Daytime Sleeping

[jodiefullagar]

I have another question - forgot to ask it...

What are your thoughts on my 11 day old having a long sleep during the day - I put him down at about 1.30pm - he fussed for a while (maybe 30 mins or so) - and has been asleep ever since - its now 4.50pm. From what I have read, I should let him sleep and just be thankful that I have had a few hours to rest......????

[Angelmist♥]

Wow, you should be proud of yourself and bubs!A good sleeper is a sign of a good mummy. In my opinion, let him sleep and enjoy your rest girl! ;)

[Artemis]

A good sleeper is a sign of a good mummy

I must be a shocking mother - my child was an terrible sleeper until she was 2 ;)

I think you should go and pop you feet up and have a well deserved rest :D

[Angelmist♥]

Very sorry *******, I didn't mean it like that! :o Please help me get my foot out of my mouth. I was just trying to help Jodie feel better.

[Peaceangels]

Use the time to have a rest yourself and thank your lucky stars! :D cause sometimes they will not sleep when you are hanging out to rest and put your feet up!
Newborn babies will mostly just sleep, eat (bf / bottlefeed) and poo, so be prepared for it all to change over the next month, but then again you may have been blessed with a "good sleeper" (I had one of each)

[charlyrose]

Wow, you should be proud of yourself and bubs!A good sleeper is a sign of a good mummy.

nara , u obviously had good babies that slept well! for u to say that .. i must b a bad mother also !!

anyways jodie, im sure everything will turn out fine! good luck :)

[Artemis]

Its Ok.. I didn't take it badly :D

[JanetF]

Time to have a nanna nap yourself! Babies sleep in all different ways at all different times and then they change their habits really fast and constantly too! Just go with the flow and look out for tired signs as they start to develop. Generally a bf bub won't want to go much longer than a few hours without some lovely boob so make sure bubs has a good session when they wake up :) 11 days is so teeny tiny and lovely :)

[jodiefullagar]

Thanks JanetF - your reply has really made me feel a lot better about motherhood. I think my tendency is to over-think things and also worry about things that have not, and may not, happen! As you say, just enjoy them while you can!!

[JanetF]

Hugs to you. It is a big job but when they're this little, it's a really simple job *hugs* :) Buy those books and enjoy!

[Chinster]

I would recommend waking the baby up for a feed - babies need to learn the difference between night and day. It might be nice to get some nanna naps in, but if you perservere with getting your baby stabilised it will pay off in a few short weeks when she begins to sleep thru the night. How? My friend lent me this book and it is GREAT.

I recommend you read: 'On becoming babywise'

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971453209/103-7885507-3895041?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance

It talks about Parent-directed feeding, and this is the way I'm gonna go!! Parent-directed feeding is about being responsive to the baby while at the same time - stabilizing babies' feeding/waking/sleeping pattern - after all, they are used to being in the womb where food is on-tap and it is constantly dark. They don't understand night and day.

If babies are encouraged to take in a FULL feed each time, they will naturally fall into about a 2.5hr - 3hrly feeding pattern. Parent-directed feeding recommends encouraging babies into a pattern (ie - wake your baby from her day-time nap if needs-be) while remaining flexible - eg if baby is having a growth spurt or if you're on a plane and baby is screaming etc. And then gradually readjusting the feeding pattern.

Parent-directed feeding is better from a milk-production perspective, because the baby will get full feeds (the richer 'hind-milk' as opposed to snacking and only getting the 'fore-milk' which has less calories). It's recommended to lwake your baby if it's time for her feed - keep her awake so she gets a FULL feed, play with her and put her back to sleep. Then let your baby sleep for as long as she wants thru the night and let her wake you - 97% will sleep thru the night by 3months.

Parent-directed feeding is a sensible balance between demand feeding (which is obviously popular by the responses on the forum so far - and all the rage in hospitals at the moment), and by-the-clock feeding (which was popular in the 50s - 60s but is very rigid and not in babies' best interest).

Hope you do what feels right for you - I'm just glad my friend recommended this book to me, otherwise I would have NO idea and wouldn't have a clue.