Hi all, A fellow NMAA Counsellor has been helping a mum with epilepsy with her 3-week-old baby. She is OK about the drugs she is on (Carbamazepine), but she maintains that she has been told (by a health professional, we presume) that she *needs* to get 8 hours of unbroken sleep each night. To achieve this, she has been giving the baby a bottle of formula and he sleeps for the required time. She is now concerned about her supply, which may have little to do with the epilepsy, of course, but is in a dilemma about the sleep issue. Obviously the formula supplement, and the 8 hours of no breast drainage is not helping here. We are also thinking that there is no guarantee that the baby will continue to sleep for the 8 hours as he grows and develops. This is the mum's second baby. The first ended up artificially fed (not sure from when), and she is very determined to breastfeed this one. Does anyone know whether this idea of 8 hours' unbroken sleep is as important as she is making out? If it is, how do other mothers cope with wakeful (or just normal) babies? Any ideas or stories about mothers' experiences with this issue gratefully received. ****************************************************************** Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor Perth, Western Australia. mailto:[log in to unmask] ******************************************************************