[mommatobeZ]

I've read at least 4 books on breastfeeding and just started one on healthy sleep habits. Okay, here's the stupid question of the day. When your baby is under 6 weeks old, do you want them up for feeding or do you wait for them to wake up. I've read that for the first few weeks they are very sleepy. I'm confused.

Any advice.

Zoie

[megsc]

HA! The question of the century, or at least for me...what book are you reading? If it is Babywise, I got nothing for ya, C is not Babywise, was never Babywise and never will be Babywise and I'm down w/ that. I let her sleep at night but would wake her during the day if needed but she was really small so it was sort of key that she eat. From everything I read, and I read a ton, sleeping is important to me, it isn't the last feeding so much that determines how they sleep at night but do they get enough throughout the day so I made sure she ate every three hours until I guess about 8 weeks, who remembers, and let her sleep as long as she would night. She started 8 hours at 8 weeks, fell off the wagon at 10 weeks and got back on at about 12 and then it was pretty consistent after that: every 3-4 hours during the day and slept at night for longer and longer. Good luck and really, go w/ your gut, those books offer a lot but every baby is different and every family is different, what works for you is what's best.

[Aggie]

I've been exclusively breastfeeding my DS since the day he was born, and I never woke him up to nurse. My DS was a big boy when he was born, and is/always has been a very good eater. I never had any issues with him not gaining weight, so it was never necessary for me to wake him up to eat. His nurse and Pedi said if he's hungary he'll let you know, so as long as he's making enough wet and dirty diapers a day there is no need to wake him up to feed him. When my DS was six weeks old, he was sleeping about 4-5 hour stretches at night.

[rexie]

My pediatrician said I could stop waking them up when they reached their birthweight, which is generally around 2 weeks old.

[megsc]

Originally Posted by rexie

My pediatrician said I could stop waking them up when they reached their birthweight, which is generally around 2 weeks old.

I remember that now...and for us that wasn't until about 4 weeks and even then so small, had to continue during the day waking up. Depends a lot on baby and on your philosophy; Babywise says every three hours, no matter what, until like 12 weeks. Whatever, she wants to sleep at night, I'm letting her sleep and if she isn't hungry, what are you gonna do? I hate the man that wrote that book, made me feel like a total moron. And on one page, I have still earmarked for when I'm in a bad mood and need a laugh, he gives a sample schedule and during the mandatory "awake" time one of the activities is "sew while your baby sits and watches" and then a later afternoon activity is "watch out the window at nature w/ your baby." What??? How about do some laundry, go to the grocery store, cook supper, take a shower? And I don't know about anyone else but a. I don't knit and b. C wasn't interested in watching me do it at 4 weeks. I think even though that book's copyright is updated, that page was taken from like 1950, surprised the late afternoon activity wasn't something like, "prepare yourself for DH arrival home from work and be sure to be pleasant, he has had a hard day at work and you want to be attractive."