3 hour EASY to 4 hour EASY

[leighfeusier]

I have a 4 month old baby boy.  He's been on the 3 hour EASY but has just started to skip a feed here and there AND sometimes eats very little at cetain feeds so I assume he's ready for the 4 hour EASY.  But, he only naps for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  I can't transition to the 3.5 EASY because he'll get behind on the whole schedule since he naps for only 45 minutes.  He can really only stay awake for about 1.5 hours.  By the time I need to feed him next (on 4 hour EASY) he would need to nap immediately after the feeding.  I try to extend his awake time but he becomes cranky.  I also do a dreamfeed at 10:30 and feed him again at 3:00 or 4:00 am.  But, often he's not super hungry at 7am.  Could I get him to skip the 3am feed?  I'm so confused!

[*Mona*]

hi there

can you post your routine?
have you checked trasition info in our FAQ section? here's the link: https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63161.0

[leighfeusier]

I guess my biggest problem is that my son can only sleep for 45 minutes so it messes up the whole schedule.  I've started to do the 3.5 EASY but his naps are still short.  For example:

7:00   eat
7:30   activity
8:30   sleep
9:15   activity
10:30  eat
11:00  activity
etc.

He just seems wired to only take short naps.  Every once and a while he'll nap longer - maybe 1 hour or 1.5 hours.  I feel that by the time I try to feed him he's tired b/c he's been awake for a while instead of just waking up.  Should I just keep it as a EASYAE?  The whole schedule gets off b/c of his short naps and then I feel the whole EASY thing is not so EASY!

[vadensmommy]

Welcome to the boards!  I hope you find some great information from all these wonderful ladies!  You may want to post your entire day so we can take a look at it all.  Many 4mo olds can stay awake for a full 2hrs at a time - not all can, but many do.  My dd was a chronic 45min napper herself, but as soon as we moved to a 2hr A time, her naps instantly went to almost 2hrs.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!  So from what little bit you posted, his first A time is only 1.5hrs - have you tried extending this, and did it have any affect on his napping?  45min naps are sometimes biological, and sometimes not enough A time.  30 min naps often mean overtired.  Is your lo breastfed or formula fed?  Many babies that are BF still need that night feeding at this age, but I'm pretty sure that at his age Tracy felt that most ff babies who are normal weight could sleep through the night at this age.  The wonderful mods can tell us if I'm right on that one or not   You'll probably get more information about dropping the night feed from the Night Wakings boards.  Good luck and ask lots of questions - everybody here is great and will do their best to give you wonderful advice!

[leighfeusier]

Hi!

I've started to do the 3.5 EASY.  I guess I need to do it for a week and see if his naps get longer.  I'll try to push his A time to 2 hours.  But, what if he yawns and acts cranky - keep him up until 9am or put him down at 8:30?  I was always worried that if I didn't put him down in time he would have a short nap.  But, maybe that is not the case anymore.  He seems to nap 45 minutes anyway!  Yes, he is a breast feed baby.  He's not super chubby yet - long and lean.  So, he just needs the extra food.  I don't mind the 4am feed.  I guess my main concern is getting him to nap longer than 45 minutes and to work towards the 4 hour EASY. 

[*Mona*]

for some babies 45 minutes naps mean not enough A time, so I'd try keeping him up for a bit longer and see if it helps.

m

[leighfeusier]

Hello!  I have tried to force him to stay awake for 2 hours and his naps have TOTALLY gotten longer.  Instead of 45 minutes naps he now takes 1.5 hour naps! I'm so excited. Thanks for the help!

I have one other question - he now only feeds for a small amount of time.  Is it because he's become more efficient at eating?  He's not super chubby yet and he's very active.  I just worry that he's not getting enough food.  My doctor doesn't seem concerned.  I just don't know if I should try my hardest to get him to eat more - most of the time he refuses after 10-15 minutes.  He used to be about 30-45 minutes.  Is this normal?

[sprinke]

About the feeding, I'd guess that he is becoming more efficient. My 5 mo LO usually finishes in 7-10 minutes now.

[elliesmama]

Yes--that's very normal.  Mine went from 30 min to less than 20 when she was 3.5mo.  And my lo is on the thinner side, too, so I've wondered if she's getting enough...but she is!!!