Eating less since started EASY

[kcamelia]

I hope someone can help me with this because it's making me a little nervous.  My Hugo is almost 5 months, and he weighs about 17 pounds.  He is very heavy, long, and his head is large for his age.  After I read the BW and started EASY about 2 weeks ago, I put him on a 3.5-4 hour schedule because of his age.  I realized that I had been feeding him all of the time when he probably wasn't really all that hungry (like Tracy says we often do in accidental parenting).  Now he easily goes 3.5-4 hours between bottles (he's formula fed).  I've been charting his eating and sleeping for the last few days because I wanted to be sure he was getting the 25-30 ounces Tracy recommends before you try to eliminate night wakings.  And the night wakings have gotten worse, too.  He used to sleep 7-8 hours (7p-3a), wake once to eat, and sleep until 7a.  After charting, however, I realized that he is only taking 18-20 ounces during the day.  And he'll never take more than 6 ounces at a time, although usually it is more like 4 ounces.  I tried feeding more often, but it doesn't really help and messes up his schedule.  He eats like a champ at night.  Last night he woke three times and took six ounces each time!  Am I doing something wrong?  I've even started trying to coax him to eat more at each feed, only to have him spit up, something he has rarely done before now.  Do you think he's waking more at night because he is hungrier now that he is eating less?  I can't be sure how much he was eating before we started EASY because I wasn't charting, but I think it was more like 30 ounces daytime.  It had to be a lot, right, I mean he's huge!  I'd just really like to stop waking up so much at night since he doesn't nap well, either.  Please advise!

[LŠuren]

Hi
can you post your EASY routine and if possible your old one prior to EASY.

thanks

[kcamelia]

Sure, sort of.  We had no routine prior to EASY, although he seemed to know when it was bedtime versus naptime.  It was vaguely:

7a wake
eat, eat, eat, get overtired, nap for 20 mins- four hours on his whim
7p bed
3a six ounces

Now it is usually like this:

7-8a wake, 3 oz
play
9a nap (he gets tired very fast in the morning)
9:40 or 11:30 (has a hard time making it past the 40 min mark, but if he does, it is in the morning) wake, 6 oz
play
1.25-1.75 hours after waking, nap for 40 minutes, all day long (I only feed him every 3.5-4 hours, but his naps do not fit in the schedule.  He often naps for 45 mins of every 2 hours.  He usually takes 4 oz every 3.5-4 hours during the day.)
6:30 6 oz (often only drinks 3 oz)
7:30 bed
11:00p wake, 6 oz
2:45a wake, 6 oz
6:20a, wake, 6 oz
8:20a wake, 6oz, stay up

It's really not much of a schedule . . .

[LŠuren]

The very first post on the link below may be of use, it sounds like his day and night feeds are mixed up 

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=57221.0

Is he draining his bottles during the day at all?

It may be better to have a set wake up time, regardless of when his last night-feed was, at the moment on the above routine he is only taking a ‘top-up’ at his first feed due to the amount he has consumed over night.

What activities is he doing during his first A time? Apart from him getting his day & night feeds switched you are doing fine.

The possible reason for the short naps is overtiredness OR the fact he is hungry, as you say 4oz is NOT a lot for your LO – my DS is just under 18lb and 73cm long and eats between 26–30oz and 3 meals now.

At 5months our routine was like this;

Wake 0700
E0730 7oz and banana porridge
A
S 1000 – 2hrs
E 1200 5oz + veggies
A
S 1500 – 1hr 15min
E 1615 – 4oz + yogurt
A
E 1900
A bath
S 1930

[kcamelia]

Thanks.  I wish Hugo would eat like that!  How old is yours?  He only ate 15 oz total today, so I know he is going to be up all night eating. 

That link was very helpful.  I think I will try the slightly more gradual approach that she recommends.  That meshes with my instinct to somehow not feed him three full bottles at night!

Is he draining his bottles at all during the day?  No.  He took 2 oz twice today, 5 oz, and 6 oz once.  When you say that I should have a set wake-up time, how will that help eliminate the top-up effect?  Do you mean that I should wake him at 7:30 and feed even if I last fed at 6:20?  I'll give it a shot.

I was starting him on solids before I started EASY, but then I was so overwhelmed by trying to do so many things differently that I stopped solids.  The last few times I have tried to feed him cereal, he gulps it down but suddenly seems scared of it.  Have you ever heard of such a thing? 

I will add my success story when (not if) I have one because they really are nice to read.  Thanks to everyone for posting troubles, too, because it shames me for feeling sorry for myself.  I really have a low-maintenance baby!

[LŠuren]

Hi Calum is 6.5months now (how time flies)

Yes wake him at the same time, it isn't to eliminate the top up ,but more to set your day at the same time - hopefully you will eliminate the n/f's soon, so the 1st feed will be a 'normal' feed and not a top-up.

Good luck and shout if you need more help.
Lauren

[joannad]

My DD was taking less milk too!
I used a similar routine to EASY with DD1 & it worked, she was a textbook baby.  DD 2 (now 8 weeks) is a different kettle of fish. Her naturla routine was all over the place when she was born - feeds between 1-5 hours taking anything from 1-4oz with no pattern at all.  We concetrated on getting her to take full feeds - effectively feeding on demand initially (except we never woke her at night & during the day we never let her go more than 4 hours). After 2 weeks she was roughly feeding 3 hourly 24/7 & taking 2oz.  Using the routine we had with DD1 we then started a proper routine & she took more milk going 3 hourly & 4 hourly during the night. BUT we had a lot of sickness & dreadful wind. I found out a bout EASY & bought the latest book as it saya 'solves all your problems' so hoped for some advice on potential reflux, sickness etc.
We altered the routine slightly by adding in cluster feeds (4,6 & pmish) & by 'dream' feeding no later than 11.30pm rather than letting her wake & feed at around midnight.  Initially she was taking less milk in her feeds. Some feeds she still will only have 2-3 oz but on the longer stretcehs she's almost draining a 6 oz bottle & is starting to take 4 oz min on most feeds - so after a week she's building back up again.
It's still early days for us but the cluster feeding & dream feeding is improving her existing routine & Tracy's insight in the book is very helpful as the previous book, although excellent advice, didn't give this additional insight.
Jo x

[LŠuren]

Jo thanks for sharing your experience with us 

kcamelia, have you made any progress today?

Lauren

[kcamelia]

Well, here's today:

8:10 wake
840 3.5 oz
900-1000 nap
10:30 1 oz pears, .5 oz formula
1125-12 nap
1240 6 oz!
145-230 nap
345-400nap
440 5.5 oz

He's already overtired now; putting him in his swing is the only thing that keeps him from rubbing his eyes out or scratching his head.  I don't know if I'll be able to get another feed in before bed.  If I do, he'll probably only take 3 oz, putting us at 18 which is the same as it has been. 

I fed him three times last night, but the first bottle was 6 oz and the second and third were 4 oz.  That was the suggestion from a link someone gave me yesterday.  I'm not feeling that inspired, but here's to seeing what another night will bring . . . I might try watering down the formula in the second and third bottles.

[kcamelia]

Just wanted to say that I switched him to size 2 nipples.  He was only on the slow-flow, and I think it was crimping his style.  He's been taking 7-8 ounces every four hours now!  He also doesn't seem to burp as much.

He still eats twice a night, but he ate 28 ounces yesterday between 8a-6p!  He also eats solids enthusiastically, but sometimes he still seems a little scared.  That's when we stop.

Now that he's getting enough during the day, I feel more comfortable phasing out the night bottles.

[LŠuren]

Excellent, sounds like your having success on in all areas 

Just watch the swing doesn't become a prop for him to sleep.

[kcamelia]

Oh, I've been there!  It was the only place he slept from 2 mos to 3.5-4 mos.  Then it suddenly stopped working, and that's when I found the BW.  He wouldn't sleep anywhere!

Since I read the BW, he only sleeps in his crib.  Eventually he would rub his eyes in his swing, too.

I think he also rubs and scratches less when his daddy gets home from work.  Perhaps he's just a little sick of me?