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I have a 5 week old and just read an article that says we shouldn't wake him up when he's sleeping. However, we feed him 3.5 ounces of breast milk every 3 hours. So, am I supposed to skip a feeding at night if he's sleep?
Heck yeh! He'll wake up when he's hungry and he will let you know he means business. All you're doing is instilling a habit in him to wake up every 3 hours--a habit you will not appreciate in a few months! If he's a healthy, growing baby then it is totally fine to wait until he wakes you, not the other way around. Get some sleep if you're the lucky parent of a baby who actually sleeps more than 3 hours at a time at that age!!
My opinion is to not wake the sleeping baby in this case. Get your sleep if you can. I would wake my babies up to eat when I was really uncomfortable. They both made it out of babyhood just fine. Congratulations on the baby, by the way.
I wouldn't wake up a normal baby to feed unless it was darn near the time he/she usually woke up and I was in dire need to get it done so I could get to sleep. My babies all started sleeping much longer periods at around 3 weeks of age when I switched them from breast milk to bottles.
My oldest was a very heavy sleeper it seemed. At home she would almost sleep through the night by 6 weeks on formula only. She would sleep 6 hours easy on a 4 oz bottle. At the daycare she went to.... let's just say they would let her sleep as long as she would so they didn't have to bother with her. I left standing orders she was to be woken at least 5 hours from her last bottle. If they didn't I raised HELL.... because I really thought they were just letting her sleep to get out of bothering with her. If you woke her up at 4.5 she would take a bottle so I figured 5 was allowing her to sleep some extra if she wanted to.
It is up to you, you know your baby best. If he is cranky when you wake him for a feeding, then let him sleep. Apparently he needs more sleep and babies grow when they are sleeping. Congrats on the baby btw.
I have a 5 week old and just read an article that says we shouldn't wake him up when he's sleeping. However, we feed him 3.5 ounces of breast milk every 3 hours. So, am I supposed to skip a feeding at night if he's sleep?
You shouldn't be forcing a breastfed baby onto a schedule. He'll wake to nurse when he's hungry!
I know someone that claims they wake up their baby ever 3 hours like OP stated. I thought that was rather odd but whatever works for them. Me, I never did that. The kiddo woke up when he was hungry...besides, they sleep less at night when they're newborn, it seems like every 3 hours anyway, lol. I don't miss that stage.
You shouldn't be forcing a breastfed baby onto a schedule. He'll wake to nurse when he's hungry!
Breastfed or not, babies need somewhat of a schedule. At night let him sleep. You want him sleeping through the night and not in the habit of waking if possible.
When babies sleep longer at night, it's a good thing. And when you wake them in the night, it becomes habit for them and you will be sorrrrrrrryyy.
I have a 5 week old and just read an article that says we shouldn't wake him up when he's sleeping. However, we feed him 3.5 ounces of breast milk every 3 hours. So, am I supposed to skip a feeding at night if he's sleep?
I agree with the above posters, no need to wake a sleeping baby.
The exceptions are preemies and low birth weight babies.
Yep, unless he's not gaining well, don't wake him up. I do have to agree that breastfed babies don't need a "x ounces every x hours" schedule, though. Breastmilk digests quickly, so sometimes/often they will need to eat more often. Sleeping more than three hours at a time is a good thing though, so don't wake him during the night. If he had his days and nights confused, I might encourage him to wake up and eat more during the day if he were sleeping that long, though.
You'll figure it out as time passes, but it will also change all the time... he's probably due for the 6-week growth spurt any time now!
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Congrats on the baby btw.
