questions about moving to a 4 hour EASY

[jacq1101]

Hi,

I have some questions about moving to a 4 hour EASY.  I put my DS on a 4 hour EASY about 10 days ago (he is 16 weeks on Tues).  THings were going OK then he started waking up earlier for a feed at night and also was unsettled during the day.  I thought it was a growth spurt and so moved him back to a 3.5/3 hour EASY during the day.  ANyway, this has been going on for a week now.  Is it still a growth spurt?  Has the growth spurt ended now but he's still waking up early for a feed at night.  He seems to be hungry when I feed him on the 3.5 EASY routine during the day though is not as unsettled as he was for the first few days that this happened.  Today, he did not eat as much at the 10.30am feed.  He woke at 6am and then went back to sleep and I gave him a very quick top up at about 7.15am when he woke again.  So I don't know if he just wasn't hungry because of the top up or if this is a sign that I need to move him back to the 4 hour EASY. 

My other question is with the 4 hour EASY, there will be one less feed.  Won't that mean he feeds less during the day ... won't that then affect night wakings?  I was going to wake till he was back to waking at 3am before I went back to a 4 hour EASY but I'm really not sure now. Any advice?

Jacqui

[waffler]

Hi Jacqui

I have recently moved my DD to 4 hr easy, was told by the fantastic mods that she was too old and needed more A time. Just to let u know, that b4 the switch she was waking nearly every 2 hrs at night and her day naps were a mess. Well, the night wakings are MUCH better now, a late wake around 10-11, then one other - if that. But i have to say that we are working on other issues like getting her to sleep at night and extending her naps! You can say that Mira is a "work in progress" LOL. At 16 wks your DS is not quite 4 months is he? Well, again, I am not in a position to give any advice but perhaps he's not quite ready for a 4 hr?

I too thought that with one less feed she'd be more hungry but she actually feeds better at each session and takes more in. When she was on 3hr she really wasnt taht interested in food.

[HeatherC]

Jacqui, can you post your routine as well as you can at the moment?  It is OK if you have a variation of 3.5-4 hrly feeds during the day.  They don't all have to be spaced exactly the same, especially during times of transition such as this.  If he is hungry at 3.5 hrs, then go with that for now.
When you transition to 4 hrly feeds, the theory is that your lo will take a larger amount at each feed thus equally the same daily total as before with smaller, more frequent feeds.

[jacq1101]

Hi Heather,
The 3.5/3 hour EASY we have been doing is 7, 10.30, 2, 5, 6.45, 10-10.30 (these are eat times) then waking up between 1-2.30am and then usually between 5.30-6am.  Today however, because he seemed less interested in the 10.30am feed, I fed him next at 2.30pm.  His awake times are usually about 2 hours long.  He sleeps about 1 hour in the morning, 1.5-2 hours middle of the day and about 45 min in the late afternoon.

Jacqui

[rinajack]

Maybe it is time to see if you can get rid of one of the night feeds?

If you were to try a 4 hr schedule, you need to offer more food at each feed (are you BF or bottle) so that they can last longer.  Maybe this way you lo will take in more during the day and can last longer at night.  Many people find when the lo moves to 4 hr, they take more total food per day.  Your A times are long enough for 4 hr.

If you try 4 hr and you bottle feed, offering more is easy.  If you BF I believe you add more time at each breast, or if you only offer one breast, offer both at each feed. (someone who BF's may be able to advise on this better.

[* Paula *]

Hi Jacqui,

Are you finding that your lo can cope with the 4 hour EASY A time?  If your lo is getting over tired on the 4 Hour EASY, then this could be the reason you are having more wake ups during the night. 

If you are finding that your lo can cope with the A time of the 4 hour, how much are you offering at a feed?  Oz if bottle fed / minutes / sides if BF?

Do you cluster feed?

Paula x

[jacq1101]

I think LO copes OK with the A time of 4 hour EASY. I actually find that it is harder these days to judge when he is tired so I pretty much go by the clock and it seems to be working OK because he falls asleep quite quickly.  Before he used to cry and grizzle when he was tired now it seems to be a bit more subtle.  I'm breastfeeding and when on the 3.5/3 hour EASY, I was cluster feeding but when on the 4 hour EASY, I haven't been.  His last feed before the DF is at 6.30pm.  He tends to feed now for about 20 minutes (was 25 minutes).  This afternoon though he fed for 30 minutes ... I think some of it was comfort sucking though.  I generally feed both sides each feed except for the DF or night feed he MAY only feed from one side (though it might still be the same timeframe as if he was feeding from both sides).  Last night though, he only woke at 3am and then at 6am (resettled without feeding at this time) so hopefully having him on a 4 hour EASY yesterday was the right thing to do.  Will see how tonight goes.

Thanks
JAcqui

[* Paula *]

Hi Jacqui,

It may just be that your lo was getting settled into his new routine.

Great news that last night went better for you - keep us posted on how you get on.

Paula x