Help: my 3-hour EASY sometimes 3, sometimes, 3.5, sometimes 4.....

[lauri]

I will try and explain "my case" as best as possible.

I (try and) follow a 3-hour EASY with my 3 month old, starting at 7/7.15 AM - but lately I have been finding that she sleeps through her next feed time, unless I wake her for it, and if I do, she doesnt seem to be very hungry and it takes me a while for her to finish it- she eats 180cc / 6 ounces 5 times a day and sleeps through the night without wanting to eat, only waking to be resettled 2 or 3 times between 4AM and 6AM. At 6 she settles down again and we have to really wake her for the 7AM feed.

I have the following patern at the moment:

E - 7 - needs to be woken up - eats very quickly, sometimes within 10 minutes
A - 7.45 - play consists of diaper change and back to bed
S - 8.00 - 11 - nonstop sleep, no waking, this is the easiest naps, no winddown needed, just plops back to sleep, I either wake her at 11 or she wakes by herself around 11.15
E - 11
A - 11.45 - here we usually go out for a walk or to the shop for food
S - 13.00 - difficult to settle down, takes catnap 45 min to 1 hour till next E, wakes herself
E - 14/ 14.30
A - 14.45
S - 15.15 - this is also a difficult nap, I need to swaddle and after 40 minutes spot-on, she wakes, I reswaddle, shh/pat a bit and then she falls into a very deep sleep, wakes herself
E - 17/17.30
A - 17.30
S - 18.30
E - 20.00 - need to wake her - I find this too late, as it means she isnt in bed till 21.00
A - bath, halfway through her bottle, babymassage
S - 21

For the 20.00 feed I really have to wake her, as if she's already started her nightsleep, but I feel I have to as otherwise she's only had 4 feeds. I wonder if anyone has the same scenario and what works the best for them? Maybe I should do the bath at the 17/17.30 feed and treat the 20.00 one as a dreamfeed? I also want tro try and do a dreamfeed at around 22.00 but till now, she's in bed at 21 and then will never be hunhry enough for more 1 hour later...

She weighs 5.5 kilos now.

Should I move her to a 3.5 hour EASY? I am a bit confused if then the A is longer or the S?? I dont think she's ready to be up for more than 1.5 hours max after waking, inc feed, but often, once asleep she sleeps very deeply and a bomb can go off and she doesnt wake unless I open the curtains, unswaddle and start stroking her cheek and talking to her..

Many thanks for any insights. Laura

[celticmom]

How long has it been like this? At first I wonder if she is in the 3 month growth spurt and needs the extra sleep. I know the EASY and times need to be tweaked for different kids. When she takes a short nap does she wake up happy or crying? I also wonder if the shopping time is too much stimulation for her. With my kids, I sometimes wonder what would happed if I just let them do their thing and see what happens- but I don't want to have them wide awake at 2 AM!

[lauri]

thanks Celticmom,

its been like this for a few weeks now, I think we might have hit the growth spurt now, as yesterday, after I fed her 2 she woke up really crying hard at 4 and I fed her then and she ate the entire 180 cc in one go...afterthat, schedule was back to normal. wonder what happens today..
I agree the shopping is probably much, but as I have no one to watch her (we are both not from where we are now living and families live far away & friends all working people), I have to take her or weight until DH comes home, which is after DD's bedtime..so no other choice than to drag her with me. I do make sure that she has her 3 x long naps daily though and the one catnap after the shopping.
To answer you question on how she wakes up after a nap, its crying and fussy, I have not seen her awaken and be playing by herself yet, if she wakes, its either hunger or wanting to go back to sleep but needing the paci..

[lawnseed]

Hello:)
My dd is about the same age as yours and her day looks quite similar until the evening. What I do is a top up at 630 as she goes to bed (I try and stretch her out slightly, but not so that she's over tired) and then do a dream feed at 1030. I think my dd is transitioning between 3 and 4 hour EASY so am planning on just slowly stretching things out until she reaches that stage! It might make it easier for you as then bed is at 630/7 and you have your evening until 10 or ten thirty. It may make those early mornings more settled too!!

[celticmom]

A growth spurt usually lasts about a week, is it possible she changed her routine for the growth spurt?
I agree, try earlier bedtime. That would make her less sleepy in the AM.
How was last night?

[lauri]

well, last night the same...am having trouble this week  - first she eats alot, today she was giving us trouble finishing every bottle, even the 7am one, which she normally gobbles up in 15 minutes. What I tried today was to give her her bath after the 5PM feed, so she has an earlier bedtime and then I woke her up at 9 and gave her her bottle, change nappy and straight back to sleep and then the DF at 10.30...dont know if this is ideal as ideal would be not to have to wake her up any more after the bath ritual, except for DF, but as I cant get her to finish everything if we stick to the 3 hour EASY, I have to try it like this

[celticmom]

HHHmmmmm, she might be slowing down on eating if she is coming off a growth spurt. She will let you know how much she needs. What time did she go down to bed? We always did a cat nap at 5- 5:45, then feed, bath and bed by 7:30. This gived them a little umph to through to 7:30, and then they will be ready to DF between 10 and 11.
I see the dificulty of trying to get her on track when she has the late nap at 1. She is overtired at that point and that opens the door for the 45 nap and had wind down. Then your evening is a bit off for a 5pm catnap. She might not be ready for 3.5 hour easy. My DS is now 6 months and moving from a 3 to 4 hour schedule were gradual with leaps in between.  My DD- now 3- was different about it!
I think 5:30 bed is too early and 8 is too late. Bathe her before bed and try to skip waking her at 8 or 9. She may wake a bit after that to eat but that may be around dream feed time. It may take a few nightsto figure it out. Soon she will be 4 months and on the 4 hour schedule. The transition periods are trying! The not wanting to eat is her being ableto go longer stretches without eating. Let her sleepup to 2 hours for naps,I never let DD go longer than 3 hours. If he woke early, I would try to hold off on feeding him for half an hour.Eating too frequently will cause snacking- I know this is a lot  all at once!

[lawnseed]

I agree with all of above!!
Once in bed for around 7 just let her sleep til DF - I tend to do a nappy change just before so she is at least a bit awake for it.
I am finding that for me and my dd on a 3 and a bit hour easy the last couple of feeds are slightly clusterish - eg 530 and 7pm - awake the whole in between time and no A after the 7 pm one. That way I guess the two cluster feeds will slowly blend into one once my dd is on 4 hour EASY.
If it's any consolation we are also having very variable feed lengths and am also struggling to hit the right times- the other day tried strict four hour and ended up with an early feed at 530 as she hadn't has enough!!

Like celticmom says - the transition periods are always most difficult, but they end - and the one thing you can rely on is that once you've cracked this one there will be another! Keep us posted:)