Newborn wants to sleep through the night...

by Melissa
(Bakersfield, Ca)

Hi and thank you for this resource!
I am now breastfeeding my second child who is a week and a couple days old. Its been different in the sense that he is a big sleeper and my daughter hardly slept for more than a half an hour at a time and wanted to nurse continuously through the night so there was no need to think about it much. With that said, my son seems to want to sleep through the night. Tonight I put him down at about 10:30ish and he slept to 3:30ish until I woke him to nurse (otherwise he just would have kept on sleeping).

I think my questions are:
Could I just let him sleep as long as he wants at night or would this drastically affect my milk supply?

How long should I allow him to sleep at night without nursing? Is it unhealthy for him to go beyond 2 - 5 hours without nursing?

On a side note - During the day, he can be a drowsy nurser. Do you suggest waking baby when they dose or just waiting until they wake from their cat nap and want to nurse again?

Thank you in advance.

Answer from the lactation consultant
I am glad you are reaching out for answers.

If your baby is not aggressive during the day and prone to sleeping at night, sounds like he might be jaundiced. I would have him checked to be sure.
If that is ok, then the general rule of thumb is this: as long as baby nurses between 8-12 times per day AND has a minimum of 5 wet diapers and 1 dirty diaper per 24 hours, then all is well. So if the baby is only having 4 total diapers OR if the baby is only getting in 6 feeds, then you need to wake him more frequently. I would not encourage letting him go longer than 6 hours without nursing. 4 would be even better for your supply. And yes, if he were to go longer than 6, your supply could take a major dive (decrease).
In summary.
1. Have your babies bilirubin level checked to rule out jaundice

2. Count your feeds and diapers for 24 hours. Goal: 8-12 feeds and 5+ wets and 1+ dirties.

3. Set your alarm for 6 hours if your baby does not self rouse then wake him to feed at that time. Your breasts make wake you before then with engorgement, if so wake the baby and feed then.

Hope this helps,

Liz Pevytoe, RN, IBCLC
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