Trying to go to 3.5 hour EASY and having problems

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Hi again,
DD is 13 weeks old.  The last couple of weeks she hasn't been very hungry at 3 hours and was starting to have 45 minute naps so I decided to transition to 3.5 hours but it isn't quite working out.  Here's how today went:

E 7 am I woke her, feed at 7.15
A
S in bed at 8.40 asleep by 8.45 until I woke her at 10.25

E 10.30
A
S bed at 12.15, asleeep by 12.20 until I woke her at 1.45

E 1.55
A
S in S in bed at 3.20, asleep by 3.30 but woke at 4.10 and I couldn't get her back to sleep so

E 4.40 (not hungry of course)
A
S tried for a cat nap at 5.20 but not asleep until 5.50.   I woke her up at 6.40 because I thought she wouldn't go down for the night
A bath

E 7 pm
7.30 put her to bed but didn't settle at all well and still awake at 8.10, and had started to cry so had to do pat/shh

I think 1 hr 45 A time is too much but then if she only has 1 hr 30 then she might be having 2 hour naps, and aren't they too long?  It seems to me she is having too much sleep early in the day and then won't take her afternoon nap.  Am I wrong?  Not sure, tomorrow I think we will go back to 1 hr 30 A times and see what happens, maybe I will have to stick at 3.25 for a bit?

[Bryony]

Hello

I am nooo expert on this at all, but also struggled a bit with how to change from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY. In the end my LO did it herself by extending her A times gradually from about 13 weeks onward, so that by 17 weeks we were on 4 hourly EASY and had dropped a nap and dropped a feed. We just started stretching things gradually eg 3 hourly, then 3.25 hourly, then 3.5 hourly, 3.75 hourly etc.

I wonder if you have increased your A times in rather a big go - I would have gone for increasing 5 mins or so at a time, rather than 15 mins at that age.

What were her A times before you tried to change to 3.5 hr EASy? 

Bryony

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

I've only really been writing stuff down for the last 10 days and her A times have been pretty much 1 hr 25 to 1hr 35 for all her naps.  You're right, I've tried to increase the A times too quickly because she seemed to cope in the morning but she is too tired by the afternoon.  Back to 1 hr 30 tomorrow.  I STILL have a hard time to read her sleepy cues as she hardly ever yawns until she is swaddled and on my shoulder winding down so I do watch the clock probably too much.  Her other sleepy signs are a bit vague, or I just don't see them! I will try to watch her more closely.  We've also been out a bit this week which isn't helping. 

[Grace's Mom]

My lo didn't have really early sleep signs either at around that age.  What I had to do was really watch the clock and watch for when I knew she'd normally gets sleepy and make sure all things were in place ahead of time so that I didn't miss that window.  Ohhh, the things we do for our babies. 

I hope it all works out. 

Have you check out our FAQ's section (click on EASY and it's at the very top of the thread)?  It has some information in there about the move to a 4 hour EASY!

Melissa

[Bryony]

Sarah - no, we don't get sleepy signs until she's in the cot and heading for overtired either - I also have to clockwatch...  I think this is quite common!

Bryony

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Oh, we have had a day of it today!  After finally falling asleep at 8.15 last night, Enfys slept through until 6.30 this morning (apart from her "dream" feed where she ALWAYS wakes) but hasn't had a proper sleep since.  She woke up after 30 minutes from her FIRST nap (she has NEVER done this), and the second, and after 45 on the third.  The first two times I managed to get her back to sleep for another 50 or 60 minutes, but not this afternoon.  And she is FIGHTING a cat nap now, she has been asleep on and off for 20 minutes or so, is that enough?  If she starts to cry now I'm just going to get her up and give her her bath and then put her to bed.  She also will NOT eat today (only had 11 ounces since 10.15 last night, it's now 5.30pm). She just cries every time I give her the bottle.    I FEEL LIKE PULLING MY HAIR OUT!!!!!  She had her second vaccinations on Wednesday, that must be the reason for this??? She hasn't got a temp but I have given her some Calpol (tylenol) just before her last feed (an hour ago) so I'm hoping that will help???