When did you stop waking to feed during the day?

[Piffle]

I've been waking my 6 week old to feed if he gets to 3.5 hours between feeds during the day. I usually have to do this only once a day, other times he feeds every 2.5 hours. I was doing this mainly to help him learn day from night, and hopefully get him to do his long sleep stretches at night. It seems to be working and he's consistently sleeping a long stretch of an evening. He's stacked on the weight so that's not an issue.

He's currently approaching 4 hours since his last feed, is peacefully asleep and I don't know if I should continue to wake him up to feed him...

What did you do?

[3bubbys]

I wouldn't wake him, if he's putting on weight I'd let him sleep, he's not really a newborn anymore so I'd let him wake up himself when he's hungry

[CazHazKidz]

I wouldn't wake to feed I'm a feed em when they're hungry, let em sleep when they're tired kinda mum

[jordansmumma]

Some peeps may disagree but I've always said never wake a sleeping baby. They will wake when they're hungry. ( unless on medical advise of course)

[BabyG4]

^^^^^yep this is me also.. Never wake a sleeping baby. The only time I did is if I had to go somewhere and it was easier to feed before I left.

[CazHazKidz]

I've always had 1-3 hour feeding newborns, so it hasn't been an issue, but I think there would come a point where I would feed bub even if they hadn't woken. Whenever I read someone saying something like "My newborn was sleeping through at 2 weeks old" I freak out, thinking Oh my goodness, how could they possibly be getting all the nutrition they need when they're sleeping that long!

There's always the option of dream feeding though

[mim1]

I stopped waking my dd for feeds once the paed said I could stop on about day 4 (she had low sugars after birth so needed 3 hourly feeds). She regularly went 5 - 6 hours between feeds from the time she came home from hospital. She was a big bubba (4.4kg at birth) and so I think she had a big stomach to hold plenty of milk, so she could happily go a long time between feeds. She grew rapidly and has stayed on the 97th percentile (she's now 13.5 months old).

Ironically she feeds more frequently now!

[tubster]

I had same concerns with my DD now 4 weeks old. She was sleep a LOT like 3~4 hours during the day and 2~3 hours at night and I was worried that she might not be getting enough milk. Also shes breastfeed so I would expect her to wake more often!
But according to the doctors, nurses and peadiatricians that theres no need to wake a sleeping baby if she/he is gaining weight.
However, if you want to help them sleep longer stretches at night, waking them up during the day MAY work, and it may not (according to the clinic nurse).

So, I have decided not to wake her and just keep night time feedings and changes boring and make day time more fun. I have noticed slowly shes sleeping a bit longer at night and shorter sleeps during the day, this is not everday though, but I think she will eventually learn night and day.

[Piffle]

Thanks guys. I ended up cracking and waking him at 4hours haha. It was never really to help him gain weight etc, more to get day/night sorted. He's consistently doing a 6ish hour stretch overnight now which is nice. I might try to give up the 4hr max feeding during the day but it's a hard habit to break cause I'm nervous of his nights going backwards.

Thanks for the advice/experiences!