Is 8.5 weeks too early to start transition from 3-4hr EASY?

[londonlady]

Hi,
I'm new to the site, but have been following the 3hr EASY plan with my 8.5 week old son Max for several weeks. However in the last week or so I've noticed some changes to his routine in terms of eating which I think is then having a knock on effect on the whole plan.

He was a big baby at birth (9lb 1oz) and has always eaten well, but he's begun eating extremely quickly (10 mins and I wind him, and he squeals / refuses to go back on the breast.)  I'm worried that he's possibly not taking very much at each feed although he doesn't seem to cry for more and will nap ok during the day. However he has recently started waking at around 3.30am each night, rather than the 4.30-5am that he had been managing for quite a few weeks.  I'm assuming this is a day time food issue as he is waking hungry, rather than it being a sleep issue as he generally sleeps well.

Having studied the BW solves all your problems book, it suggests that maybe he is ready to start the transition to longer spaces between feeds. This would perhaps help with making him more hungry at each feed and him taking more during the day and solving the earlier night waking. However, as I mentioned, I can't seem to get him to eat more at each feed, and he also can't stay awake for any longer long enough to make the transition up. e.g if I leave it longer between feeds, he is ready to nap after an hour or so of being awake which means when I get him up after 1.5 hrs, we are too early for the next feed, leaving him awake for a while, meaning he is then tired even earlier after the next feed!! I've tried over the course of the week to extend his A time slightly, but he just gets over tired and then won't sleep well which again has a negative impact on the whole routine.

My feeling is that it is therefore too early to be making the transition? I'm assuming he is getting what he needs, as he doesn't cry for more food, so does this just mean that he's become an extremely effiicient eater? If so, any clues as to why his night waking pattern has changed? He still only wakes once, but can't figure out the reason for the change in times as I think he is past his 6 week growth spurt...

Any ideas would be much appreciated!
Thanks.
x

[Erin M]

Hi, congrats on your baby!

Just my opinion, but I do think that it's a bit early.  It's totally normal for babies of his age to be waking at night to nurse (I know mine did until around 4 months or so and she was a good size). 

As for the efficient eating, totally normal.  Mine turned into a 5-7 minute nurser pretty early on.  They just get so efficient at getting their milk.  Makes it much easier I thought to nurse when your boob isn't attached to a baby all day.

[londonlady]

Thanks for your reply, that's reassured me that we not quite there yet! It's good to know that other babies can guzzle that fast!

It seems like only 2 weeks ago I was worrying whether I had enough milk as he was going through a serious growth spurt, and now I guess it's a-flowing and he's able to eat in no time at all. I think he is getting what he needs but I will be happier when I've had him weighed and can see he is definitely gaining the weight that I think he is. Annoyingly in my borough they only like you to get the baby weighed monthly and it feels like a long wait in between when they are this young!! 

Think we'll try and stay on track as we are for now, and watch out for signs when he is ready to be awake for longer...

Thanks again!
xx

[cathbilson]

Hi there,
Just to let you know that you're not alone. i was startin to have thoughts like this at 9 weeks (my son was 9lb at birth too) and at 11 weeks I decided to try and transition him to 3 1/2 hour EASY.
Well! He did it in 1 day! But the bizarre thing is, he doesn't have any longer A time. has never liked staying awake for more than 1 hour. So I actually just left him to sleep for 1/2 hour longer, then fed him. He took a much better feed, then went for another 3 1/2 hours. Our schedule is roughly (I'm missing out the A time, he only takes 10 minutes to feed usually):
7.00 wake and E
8.00 S
10:30 E
11:30 - 12:00 S
2.00 E
3:15 S
5.30 E - and then I keep topping him up, until
6.30 Bath, then more top up, then
7.00 Bed
10.30 DF (with a bottle)
and he hasn't woken up before 6.30 am for 3 weeks. He was 12 weeks old yesterday.
Some babies are ready to transition early. As I said, mine went from 3 hours to 3 1/2 hours in 1 day, so clearly I was holding him back.
Good luck when you do decide to do it.

[jbepko]

Every baby is different, but most are around 12 weeks when the transition occurs. Is he feeding from one side or both? He may not be getting enough hindmilk in the evening and that's leading to the night-time awakening. Although one night-time feed at 9 weeks is fairly normal also.

[londonlady]

Thanks for your replies.
He generally feeds from just one side, but when I try and put him back on again he is squealing at me as if to say "no more!" Occasionally I get him back on for a bit longer, but he usually ends up possetting so I think he doesn't need it. I expressed some milk yesterday and fed it to him in a bottle and he drained just about 4 oz in about 5 mins, and then went onto the breast for more. So at least I am now sure he is very efficient at eating now!

However, I am still wondering about extending the EASY routine. Since my original post I've also wondered whether I am over stimulating him during his A times, which is tiring him out very quickly and was throwing my attempts to extend his times.  I've experimented today by taking a more laid back approach and allowed him to entertain himself a bit more in his bouncy chair and on his play mat and he was able to stay awake for 2 hrs. Previously I've been the all singing, all dancing mum and maybe it's justa bit too much for him!  Having established that he can stay awake longer, I think he may be ready to start making the transition upwards with a bit longer activity time and a bit longer between feeds. Guess we'll just see how it goes over a gradual period.

We've just had a terrible week with him waking almost hourly at night - so I'm desperate to try something to get him back to the good sleeper he was previously. He doesn't seem to be properly hungry until about 4am so there is definitely something else going on. So I think we'll make a start on the transition - if that doesn't work then maybe we've got a sleeping issue! Joy!

Thanks again.
xx