Sleeping Through the Night - Skaneateles, NY

Hi! My sister was the same way... she is now 38, beautiful, ad about to get married. My mom was told to count her blessings an enjoy it while it lasts -- my sister was also the middle child trouble maker ;-)

So "ARE YOU CRAZY??" yes let him sleep. A bbay grows when they sleep and when he is hungry he will let you know.

I always say motherhood would be even more amazing than what it is with more sleep. ENJOY IT! I am jealous. My kids did not sleep through the night unti 8 months.

Do Not be alarmed my daughter was the same way! I would just stand there waiting for her to wake up! She was and is a healthy little girl. She just was geeting her beauty sleep.

it's wonderful. babies sleep as they need to, i've heard of few who sleep as yours does early on. when we had to help our son learn to sleep through the night the dr assured us tat yes, he'd be hungry at first but he'd make up for the meals by day. it sounds like your baby is already doing that so i would not make any changes.
best,
S. r

I had the same issue with my first born back in 2001. I was paying too much attention to when the doctors and nurses told me he needed to eat instead of paying attention to what my son was telling me. He wanted to sleep through the night but I kept waking him to nurse every few hours. I have since had two more children and learned that they will tell you when they are hungry. So if your baby is sleeping thruogh the night, let him. Oh- and you're not crazy.

I'm surprised that your son is actually sleeping that long. At 5 weeks old, they have a need to eat every 2-3 hours. Is he sleeping on his stomach? If he is, that might be why he's sleeping so long and you may want to move him to his back or side. At 5 wks old, I would wake him to feed him. Eating is very important at this stage......

If he isn't crying at night he should be fine. This stage probably won't last. Babies tend to wake more frequently after 4 months because of brian development. They also go through a growth spurt at around 6 weeks so he may get more hungry soon. Enjoy it now!

Let him sleep If he needs food he'll let you know. How is he sleeping during the day. if he's sleeping a lot during the day I'd contact the doctor to get advice My dr took calls and returned them either right away or b4 he went home for the day.
as a baby my mother told me she had to wake me up to feed me, i was just a sleeper

enjoy the sleep and your new bundle of joy they grow s fast
each stage is exciting

sue

Just be very, VERY grateful! He's not going to continue to sleep if he's hungry; he'll for sure let you know! Lucky lucky girl!!!

At 8 wks, let him sleep. If he were 2 wks, I'd wake him. Definitely count your blessings, as this may change very quickly, so enjoy it while you have it.

This is great for you. It gives you time to get up in the morning have breakfast,& get dressed.Be ready for your day to start.
I would look in on him each night after a few hours but let the child sleep.He is eating the right amount in the day.The doctor also would tell you that he needs more.If he is not up say by 7AM it would be time to start getting him up.This way he learns sleeping time and eating time at these hours.
This is what I did with my son.

Let him sleep. Good for him sleeping through the night! It may change so enjoy it for now. Your MIL is right, count those blessings! If he is hungry he will wake up and let you know it. Do not feel guilty and most importantly enjoy the undistrubed sleep yourself. When you are happy, it makes you a better mom... remember that for all the times you feel guilty about doing something for yourself.

OMG LET him Sleep! And get some rest yourself. I too have a son born in January who does not sleep through the night but rather chooses to sleep about 6-7 hours in the early morning. My pediatrician encourages me to feed him on demand and not on an imposed schedule as long as he is gaining weight at the rate that he should be.

My goal is to get that stretch of sleep to start at midnight instead of 4 am. Wish me luck...

all 4 of my children slepy through the night at 6 weeks....you are just lucky!!!!

YES,YES,YES!!!!! There will be enough nights that you have to get up! Enjoy them now. I have a 5 month old and she sleeps at night, and now wakes up for a bottle once in a while. So if he does sleep, let him. If you wake him he may not go back to sleep. Enjoy it. If anyone tell you different ignore them..... unless there is a medical reason. Take care and enjoy 8 hours of sleep......

Let him sleep....with growth spurts coming it will change. Enjoy it. If he was hungry, he would wake up.

My son is 3 mths and sleeps thru the night. He is my 3rd so I have experience. If he were hungry he would wake up. Your MIL is right count your blessings.

This time I would have to agree with the MIL - normally I probably wouldn't. If he was hungry he would wake up. Good for you - high five!!!!

he'll wake up if he's hungry. trust him!

Count your blessings. If he'll sleep, do not wake him. By waking him up, you will change his sleep pattern. If he's nursing, increase the number of feedings he gets during the day. This will give him the nurishment that he needs without interrupting his schedule at night.

Good luck.

Hi, my name is N.. I'm a mother of 4, ages 1 to 10. In my experience I wouldn't worry about missing a night feeding. As long as he is thriving and gaining weight consistently I wouldn't worry. He would wake if he was hungry. I agree with Mom in law. Count your blessings. My son didn't sleep thru the night til he was over a year old. Good luck.

You should absolutely let him sleep through the night. What a blessing. Mommy of three says...take the sleep, be refreshed and feed him when he's ready! Visit www.grownupgirlfrieinds.com - we add parenting tips mid-month!

Never wake a sleeping baby! You'll mess them up for years! If a baby is hungry, he'll let you know. Enjoy the sleep!

Let him sleep. Both of my girls were sleeping like that and one of them was sleeping 12 hrs at 10 weeks. They were both small babies (5lb14oz and 6lb13oz) and I was nursing so I was very concerned about feeding them enough. The dr told me to let them sleep all night and just make sure to wake them for feedings during the day. Enjoy the rest!!

My son was born on Dec 7, 2007 and he sleeps through the night. I find that his first bottle in the morning is the largest ( 8 oz. usually does 6-7 oz every 3-4 hours) and then he eats again in about 2 hours another 4 oz. So what he misses at night he is making up for.

Do try to use this time to sleep as this many not last. My 16 month old daughter slept through the night until about 7 months when teeth came she is just now starting to sleep through the night again.

I don't think you are crazy at all! If he's sleeping 8 hours, let him sleep 8 hours and be thankful he is!

S.

Count your blessings. When my first was three weeks old
she started sleeping 12 hours at night. She ate enough
during the day to make up for missed feedings during the
night. She never strayed from that 12 hour stretch. However, she did not nap much during the day early on.
I that goodness she was such a delight, because her brother
who was born 10 1/2 months later never slept. Unlike her,
he used to drink 32 oz. of formular between the hours of
11PM-7AM. He had an appetite you would not believe and he
was not heavy at all. He is now 6'5", with a size 14 shoe
and a NYC firefighter expecting his first son in five weeks. SO ENJOY YOUR SLEEP. YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED.

S.
No need to feel guilty, babies will definitely let you know when they need something. If he is sleeping 8 hours straight, enjoy it and meet any needs you may have. Catch up on the things you may need to do, enjoy a shower, cook dinner...believe me he is just fine and he will definitely let you know when he's hungry. If you are truly concerned, speak to your pediatrician. But my guess is you are one lucky mommy.

Yes S. you are blessed to have 8 hrs of sleep. I know you are getting 8 hrs of sleep because like me you sneak in every couple of hours to check on him. My first daughter slept all nightfrom day 1. One night she slept from 8-8. I woke up in a panic and ran in and she was just fine.
If your little one is not a preemie who needs to gain weight and if you are not nursing and getting engorged by all means let the little guy sleep. My daughter was 9 lbs 10 ozs and ate 8-10 ozs at a feeding. If the little guy is hungry he will wake up and let you know. Don't be surprised if later down the road he starts demanding to be fed in the middle of the night. Sometimes they will do that during a growth spurt. So enjoy your sleep while you can . If the doctor isn't happy with weight gain at a checkup he'll let you know but babies know when they are hungry so relax and enjoy your bundle. Oh and by the way don't count on the next one sleeping through the night. Only one of mine did.

S., don't feel guilty. I have been blessed with my boys sleeping through the night, all three of them. He will wake up and cry if he's hungry and don't worry. If you're nursing, get up and pump or squeeze some milk out and that way you won't be sore when he wakes up. If you're giving formula, more likely that is why he sleeping thourhg the night, but not alwasys the case. Formula is heavier than breastmilk. Enjoy this time of sleep as long as you are able to. But you are a good mother becaue you care about your baby is or not eating. He's fine and he'll let you know if he's hungry at night. Let us know how it goes or what your thoughts are....:)

My pediatrician advises, "let them sleep!" If he doesn't wake up to eat, enjoy the rest. They will tell you when they are ready. As long as he is gaining and thriving, count your blessings! I am fighting with a 17 month old to sleep through the night..... Best to you....

If he sleeps 8 hours, consider yourself lucky and don't wake him up. Some people and some drs will tell you that you need to feed him every 3 hours (esp if you are breastfeeding) but if he is gaining weight well and seems content DONT wake him up. The sleep you get will save your sanity. My 2nd daughter sleeps 8-10 hours a night and has since she was 7 wks old. She just eats a lot more frequently during the day and evening.

Absolutely. I too had unbelievable sleepers and some people worried about how long i let them sleep. My attitude was always wake them during the day and let them sleep at night. My girls are now 3 and 4 1/2 and they are both AMAZING sleepers. Children won't starve themselves. My girls are also and always have been amazing eaters. So enjoy (and don't tell any of your new mom friends!)

I say if he wants to sleep let him sleep unless you want him to be on a feeding schedule. I let my kids sleep as long as they wanted. I sometimes was stressful during the night when they would wake up at all different times but I didnt see the point in waking them up just to eat. If theyre hungry theyll wake up.

Praise the Lord and let him sleep--he'll make up the feed in the morning!!! Sleep is brain food, too, and you would be depriving him of what he obviously needs more at that time! If he stops gaining weight after a couple weeks you would then need to discuss it further with his pediatrician.

let him sleep, he will eat more during his waking hours to make up for it, but don't talk about it to people, because as soon as you do, my experience is that the good thing stops. Enjoy it while it lasts.

All I will say is it took my sone 2yrs! Be happy and enjoy the sleep! You need it! Your baby is fine and will be fine. As long as the baby is getting the required amount of food in a 24 hr period and as long as the baby is gaining weight, you are fine! SMILE, many people wish they were you now :))))

if, even at 5 weeks old he "needed" to eat, he would wake up. My son was a great sleeper even from the beginning, our rule of thumb, pediatrician included, was as long as he is growing well, good weight gain, is where he needed to be, he's healthy, he's happy, you're getting your sleep = your healthy your happy = why fight it. It may not last, so by all means sleep when you can. Trust your son to know what he "needs" he will let you know. The only thing I remmber doing to ease my own feeling of what he should be eating was to feed him at shorter intervals during the day, so he still got in so many ounces a day type thing. all that matters is the total amount not when they get it.

Enjoy your sleep and stop feeling guilty! If he is growing and happy that is terrific! don't look for trouble if it's not there.

G. A

I never woke my daughter to feed her. Your son will let you know if he is hungry. I agree -- count your blessings now, because you don't know how long this will last!!

Our pediatrician told us never to wake a sleeping baby between 8pm and 8am. If they need something they would let us (mom) know. Enjoy the sleep. It may not last as he goes through some growth spurts!

let him sleep, if he's hungry he'll wake up. he must be very content, relax and enjoy.

We did Babywise(and my daughter was prone to be a great sleeper anyways,) and she started sleeping for about 7-8 hours around 4-5 weeks. I breast fed her for a year. I would say that if it is affecting your milk supply(if nursing), then wake up and pump, but I agree-count your blessings!

If your baby is well fed during the day I wouldn't worry. Just see how well he is gaining at the next visit to the doc. They will tell you if he needs more.

I think your MIL is right on this one. As long as he is gaining weight appropriately you should let him sleep. I have heard that the only time you should wake them is if they are failing to thrive. And you should enjoy the extra sleep as well!

Hi S.. Yes, it's fine as long as he's still nursing at least 8 times a day (or taking whatever amount of formula is normal in a day if you're formula feeding, I wouldn't know what's normal in that area), just make sure that his weight isn't dropping from not eating during the night.

Count your blessings!!! Your goal is to get the baby to sleep, if he's happy and sleeping, let him sleep. It's not going to harm him at all to not eat for 8 hours... He will get what he needs WHEN he needs it. Don't worry, he's fine!

Of course!! If he was hungry he would wake up

My grandmother told me a very important fact when I had my first child.
NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY.
you have heard the saying you can lead a horse to water? well it's the same with babies, you can't force them to eat sleep or poop, so if they do it on their own so let it be done.
Don't worry, when that baby is hungry , you'll know if he's sleeping let it be, take a snooze yourself.

You are nuts! Let him sleep and be thankful. My third did not start sleeping through the night until 4 months! My other two slept 12-13 hours ny 8 weeks. And they were all breast fed! So, I say, don't wake a sleeping baby. :)

My pediatrician's advice, never wake a sleeping baby. Plus, the last time I brought my son in to see him he told me that his daughter was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks. I would say let him sleep and enjoy it for those of us that can't. :)

if he's hungry he's going to let you know. if he sleeps through the night, it means that he doesn't necessarily need that extra food. they know what they need and when they need it and believe me will let you know! and listen to your MIL...count your blessings, my daughter's going to be 2 next month and still wakes up for her bottle (which is now water, but still). good luck. and congrats.

Never wake a sleeping baby!
If he's hungry, he'll wake up to eat. I was lucky enough that both my children were sleeping through by 8 weeks. GL!

My second child was a small baby at birth (5lb 9oz) but slept through the night -up to 10 hours - from around 7 weeks old. I was worried as she was so little - she only weighed 7lb at that stage. But I figured she needed sleep too and she fed well during the daytime. She's now nearly 3 and still a petite child, but very healthy and an excellent sleeper. I definitely wouldn't wake your child to feed (unless there's some medical reason to do so) - good sleep patterns are so important both for you and for baby!

You are one lucky mommy - my son just turned 8 months and just finally slept thru the night last night for the first time! Count your blessings!!! He will wake when he is hungry and wants to eat!

if he is not underweight and eats,pees,poops well when he is awake then let him sleep and you sleep too. For sure there will be lots of days and nights in your not to distant future when he won't be sleeping and you'll wish you had. Good luck and congratulations!

Your MIL is right. When A baby is hungry they will wake up and definitly let you know. I say this from experience. When my son was about 10 weeks old I told my doctor I was waking him to feed him during the night. My doctor nearly bit my head off. He told me it was unfair to wake a sleeping child and if the baby was naturally hungry he'd wake up. I don't go to that doctor anymore but my newer nicer doctor backed up the other doctor, just in a more kinder way :)

Enjoy the sleep! A. B

If your son is gaining weight and is healthy, let him sleep. Make sure you sleep and rest! You need it to make milk! My first son, now 14, started sleeping 9 hours straight at 7 weeks and I let him. He is now a very healthy, 5'7'' high schooler!

Let him sleep, but feed him VERY often during the day. if he gets enough food during the day he will have no need of it at night. This was an advice from my pediatrician: never wake up a sleeping baby at night, but ALWAYS wake him up during the day if he goes more than 3 hours without food. I thought it was the best advice I ever got, I followed it and it worked out beautifully.

Is he eating 8-12 times a day? Does he have enough wet and poopy diapers? Is he active or lathargic? Because if you said yes to the first two and he's still an active baby, there should be nothing wrong with him having an 8hr stretch of sleep. If only we were all so lucky!!

Hi S.,
for the first few weeks, I would suggest waking him, at least once or twice during the night for a feeding. For the first few weeks, all they want to do is sleep, so if you don't wake them, they may be too weak to wake up themselves to eat. I'm not saying he'll never wake up, but it may be less than what he should be doing and may begin to lose weight.
Good luck!

I agree with the other moms. Don't wake a sleeping baby. He will wake up when he is hungry. If he is peeing, pooping, not under weight, and there are no other health concerns let the baby sleep.

He will wake if he is hungry!They will not starve themselves.You are not doing anything wrong. Some drs.will tell ya to feed them every 4 hrs. no matter what.That will make ya nuts and the baby fussy if he is tired and not hungry.I have had 7 children and 7 grandchildren.Every child is different and should be treated as such.You cannot make a child eat if they are not hungry.They will definately eat if they are!You are doing fine.

Let him sleep! If you wake him to eat he'll make it a habit of waking up in the middle of the night to eat and who knows how long it will take you to break him of that. Besides, he will wake up if he's hungry.

Hi~
With my first daughter, I followed the Dr'sorders and woke her for her feedings. Then, I wised up. With my next 2 kids the Dr ( a new practice!) made a good point and it stuck with me...If someone woke you in the middle of a deep sleep and made you eat, would you eat? Probably not. Baby will wake up when baby is hungry. It may be sporatic, but why wake a sleeping baby? All 3 of my kids are healthy and have good appetites...and they sleep well too :)
~denise

First I just have to tell you that my four year old son has the same birthday as your son. In response to your question, my daughter who is now 7months, did the same thing at about 4 weeks. At first I did feel guilty she was not getting up to eat but she did make up for it the rest of the day. My daughter was taking her last bottle anywhere from 10-11pm and waking up around 7 to 8am. My pediatrician told me it was fine and to count my blessings. I wouldn't worry if I were you and just cherish your sleep.

Hi,
Yes,if he was born on term and is putting weight nicely, let him sleep and rest too. My son used to sleep like that until he was 8 weeks old and then it ended :(
Enjoy while it lasts!

Hi S.,
Congrats! If your boy doesn't have a medical need to eat at night, then I wouldn't wake him. Keep a feeding chart of how many ounces of formula or how many minutes he nurses during the day and early evening. Ask the pediatrician if he is truly consuming enough. He probably is, as most babies I know will howl when hungry! If you are worried about him, get yourself a Bebe sounds Angel care monitor http://www.angelcare-monitor.com/ and a little camera monitor (like at Radio Shack) so you can see him. If he were to stop breathing, the angel care monitor will sound an alarm so you'll know! Nothing like peace of mind.
Best of luck,
J.

After the two week mark, your baby doesn't need to be eating every 4 hours so ENJOY a good nights sleep!!! You are very very lucky. Trust that if your baby is gaining well and has normal diapers, he's getting the nutrition he needs without the night feedings. Also be prepared that at some point, your baby might start waking up for night feedings. This happened with my daughter. She's normally a great sleeper but when she's teething, sick or having a growth spurt, she wakes up to nurse at night. Seriously, enjoy this time when you can actually get some sleep. You are the envy of many a tired mama.

Best,
S.

I would let him sleep if he is going to sleep. He will wake up when he is hungry. I am with you MIL

Hi S.,
No your not crazy just lucky. If your son is hungry he will let you know it. my son from day one slept through the night aslo.
J.

While many sleep deprived mothers might be envious, this isn't good either! Where is your baby on the growth curve? Is he gaining properly? Do you have risk of SIDS? breastfed or bottling? What is the caloric intake during the other hours?

5 weeks old is too young to sleep 8 hours. SIDS risk is elevated. 3 hours for a breastfed baby is max during the early months.

This is a question for your peditratian and one that should be evaluated using the questions posted above.

Read this for further information:
http://www.childrenscentralcal.org/content.asp?pageid=P02632

Hi,
I agree with your mother in law- if he wants to sleep let him sleep. He will mostly likely eat more (i.e. more ounces) during the day to compensate for what he's not getting at night. Don't worry to much- he knows what he needs. Also keep in mind that he's seeing his pediatrician every month and he/she will let you know if he's gaining enough weight. (if he's not, they'll probably suggest waking him).

Good Luck!

If he can let him. My 7 mos old was up twice last night. I would love to get a full nights sleep. But don't be surprised if he starts to wake up again once he goes through a growth spurt.

No worry about that. The new born baby needs to sleep about 22 hours a day. Another 2 hours just for drinking the milk and bathing. I have 2 kids, 13 years old daughter and 9 years old son now. Pls remember if the baby wants the milk he will cry. This is human nature. Good sleep is very very important.

S.,
Yup. You're right. I'm going to ask you, "Are you crazy??" Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding, either way that baby will make sure to get what he needs when he's awake. Do NOT wake him up to eat! Sleep Momma! LOL

If he's gaining weight and sleeping soundly just count your blessings and remember how this feels! It's bound to change in the next few months as he grows and changes, but for now it's fine!!

He will wake up if/when he is hungry. I found that both of my children would "cluster" feed after sleeping for longer periods at night. Sometimes, my son ( now a 1 year old) would even cluster feed before sleeping for longer, as if he know he would be sleeping it off. I hate to say it, but your MIL is right on this one. Let the baby sleep- you can always obsess and stay awake yourself and watch him sleep. Their sleeping habits change sometimes, so enjoy the long respite while it lasts!
J. S.

My son slept for 8 hours when he was 5 weeks old with out eating. Enjoy your sleep now. My son is 12 weeks old and still sleeps 8 hours without eating. If you feel guilty talk to your ped. doctor. Good luck

I am a mother of 8 so I have some experience. The baby will wake up if he needs to eat. Do not feel guilty at all to let him sleep. When young ones are going through a growth spurt they will eat more. Don't be surprised when your toddler wakes you up at 2:00 am for a sandwich. If you wake him up to eat when he really doesn't need it, you are creating a broken sleep pattern for him that will not be good for him or you. One of my babies slept 7 hours at birth. Be thankful because some do not sleep through the night for many months. It becomes exhausting for moms after a while. Enjoy your sleep and your little darling.

He will wake up when he is hungry. Sleep with him.