3 - 6 Months
Babies: 3 - 6 Months
New Discussion

Sleeping and the breastfed baby

JillseeJillsee member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months
FTM here! Xp on BF board.

LO is just 3 months old (13 weeks) and exclusively breast fed. He has almost doubled his birth weight and is by all accounts a happy baby (he has his fussy days, don't get me wrong haha)

Now, onto sleeping at night ... What is normal? Better yet, what is healthy. I hear conflicting ideas regarding how long they should sleep without feeding. I know formula fed babies may sleep longer due to slower digestion etc. LO has bee sleeping 4-8 hr stretches this past week and as much as I want to embrace the sleep I'm nervous he is hungry/not getting enough. I was told by pedi (around 2 mo) that a BF baby shouldn't sleep more than 5 hrs without a feeding. Baby J is a month older now so I'm sure it changes but 8 hrs feels so long. Especially since it feels like just yesterday we were feeding every two hours!

Thanks in advance for your input and advice!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Sleeping and the breastfed baby

  • LisaLisa1980LisaLisa1980 member
    Screw what your dr says! Your baby will wake up when he's hungry. If he happens to sleep longer on some nights, just let it be. It's nothing to worry about.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • HarleyKinsHarleyKins member
    I BF and use formula. We get up once at night. On nights I used formula before bed,she slept no different than the night she got BM.

    <a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img src


    <a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Baby Names"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt18b901.aspx" alt=" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker" border="0"  /></a>

    Report Reply
  • HarleyKinsHarleyKins member
    I BF and use formula. We get up once at night. On nights I used formula before bed,she slept no different than the night she got BM.

    <a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img src


    <a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Baby Names"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt18b901.aspx" alt=" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker" border="0"  /></a>

    Report Reply
  • poppyc8poppyc8 member
    wow! congrats! follow babies lead and enjoy the sleep while you can.  since some babies STTN at 3 months and then at 4 months everything can really change/4 month wakeful.
    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers IAmPregnant Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Team Kimball Team Kimball member
    I breast feed exclusively and my son has been sleeping for 7-11 hour stretches since he was around 3 months. Like many people said above, they'll wake up when they're hungry! It sounds like weight gain isn't an issue.
    Report Reply
  • luvbug6315luvbug6315 member
    I EBF too and my little one was going about 6 hrs at night then we hit the four month wakeful, now it's every three hours at night. Enjoy your rest and trust your baby. He knows what he needs and will wake when hungry.
    Report Reply
  • pinottoparenthoodpinottoparenthood member
    That's ridic. At 6 weeks my baby was sleeping 5-6 hour stretches, and by 2 months 6-7 hour stretches. Starting at around 3 months he was sleeping through the night 10-11 hours. He is EBF and chunky. Enjoy the sleep!
    Amanda

    ******************************

    Nov siggy challenge: animals eating Thanksgiving food


    BabyFruit Ticker
    Rhys - born 04.17.2013
    Harry - born 04.18.2016
    Report Reply
  • kmc84kmc84 member
    pinottoparenthood said:

    That's ridic. At 6 weeks my baby was sleeping 5-6 hour stretches, and by 2 months 6-7 hour stretches. Starting at around 3 months he was sleeping through the night 10-11 hours. He is EBF and chunky. Enjoy the sleep!

    Same for me! If baby is sleeping, let him sleep! My lo cluster feeds before bed and has been sleeping at least 10 hours since 3 months. She is EBF.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    TTC# 1 since 5/10
    Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect
    DX: Unexplained IF
    Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN
    IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS
    IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum
    IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP!
    Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    TTC #2
    IVF #4 May/June 2014 ER 6/4 18R 8M 8F ET 6/9 1 blast, 2 frosties
    Beta 6/18 BFFN

    FET of 2 blasts 7/24...BFP!
    Healthy baby girl born at 36w3d on 3/17/15

    TTC#3
    IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos
    IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy
    IVF #7 August 2019-....?
    Report Reply
  • rac717rac717 member
    Agreed.  Mine sleep 6 hours, feed and then sleep another 5.
    image
    Having the best time ever as mom to Max and Emma, born April 6, 2013!

    NYer by birth, I now call Buenos Aires home.

    Report Reply
  • Eleventy11Eleventy11 member
    I wish pedis knew a little more about breastfeeding! Mine is kind of clueless, but did point out early on that a hungry baby won't sleep. Enjoy the sleep while you can. Every baby is different and will have different patterns. My DD started STTN, eight hour stretches, at three weeks. She didn't double her birth weight until nine months. My DS has gained weight more rapidly, but very rarely goes more than six hours at three months. Both of them were EBF on demand.
    Report Reply
  • stacey171stacey171 member
    longer stretches are fine now
    Report Reply
  • rm2013rm2013 member
    Agree with all the PPs. Your baby will let you know when he's hungry. Sleep!!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickersLilypie Second Birthday tickers
    Lilypie Pregnancy tickers
    image



    image

    Report Reply
  • JillseeJillsee member
    Thank you all for your advice/stories/input! Following LOs lead these past few days, enjoying the sleep ;) Plenty of wet diapers and weight gain...plus frequent day feedings are helping to make me mentally comfortable with him sleeping long stretches. Thanks again to all!
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"