Is it okay for my four week old to go four hours without eating?

Question

Hi, my four week old little boy has started going four hours sometimes without being hungry...he is either sleeping or just not interested. He is having plenty wet diapers and seems happy. Im a first time mom and I didnt know if its okay for him to go that long or not, thank you for any answers!

Answer 1

I wouldn't say "never" wake a sleeping baby, but in this case I think you are fine.  I was told by my pediatrician to wake my baby every 3 hours but it was because he was small and jaundice, otherwise the information from the doctor had said not to worry about waking them they will wake and eat when ready.  In other words if you were supposed to wake your baby to feed him your doctor would have already told you.  Just keep an eye on those wet and dirty diapers, they are really your best indicator.  Also I would not let him go to long during the day without eating, it will just make him hungry through the night, those longer stretches (four hours +) at night is what you should be shooting for.  Sounds like you two are off to a great start.

Answer 2

There are plenty of people that could tell you to wake your baby every "X" amount of hours to feed him, but really the best way is to just go with the flow... just read him, and do what he needs. If he seems like he's not interested, or he's sleeping instead, maybe that's what he needs right then. Babies don't have a strict dietary schedule (that's why you'll hear a hundred different bits of advice), AND all babies are different. :o)

Also, babies go through growth spurts - where they feed all the time (at least it feels like all the time!!!) and then there will be slower periods of time when they're feeding seems to draw out and have big spaces. It's just how they're growing.

Don't worry about it! If you are really concerned, talk to your pediatrician at your next visit. If your baby's weight is fine, and he is still filling his diapers a few times a day and wetting a few more, then you have nothing to worry about. :oD

Answer 3

Thats fine. My son was going 6 hours of a night, as he was sleeping through. I had people tell me this is bad, but my mother and a midwife said never wake a sleeping baby :)

if he is content, then go for it :)

Answer 4

Yes, be thankful he can sleep 4 hours without eating!

Answer 5

never wake a sleeping baby. If he is not interested and he is still peeing good and isn't cring, then he's fine. He will eat when he is hungry. Never force feed a child, then you'll make eating look like a punishment.

Answer 6

When you get to six or seven hours, you should make sure that he has something going down his neck. Even though he seems to be fine, it's a good idea to wake him up and give him a bottle. That way, you will be able to have some sort of control over his eating/drinking habits. There is nothing worse than leaving your baby to dictate his/'her feeding habits. If you let this happen, you may be spending many months getting up all through the night, when you could have established a fairly good routine early on. Good luck...  

Answer 7

Yes.  It will very from baby to baby.  When mine was that age she would go anywhere from about 3 to 5 hours between bottles.  She averaged the "hungry cues" such as starting to chew on her hands around every 4 hours.  

Every pediatrician visit they just rave over her weight gain so all is good.

Answer 8

Yes!!!  It should not be that long every time, but he will eat when hungry!  My 2 day old went almost 6 hours with out breastfeeding in the hospital, and they were fine with that!  The poor thing was just passed out sleepy!  

Answer 9

Well, my daughter would sleep 5-6 hours at a time at that age and she was breastfed and just fine.  As long as your baby is gaining weight and within their appropriate range for their age they are probably fine.  Some babies do sleep more and some sleep longer than others.  My girl has always slept for long periods and she is perfectly healthy and normal.  You probably have a doc check up soon so I'd just ask them and you will probably find out your boy's weight as well.  

My girl would often eat in spurts when she was awake...which I think was nature's way of making sure she got enough food.  Either way, babies don't always go by the book and as long as baby is happy and healthy it doesn't matter how or when they get what they need.

Answer 10

Yes, be glad alot of people are not that fortunate. My daughter was doing that also.

Answer 11

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/...

"My baby just started sleeping longer at night. Do I need to wake him to nurse?"

If your baby is younger than 4 weeks, then it is a good idea to wake baby at least every 4-5 hours at night to nurse if he does not wake on his own. If your child is older than 4 weeks, you can allow baby to sleep as long as he wants at night as long as he is peeing, pooping, and gaining weight within normal parameters.

Answer 12

Yes of course it is. My son is 10 weeks old and he is sleeping through the night (8/9hours). We work around his schedule and trust me he tells us when he is hungry.