Should I Wake Baby to Nurse Him at Night?

I say let him sleep! He'll wake up when he's ready to eat. I'm sure you could use more than 4 hours uninterrupted sleep, am I right?

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Unless he's not gaining his weight like he should be or there is some other problem, I would count my blessings and let him sleep. He is apparently content. If he is hungry he'll let you know.

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For a 6 week old baby, you should ALWAYS wake them to feed them. If your baby wakes up crying to eat, then you've waited too long to feed him. You don't necessarily have to turn all the lights on, turn the tv on and wake him. Turn on a low light in his nursery, nudge him towards your breast and he will wake to eat. Trust me, you want to set your baby's eating patterns, which in turn, will set his sleeping patterns. There is a book called Babywise that talks about this and it REALLY works! I followed the Babywise method and my kids were sleeping thru the night early and are great sleepers. Good sleeping habits are taught. They don't just happen and feeding schedules contribute to it. There is a reason your breasts are ready for him to eat in four hours. Listen to nature! Good luck.

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I was in this same situation when my baby turned about 4 weeks. If you're uncomfortable, pump enough to relieve the pain (4-6 minutes) and freeze the extras (you never know when you need it). Let sleeping babies lie!

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Lucky! Hee hee. No, that's great you have a night sleeper already. I would see how long he sleeps without you waking him. I've heard of the "sleeping through the night at 6 weeks." That was only a pipedream for us. Anyway, pump a little bit simply to relieve yourself to go back to bed. Enjoy the sleep while you can! In a couple of months when the teething starts, you'll be glad you "caught up." Congrats on the breastfeeding too. Your body will get used to it and not wake you up as much in the middle of the night when you get full. Take care, L.

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Seems like you've gotten every answer under the sun already :)

If he's eating well during the day, his weight is good, he's not jaundice, I'd let him sleep as long as he wants as night :). I had to wake my daughter but only because she was born early, had to have surgery, and we were in the hospital. I even was told to stop waking her up by then :).

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Congrats on having a good sleeper!!! My son was a good sleeper too, but pediatrician told me not to let him sleep more than 5 hours when he was little because his body still needed that nourishment for healthy development. Also, keep trying the bottle. It takes some figuring out so keep letting him try it. Then feed him by bottle at least once a week, just in case you ever need to feed him exclusively by bottle. Good luck!

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My opinion was to never wake a sleeping baby. If they are truly hungry, they'll let you know. As far as your breasts filling up, my personal experience was a little different because I could pump and if need be, my baby would take a bottle. I remember thinking that I was taking from my baby when I pumped, but all turned out okay. It may have even helped with my milk supply to then breastfeed when my baby woke up too. I have a healthy little 1 yr. old and we're still breastfeeding. Good luck!

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I would pump and save the pumped milk for when he starts cereal. That is what I did. That makes that transition easier because the cereal has the taste of the breast milk mixed in which is familiar. Anyhow, that is just what I did with the pumped milk I had.

D. P.

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Hi M.!

That is great that your lil guy won't take a bottle and prefers the breast! Many babies like bottles better because they are easier, so this is a good "problem" on your hands. As a Newborn Care Specialst I work with parents over this issue more than any other! The rule to live by is Never wake a sleeping baby...AT NIGHT! This will get him sleeping through the night as soon as his body is capable, which is by 12 lbs and 4 months old. The other half of the rule is the feed your baby as close to every three hours as you can DURING the DAY! This promotes longer night sleep and day/night adjustment. You can stop pumping and your body will respond withing 48-72 hours to the new demand. OR you can go ahead and pump and store it for someone else to bottle feed in a pinch. You may need to try differnt nipples to find one he will take. One with a wide base is most like the breast. Any questions feel free to email!

H., NCS

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You are experiencing the dreams of many sleep-deprived mothers. Let him sleep. Some pediatricians might be concerned (re, previous answer) but that is subjective depending on the baby (ie, already underweight, etc.). If your son wants sleep, let him have it and enjoy your unbroken sleep at night. You'll both be happier in the morning!

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Let him sleep! Get all the sleep you can.

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LET HIM SLEEP! He will let you know when he is hungry. If you feed him when he is not hungry that can continue and become a bigger issue down the road... trust me - I am going through that now!
I agree, pump and freeze, as you never know what things may pop up where you may not be available, or get sick and need to take drugs that are not good for BF (also happened to me) Not suggesting you force the bottle, but may want to try different types of nipples on the bottles too, we went through 9 types before we found one he liked.

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You should continue waking him. He still needs to eat every 3-4 hours at 6 weeks. He will learn to take a bottle when he's ready : ) mine did but he wouldn't at first either. Good luck!!

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My son is 12 weeks old and he is a good sleeper and is also exclusively breastfed (he too is not keen on a bottle yet). He is now sleeping through the night, last feeding at night is 9:30pm and he wakes up at 5:30 am and I can tell you its great to get some needed sleep. I did have to wake him up for the first 2 weeks and after that I just let him go. My breast have adjusted to it and they are not as uncomfortable in the morning. He is growing like a weed both in height and weight so I am not worried at all. He does cluster feed in the evening so he gets the same amount of nutrients. He also has plenty of wet and poopy diapers. All these are signs he is getting enough to eat. So if your son is growing, let him sleep it will be a gift for both of you and enjoy it.

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You should NEVER wake a baby if they are sleeping. My kids started sleeping through the night around that time. Believe me if he is hungry he will wake up and let you know.

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Be happy he is sleeping and get some rest. Your milk supply will adjust. He is 6 weeks, gaining weight and healthy... I wouldn't wake a sleeping baby.... My daughter did 6 hours at night when she was 3 weeks old. My other babies have not. I didn't know how good I had it.

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Do not wake him. Your body will get used to his schedule. It will be uncomfortable for a couple of nights, but you both need the sleep and your body will adjust. Good luck!

My first daughter slept 6 hours by 4 weeks old, and then 8 hours by 6 weeks old. I also worried if I should wake her, but my dr. said that as long as she was gaining weight there was no need to worry. If need be, pump for your own comfort, but you will eventually adjust. Consider yourself extremely lucky!

Never wake a sleeping baby! That was some of the best advice I got. I used to lay a towel down on the bed and sometimes 1 over my breasts to soak up spilled milk. Your breasts will eventually adjust to the babies eating patterns.

For the love of all that is peaceful...NO! Go ahead and pump; you'll have reserves! And thank the Lord He gave you a sa-weet sleeper. :)

My little girl slept through the night her first night home, and immediately upon waking, I called the pediatrician's office in a panic. The receptionist laughed and told me to enjoy it while it lasts. lol

M.,
While I have never nursed my 2 child (I take meds that would have passed thru the breast milk). So, I don't know what it's like to have my breast fill-up. But, I say let sleeping babies lay :) !!!!!

I didn't look at the other responses...but NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY! They are supposed to learn to sleep thru the night! I was so blessed with my 2 kids, they slept 12 hours straight after about a week of being home, and my daughter within a couple days! Both of them to this day are great sleepers. So count your blessings and let him sleep, he will not starve and will let you know when he's hungry! Good luck!