help with EASY in morning

[aprinzo]

Help!  This is my first post but I'm on here often reading other peoples situations and have found answers to many questions.  I followed the EASY method with my first son, this is concerning my second son.  He is 10 weeks old and has finally changed his night sleep schedule for the better.  Here it is...

Down around 7-7:30 pm
Wakes anywhere from 12-1am
Wakes again around 3:00 am
Then again at 5:00am

The 5 am is the problem.  I have been trying to use his paci to get him back to sleep but he will not settle until I give him a bottle (breastmilk).  He usually only drinks an ounce or two.  Then when he wakes up around 6:45 he wants to eat again and usually another ounce or two.  This starts a day of crazey eating and throws us off our EASY schedule.  I try to hold him off in the morning when he wakes but he cries like he is starving.  This has been going on for a week.  What can I do in the morning to get him to take a full bottle.  (By the way, when he does take a full bottle it is usually only 3-3.5 ounces...can't get him to take more than that...)  He is a healthy 13 pounds, so he is getting enough to eat, it just seems like I am feeding him all day.  Not sure what to think.

Thanks,
Ashley

[¤ Efka ¤]

Well but how his day looks like?
And aslo is he eating at these first wakeups or no?

[aprinzo]

Yes, he is eating at the first wakeups but very little.  When we start off like this our schedule is more like EASE(maybe)Y.  If he eats again (ounce or two) before nap he will get a good nap.  If he doesn't he will take a 45 minute nap and wake up because he is hungry and then he will fall back asleep.  But, even when he does wake up to eat he will only eat 2-2.5 ounces.  So, I feel like I'm just all over the place and can't get a good EASY routine going.  I would like to just be able to get him to take a full bottle (3.5-4 ounces).

[¤ Efka ¤]

He is still tiny and you cannot really expect him to be on good routine yet.
However, when you say that at first wake ups he eats very little, I would try not to feed him at all these times at nights, if he is  not truly hungry, it just makes  a habit later on.

Does he gets DF?
Ideally it would be DF about 10 or 10.30 and then I would say feed him at about 3, when he wakes then.

If you dont DF I would suggest, feeding him at his first wakeup and then about 3 or 4 hours later and then only in the morning, it should leave enough space so he will be hungry in the morning and start day off good.

Other opinion is to start stretching this 5 am feed by example 15 minutes. As when he wakes at 5, you try to get him back to sleep for 15 minutes and feed only then and then next day you try to hold off 30 minutes and so on.

[Grace's Mom]

Yeah, he is a good size.  Mine was about 5lbs less so he is doing great.   Mine also didn't eat very much per feed.  They know how much they need so 3-3.5 oz doesn't sound that off.  I know it's hard when you hear how much others are eating and such but we have to remember that all lo's are different and their needs vary as well.

With the 5am feed, if you don't think he actually needs it then I would offer mostly water with a tad bit of formula or breast milk in the bottle or just water.  You are right in that you want the 1st feed to start out good.  That helps you get a good start on the day.
Since he is getting a full feed at 3am I can not imagine that he is hungry at 5am as he goes longer than that during the day. When he wakes what is he doing?  Could he be waking out of habit, knowing that you'll come in and get him up and feed him?

Melissa

[aprinzo]

I haven't tried to DF yet.  Until now I was going to bed early and my husband was feeding DS when he woke up then I took over the rest of the night.  I had suggested he try that but he didn't like the thought of waking him up.  Anyway, I think I will start to DF and see if that helps.

I also think the 5 am waking is a habit.  He eats the 2 ounces and goes back to sleep.  Last night he woke up at 4 am to feed.  Took a full bottle and still woke up at 5.  I didn't feed him but picked him up and he fell back to sleep and put him back into the crib. I sure don't want to trade one habit for another.  I guess I tend to give in since his brother's room is so close and will wake up if he starts to cry to loud.    I guess I'll just have to try to pat/shush him till he goes back to sleep and keep doing it till we can break this habit. 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Grace's Mom]

You don't wake them for the df.  You just take them out of the crib, while they are asleep, and feed them.  They should stay asleep.  You lo make wake for a moment but then will most likely go right back to sleep.  You just feed and then lay them back down. 

You should try w2s if he is waking every morning at the exact same time....5am. 
If he wakes can you sooth him with out taking him out of the crib?