Worried my baby sleeps too much - Need Reassurance

[Anonymous]

I’m a FTM to a 4-month-old. We have been told by family & friends that he is a good sleeper. He has been a good sleeper from about 1 month on. I know infants require a lot of sleep so I didn’t think much of it. We had a nanny start last week as a transition for when I go back to work in June. She had lots of infant experience and made several comments about how much he sleeps. She said he sleeps more than any other baby she’s worked with at this age. She also said how little times he eats compared to other babies his age. She’s an expert so now I’m worried. We have his 4 month checkup next week where I plan to consult with the pediatrician, but I’m too worried to wait. Do you think there is something wrong with my baby?

[Anonymous]

It is hard to say. I would accept the comments of your experienced nanny as a good reason to talk to your pediatrician, for sure. But there is a wide range in what is normal for sleeping.

Is your baby eating formula? Breastfed babies typically sleep a bit lighter and need to be fed more often than formula fed in my experience.

Is your baby growing and gaining weight normally? Does he seem lethargic or alert when awake? Is he filling diapers regularly?

[Anonymous]

Also, keep a log of sleeping, eating, and diaper changes for the next few days before the doctor's appointment.

[Anonymous]

I agree you should keep a log and talk to your ped but chances are everything is fine. My oldest was like that and has remained a great, long sleeper-it’s just the way she’s made. It has pros and cons but the pros are more prominent in the early stages so if ped isn’t worried just enjoy! (Also, my second child was the opposite and I was pretty docked by the difference so if you add a sibling be prepared!)

[Anonymous]

So... How much is your baby sleeping and eating?

[Anonymous]

How much is your baby sleeping and eating?

I breastfed and my first baby was slightly underweight at a checkup. The doctor said to call him with updates. I called one day and ask if I should wake to feed; doctor said yes, and if she has trouble waking, she might be lethargic and not eating enough. We then diagnosed a tongue tie, resolved it, and she ate lots more and gained weight quickly. Her sleep patterns normalized then.

That said, call your doctor, do not rely on solely the word of the nanny. Go ahead and call and ask to leave a voicemail. He or she will call you back if it’s urgent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to say. I would accept the comments of your experienced nanny as a good reason to talk to your pediatrician, for sure. But there is a wide range in what is normal for sleeping.

Is your baby eating formula? Breastfed babies typically sleep a bit lighter and need to be fed more often than formula fed in my experience.

Is your baby growing and gaining weight normally? Does he seem lethargic or alert when awake? Is he filling diapers regularly?

OP here. He is mostly breastfed ( pumped milk) with one bottle for of formula. He eats 5 times a day - 4 6oz breast milk bottles and 1 8oz formula bottle before bed. Sometimes he will take less at that feed and we give him a dreamfeed before bed but has only happened a couple of times.

He is growing but I’m not sure how much he weighs. He is now in 3-6 month and some 6 month clothes and wears a size 2 diaper after his 3 month grow spurt. We change his diaper 8-10 times a day and he is always wet.

He is very active when he is awake. Constantly flipping to his stomach and spinning himself on his play gym to grab at toys, looking around everywhere, babbling and interacting. He sometimes has a fussy period for the last hour before bed but generally he’s pretty easy and playful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, keep a log of sleeping, eating, and diaper changes for the next few days before the doctor's appointment.

OP here. I do keep a log.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to say. I would accept the comments of your experienced nanny as a good reason to talk to your pediatrician, for sure. But there is a wide range in what is normal for sleeping.

Is your baby eating formula? Breastfed babies typically sleep a bit lighter and need to be fed more often than formula fed in my experience.

Is your baby growing and gaining weight normally? Does he seem lethargic or alert when awake? Is he filling diapers regularly?

OP here. He is mostly breastfed ( pumped milk) with one bottle for of formula. He eats 5 times a day - 4 6oz breast milk bottles and 1 8oz formula bottle before bed. Sometimes he will take less at that feed and we give him a dreamfeed before bed but has only happened a couple of times.

He is growing but I’m not sure how much he weighs. He is now in 3-6 month and some 6 month clothes and wears a size 2 diaper after his 3 month grow spurt. We change his diaper 8-10 times a day and he is always wet.

He is very active when he is awake. Constantly flipping to his stomach and spinning himself on his play gym to grab at toys, looking around everywhere, babbling and interacting. He sometimes has a fussy period for the last hour before bed but generally he’s pretty easy and playful.

That sounds great, OP! How much is he sleeping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So... How much is your baby sleeping and eating?

OP here. Here is his schedule that he had been on since 3 months. It has changed because she used to sleep even more.

Wakes at 6:30/7am

Eats 6:30/7am - 6oz, 9:30/10 - 6oz, 12:30/1 - 6oz, 3:30/4, 6oz, and 6:30/7 - 8oz

Naps: 8/8:30 - 9:30/10 - 90 minutes, 11/11:30 - 12:30/1 - 90 minutes, 2/2:30 - 3:30/4, 90 minutes, and 5/5:30 - 30 minutes

Bedtime is 7:30/8 and he sleeps until 6:30/7am - 11 hours

He can’t stay up for more than 90 minutes unless bedtime which is usually about 2 hours. He does 90 minutes up, 90 minutes down. Some days he won’t sleep well but that is usually maybe once a week. He sleeps 15-16 hours a day.

He had always been a big sleeper. He was sleeping 18-20 hours for the first month and eating 10-12 times a day, then dropped down to 17-18 hours between 1-2 months with 10 feeds, then 16-18 hours with 7-8 feeds between 2-3 months. Then he started sleeping 11 hours after his 3 month growth spurt and started eating 5 times a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much is your baby sleeping and eating?

I breastfed and my first baby was slightly underweight at a checkup. The doctor said to call him with updates. I called one day and ask if I should wake to feed; doctor said yes, and if she has trouble waking, she might be lethargic and not eating enough. We then diagnosed a tongue tie, resolved it, and she ate lots more and gained weight quickly. Her sleep patterns normalized then.

That said, call your doctor, do not rely on solely the word of the nanny. Go ahead and call and ask to leave a voicemail. He or she will call you back if it’s urgent.

OP here. I think he is eating plenty. I’ve always pumped milk after the first month because of latch issues. He has always taken 24-32oz/day with amount increasing as he got older.

We have weighed him with us using our home scale and he’s about 14lbs. He was 7lbs 10oz at birth and was 9lbs 14oz at his 2 month appointment. I think he should be in the 14lb range based on clothing, diaper size, and if the scale is accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So... How much is your baby sleeping and eating?

OP here. Here is his schedule that he had been on since 3 months. It has changed because she used to sleep even more.

Wakes at 6:30/7am

Eats 6:30/7am - 6oz, 9:30/10 - 6oz, 12:30/1 - 6oz, 3:30/4, 6oz, and 6:30/7 - 8oz

Naps: 8/8:30 - 9:30/10 - 90 minutes, 11/11:30 - 12:30/1 - 90 minutes, 2/2:30 - 3:30/4, 90 minutes, and 5/5:30 - 30 minutes

Bedtime is 7:30/8 and he sleeps until 6:30/7am - 11 hours

He can’t stay up for more than 90 minutes unless bedtime which is usually about 2 hours. He does 90 minutes up, 90 minutes down. Some days he won’t sleep well but that is usually maybe once a week. He sleeps 15-16 hours a day.

He had always been a big sleeper. He was sleeping 18-20 hours for the first month and eating 10-12 times a day, then dropped down to 17-18 hours between 1-2 months with 10 feeds, then 16-18 hours with 7-8 feeds between 2-3 months. Then he started sleeping 11 hours after his 3 month growth spurt and started eating 5 times a day.

OP here. Besides her saying he sleeps a lot, she has said most babies his age stay up for 2-3 hours between naps. He can’t really do more than 90 minutes before he starts getting tired.

[Anonymous]

He sounds perfect! Very baby is different but my baby was sleeping 16 hours between night sleep and naps at that age. He is 6 months old and sleeps 12 hours ( 7pm - 7am) at night with 3 naps ( 9-10, 12-2, and 4-4:30/5). He still can’t stay up for more than two hours. He has been on 5 feedings a day since about 4-5 months old. This all sounds normal as long as he gaining weight and he is alert and active when he is awake.

[Anonymous]

Talk to your pediatrician, OP. My oldest was a big sleeper because she had a small hole in her heart (a brilliant 17 year old now).

Do not crowd source medical stuff. Ask your baby’s doctors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, keep a log of sleeping, eating, and diaper changes for the next few days before the doctor's appointment.

+1 great advice