Sleeping

[Bec L]

Hi
Just wondered out of interst how many of your babies sleep through or only wake once in the night? Poppy is 11 weeks not (technically only 5 weeks) and she occasionally sleeps for 4 or 5 hours in the night but most often only manages 3 hours. In the day she can easily go 5 hours - sometimes I have to wake her for feeds.

All the advice I have been given is she is only 5 weeks/9lbs it will take time for her to learn to sleep for longer. But I don't know if I am just being fobbed off when really I am doing something wrong! Ie should I only let her have naps in the day and wake her more often for feeds? Also, around this time of night (4pm) she is starting to get tired and cross but if she sleeps now I know she won't go down easily tonight.

Do you all have a routine for your premature babies and if so, how do they work? Or do you make allowances for the fact they were early and just cope with the sleepless nights?!

 

[Hevz]

They're all different babe, but when they're little and early they do benefit from feeding more often so bear that one in mind honey.


Lauren was 5weeks early and slept through from 6weeks old....a dream. When I say slept through I mean she fell asleep downstairs in her crib about 8pm, I took her upstairs at about 11pm when we went to bed and fed her and changed her bum then she'd sleep till quite late...9am onwards


Abi was only 2 weeks early and slept through from about 10wks but only till about 7am.


Toby was 4 weeks early and slept through from about 8weeks.


All babies were exclusively breastfed too as some people tell you breastfed babies don't sleep through. None had dummies either. My friend used to have to wake up an average of 11 times a night to keep popping the plug back into her babies mouth....so i didn't bother with them

Bet this next baby of mine won't be quite as easy

 

[Bec L]

Thanks Hevz, knew I could rely on you to reply ;o) Sounds like yours have been little angels - Poppy is such a monkey in comparison!

Hope this pregnancy is going well for you chick
xx

 

[Hevz]

Oh god....am I that predictable or even worse a know it all. I guess it's coz I've already got 3

 

[Bec L]

No! But I know you always have good advice - you have enough experience of prem babies! xx

 

[turbo_mom]

WHen I brought Angelynn home for the first few months she slept alot. I did not try to get her into a routine I just let her do her thing and tell me when she was hungry or tired. Some nights she would only wake up around 3-4am and other nights she was up every couple of hours to feed. SHe slept alot during the day. But she was also smaller and was growing alot.
Now at 9 months adjusted she sleeps through the night (11pm-10am) and has about two naps during the day. She started sleeping through the night in september. And I love it!!

 

[VanWest]

When Noah came home he had to be feed every 3 hours. So I woke him up even if he was asleep. I didn't stop doing this in til I spoke to his doctor to make sure he thought he was at a safe weight to stop. After I stopped doing that he would sleep in til about 2am and then take up at 6-7am. I put him to bed at 6-7pm. Then it went to waking at 3-4am and then sleeping till 8am. The sleeping 10-12hours it def took time. Now though he is teething and wakes up every 2-3hours, and it's hell! lol

 

[Sarah+Ellen]

Ellen was 16 weeks early and was in hospital for 24 weeks. She came home with a great routine from the hospital. After a week (corrected 5 weeks) she was sleeping through the night so we stopped trying to wake her for feeds then. We have also always limited her sleep late in the day and even waking her after about 2 hours if she had gone to sleep after 12. She was very grizzly some days too but like you she wouldnt have slept if we had let her sleep later or longer. Ellen also used a dummy as she had had one from using Cpap in the hospital and though it would come out in the night, she wouldnt wake without it.
All babies are different though hun. Good luck and remember that routine always helps.