Transitioning to 4 hr EASY

[*Carrie*]

Hi, I need some help interpreting the plan to transition from 3 hour EASY to 4 in BWSAYP book. It goes into some detail on page 229/230 but unfortunately the sums don't add up! Looking at the bottom of page 230 in the days 4-7 section the nap times and lengths don't match with the next feed time. For instance there is a sleep time at 12.15 for an hour and a quarter but the next feed time is at 1.15. Similarly the next sleep time is 2.45 for 2 hours but the feed time is only an hour and a half after the sleep time - pretty confusing    The days 8-11 plan also has similar miscrepancies.

My LO is doing really well on the 3 hour EASY but I'm starting to see hints that he may need to move on - not being so hungry, not settling for naps as easily and beginning to grumble during the night. The transition takes time and I want to be sure I have a good plan to follow before I begin! I've looked at the book and the archives but keep hitting this stumbling block - any good advice about nap times and lengths?

Thanks, Carrie

[Grace's Mom]

This might help a bit...

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63161.0

My lo switched cold turkey (from 3-4 Hr. EASY).  I am sure some other mom's went through this before and will be able to help.
 
-Melissa

[*Carrie*]

Wow! You switched cold turkey? How was that for you? I'd read that it needed to be a gradual thing but I'll happily take advice from those that have been through it! Love to hear about other people's experiences too.
Thanks, Carrie

[Grace's Mom]

I actually didn't switch her, she did it all on her own.   One day she just was able to stay awake 2 hours and slept for 2 hours and then I continued on with it, watching her cues very closely so not to get her overtired.  I was shocked.   I had a feeling she was getting ready and honestly didn't want to do a slow transition...it seems like too much work  (for me personally ....to try and figure it all out...however many babies need the gradual transition) and then one day BAM she did it.  I was quite happy  My lo has always done that....don't things cold turkey.

[*Carrie*]

Hey, that sounds good to me!! Maybe my lo is heading in the same direction. Naps have been strongly in place for weeks now  but I always have to wake him so feel he could probably do 2 hour naps and when it comes to activity he's managing 1 hr and three quarters already really. Our problem is that he doesn't seem to show tired signals until we get him into his room for the wind down - it's almost like he doesn't realise how tired he is until he starts getting the usual sleep triggers - once down he normally puts himself to sleep within 10 minutes. I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to stretch his activity times a little to get it closer to the 4 hour EASY.
I've been thinking about this for a while but have been reluctant to tweak anything because it was all running SOOO smoothly and he has been sleeping through the night. I'm so aware of problems arising when you start to change their routine but I know he can't stay on the 3 hour EASY forever!

[Grace's Mom]

Good luck with it! 

-Melissa

[Bryony]

Hey Carrie, I just thought I would post and say that I am at the same point - Katie is about the same age as your LO and she's just gone from 1 hr 30 to 1 hr 45 awake times in the last day or so. This morning I let her sleep for 2 hours at her morning nap (I used to wake her at 1 hr 30) and fed her at 3 hr 45 mins - so will see what happens over the next day or two....  maybe we can be 3 to 4 hourly EASY buddies?!!  My impression is that she fed much better this morning and went down for her naps easier...  she tends to be a bit of a 45 minute napper and needs me to help her to get back to sleep at 45 mins, so will be interesting to see if this gets worse or better.

Good luck and I hope you have a smooth transition!

Bryony

[Grace's Mom]

How are things going? 

-Melissa

[Bryony]

We're doing well - on day two of an "almost" 4 hourly EASY (1.75 hours of A time, 2 hrs of S, so feeding every 3.75 hours or so...) - so yesterday we just lost a feed and a nap cold turkey from a 3-hourly routine. Katie didn't wake for food in the night last night so I figure that suggests she did OK and took in more milk during each feed. Will see how it goes tonight - think she got a bit overtired today so is taking a while to settle (can hear little moans on the Katie monitor!).

It helped for us that both yesterday and today Katie was awake from about 5:30am (happy and talking to herself) and then fell asleep again about 6:45am so I let  her sleep a bit later than usual (7:30am rather than 7) which meant we didn't have so much day to fill.

Carrie - how are you doing?

Bx

[Grace's Mom]

Glad to hear things are going well Katiesmummy! 

-Melissa

[Bryony]

Just to update - a week later, we are now on 2 hour A times and 4-hourly EASY! 

It all went fine - Katie just kind of did it on her own. I've had to stretch a few A times by walking around with her on my shoulder for 15 mins so that she's relaxed and not doing too much, but still awake - and sometimes she gets a bit crotchety towards the end of her A time.  However, I would say she is definitely feeding better and probably napping better than when we were doing 3-hourly EASY a week ago. We still have a few 45 minute naps at lunchtime, but fewer than when we were on 3-hourly EASY.

We have a 2 hour nap at about 9am, a 1.5 - 2 hour nap at about 1pm and a half hour catnap late afternoon.

So just wanted to encourage anyone else who is reading this!

Bryony

[Grace's Mom]

Thank you for sharing your story!  It is so wonderful to hear and I am sure will help some other moms.

-Melissa

[*Carrie*]

Sorry Bryony, I would have loved to have been a transition buddy!! I just haven't checked this for a while (I peruse the breastfeeding forum more regularly and having got advice here was ready to try it out!)

So, quick update on how things are for us. I tried following the plan in the book the best I could (I am such a "book" person) but as I'd posted it was a bit confusing so I just had to guess some of it. I kept a journal of naps and activity times to keep a check on things and started with the morning activity time. It was pretty easy (!) keeping ds up a little longer and he easily transitioned to a 2 hour nap (I'd always had to wake him from 1.5hr naps). Anyway, cut a long story short, he transitioned really smoothly to 4 hr EASY and I was worrying about nothing! It took about a week and we had a couple of mornings when he woke a little early but amused himself until get up time. He sometimes takes longer to get to sleep at bedtime because he didn't used to catnap on the 3 hour EASY, but all in all he's doing really well.

I am enjoying the slightly less rushed feeling - 4 hours between feeds is a bit more managable don't you think? Glad things are going well with Katie,
Carrie

[Grace's Mom]

Great job Carrie! 

Congrats to all the wonderful changes in everyone's routines. 

-Melissa

[Bryony]

Carrie - great, glad it went well! I too was pleasantly surprised how easy it was. And yes it does make for a more relaxed day - more time to go out in Katie's A times which means we can go out for coffee or brunch now - whopeee!

Bryony