should I be starting 4 hour easy?

[teddy13]

Hi my son just turned 5 months, we are starting solids tomorrow and I was wondering how and when we should start a 4 hr easy. We just began the 3hr and we are focused on increasing naps and  reducing night wakings. Should I first tackle these issues or should he be feeding every four hours already. He is exclusively breastfed and takes 4-5 oz bottle of expressed milk at around 10pm for his dreamfeed.
Thanks

[*Ali*]

Typically the move to the 4hr EASY starts at 4mo but some BF LOs take longer to get there especially if naps are short. I found mine just moved naturally to a 4hrly schedule as their A times lengthened to 2hrs and so did their naps. So they were asleep at the 3hr point and so i just fed them when they woke or shortly after. I think it was around 4.5mo for both.

[teddy13]

Thanks my little one eats every 2.5 to 3 hours and naps on average about 40-45 mins each time three times a day. He is needless to say OT but I have not been able to figure it out with increasing or decreasing A time. I just don't seem to be successful at it. I am also so tired. Today I decided that as soon as the week is through I am going to add a supplement feed at night and he is also starting rice cereal today. Hopefully he is fuller and can go for a longer stretches.

[*Ali*]

Are you feeding from both side at each feed?
Do you have a sleep thread going?

[Fiver]

Just bear in mind that rice cereal, apart from providing bulk that will fill his tummy, has little in the way of nutritional value and contains much fewer calories and fats than breastmilk does, so he may actually end up more hungry after eating in rather than less.  It can also be quite constipating.

[teddy13]

Oh no. I hope he doesn't get constipated. Yes I do have a sleep thread going. And we are not really getting any sleep at the moment. Thanks Ladies

[teddy13]

Hi  my baby is doing good so far with the rice cereal he really doens't eat that much of it maybe two or three spoonfuls once a day. Today I started supplementing with formula only one feed a day. He is asleep now for the past three hours I m waiting for him to wake up so I can feed him. Thanks for all your help this far. He seems to be making his feeds further apart on his own.

[*Ali*]

Great