EASY help

[ktaal]

My daughter is 15 weeks old and we need some help with EASY.  I think at this age she should be on a 4 hour schedule but she is on about 2.5 hour one.  For example, yesterday shet woke up at 9:15am and I fed her, by 10:15 she was ready for a nap.  It took her 25 minutes to settle herself (is that normal).  She woke up at 11:30am, this is only 2.5 hours after she woke up initially.  At this point I have 2 options: I could feed her again to start EASY or I could wait so to try extending the EASY routine.  The problem is if I wait to feed her she will be ready to nap again and sometimes falls asleep while I feed her, then wakes up if I transition her to her crib asleep.... any advice?

[jana224]

Hi Ktaal and welcome!
The beauty of BWing is that there are no definite "shoulds".  Just follow your baby's cues with the EASY routine in mind. 
I do agree with you that at 15 weeks most babies are on a longer schedule, but she simply may not be ready for a 4 hours one.  I might suggest trying first to get a consistent 3 hour schedule going, then move to 3.5 hours, then 4 hours.  My DD was on a 3 hour schedule until 5 months because she simply could not go 4 hours without BFing.
Can you post your entire day and night EASY routine so that we can better advise you?
Jana

[ktaal]

Thanks for your quick reply.  We tried EASY at about 5 weeks but without success so we are just trying it again - to set routine quite yet.  I think part of my problem is from the start I was getting out of the house so she sleeps very well in the car seat driving or in the stroller (movement).  I am hoping now that I am committed to staying home and really working on the EASY routine that things will fall into place.  I guess my next question is will I have to always stay home now, will I ruin the routine if I take her out again?  Regardless of whether she should be napping or not the movement of driving or walking always puts her to sleep.

[jana224]

Hi Ktaal,
No, once you get a consistent EASY routine going, you will not be housebound.  But in the few weeks it will take to really implement the routine successfully, you may have to be selective in when you do your running around.  As she gets bigger she'll lose that need to sleep anytime she's in the car.  My DD was like that until recently, and now she can go for long rides without falling asleep, as long as it isn't nap time.  So I plan my outings for right after she wakes in the morning or right after a nap.  If I must have her sleep in the car or stroller, I choose to do that for her morning nap, because it is generally shorter than her afternoon nap.
EASY doesn't have to limit you at all.  Once you have her sleeping in a crib on her own -- at least for the majority of time, and able to self-settle and self-soothe, it won't be the end of the world if you have to give her a nap in the car, because she won't NEED to sleep only in the car.  Also, I think EASY makes mobility easier because I can predict when she'll be eating, awake, and sleeping, so I can plan the day better.
But yes, for now, you may choose to sacrifice the errands in order to get her on a consistent routine.  Check out the EASY forum for example schedules of babies 4-6 months.
Jana