So confused :(

[mommyArnold]

Can someone please help me.. Im unsure of what im doing is right or wrong if im starting AP. Im realy confused.. My day so far went like this..
 6am wake up n feed (30z)
 change bum and dress
 7am swaddled n patted and in cot asleep by 7.15am
 10am wake and feed (2oz)
 10.20am change bum (started rooting again so fed 1oz, and fel asleep) I tryed to wake him spend 10 mins doing this
 10.40am in bed swaddled.
 
My problem is 1. am i doing the wrong thing by giving him more food after the A part of EASY, and
                   2. what do i do if he wakes to earlier for his next feed.
 
Im relly confused, and im stressing myself to the limet about what i should be doing.

[Lolly]

I am on my phone now but will be back later! How old is your baby and how much milk over 24 hours?   

[mommyArnold]

Thank you for replying.. He is only 3 weeks old has 3oz every 3 hrs, and i dream feed him at 8 and 10.30pm and has around 2oz at those 2 feeds, so id say around 22oz including the 3am feed in 24 hrs?
He wakes around 3-3.30am another 3 oz. And we start the day at his next feed genrally between 6-6.30am.
I get very anxious about things i can remeber worrying like this with my first i  jus think i need someone to say if im doing it right or wrong. Thank you again for replying.

[Lolly]

Ahh - a little one! Congratulations!

It looks like he and you are doing fine. I would watch the time a bit and not let him get too far over 3 hours between feeds, looks like he had nearly 3 hours sleep first nap so I would not let him sleep too long so he knows it's day time and not night time! I would try to keep to the 3 hour feeds it could be he just needs to suck a bit rather than feed so if you are not anti a dummy try that instead first so he doesn't get in the habit of snacking. If he wakes earlier for his next feed and is showing hunger signs then feed him! It will throw off the easy a bit but he is so little you need to enjoy him and follow his cues, don't get too bogged down with trying to keep to EASY, there's plenty of time for that. If you do find things get mixed up a bit then just keep in mind to try not to feed to sleep (easier said than done in these early weeks I know!)

When he is draining most of those bottles add another oz in so he can stop because he is full not just because the bottle is empty.

HTH and please come back if there is any thing else we can help you with!

Laura

[mommyArnold]

ahh that makes sense to try not to go over 3 hours between feeds, i did try to wake him when his feeds where due, but had the problem of falling straight asleep on bottle, so i thought i may aswell let him tell me when hes hungry? I will try to calm down an not be so focused on the EASY more so on his cues maybe! I think i am worried about using props to fall asleep as i dnt want to have to deal with those problems when hes getting olderm therefor trying to stick to EASY from day 1. Maybe im forgeting hes still very young although he was a big baby (9.2oz) born, hes now 9.13oz, does that make any diffrence with the 3 hr thing? Thanks for taking our time to reply, strangly i feel alot more calmer so thank you.

[Lolly]

Glad to be of help!

Size doesn't really come into it with EASY unless they are prem I believe. My DD was 8lb 11oz so not much smaller than your DS! The length of EASY is more about the amount of activity time they can handle that is appropriate for their age. So in the early days a 3 hour cycle allows for eating and a decent nap. Remember the A time is awake time more than activity so at 3 weeks, 1 hour from eyes open to eyes closed is plenty and the actual activity is really not much more than a nappy change and a bit of a look around maybe. You can vary the cycles as your LO needs, so some will be shorter and some a bit longer depending on feeds and naps. You can wait for him to wake and show hungry cues but at this age I wouldn't let him go any longer than about 30 mins after a feed is due.

Formula fed babies do tend to change to a 4 hour EASY before breastfed babies because formula takes longer to digest, but you probably won't have to think about that until much closer to 4 months.

Don't worry too much about props yet, I think it takes until after 3 months for something to become a prop. We used every prop know with my DS and it wasn't a problem in the long term.

Laura