How "strict" to be?

[Alexian28]

Did EASY with my daughter and had to wake her constantly in the day to eat but she was preemie so I expected it. Was formula fed and sttn super early at a month adjusted age. Now with 3 week old EBF DS, he wakes himself up every 3-3.5 hrs at night to eat but would sleep forever in the day if I let him. Yesterday with DD sick I lost track of time and woke him 4hrs after his last feed to eat again. Normally I'll let him go 3.5 hrs and wake him but he can obviously go longer... but never at night! I fully understand that EASY is not a schedule, but should I start waking him at 3hr intervals during the day as needed instead of letting him go to 3.5?

[deb]

3 weeks is a growth spurt and odds are that things will change either now or shortly...and then just as you get used to a new schedule they will change again at 6 weeks, a little maybe at 90 weeks, and often a HUGE change around 12 weeks. Odds are pretty good that he'll be letting you know he's hungry during daytime hours as well very soon now.

I wouldn't let him sleep *too* long in the daytime, but I also wouldn't stick to a 3-hour schedule like clockwork either. I know this may sound like the last thing you want to hear, but "fake it till you make it" ended up being my mantra, especially with my second, whose entire personality and schedule and sleep needs were so very different from those of my first. 

[Alexian28]

Great mantra! :-)  he's been pretty good the last couple of nights, just feeding at 11p and 3a, so I think the general "don't go past 3.5 hrs" is working OK. Although as you said at this age they change so fast who knows next week?