Transition from 3hour to 4 hour routine

[deb77]

My dd was text book baby - now a text book toddler. She followed the baby whisperer book as though she had written it herself. So much so I can't honestly remember how we got over changes in routine etc. I now have a 13 wk ds who I have to say is touchy bordering on grumpy. He has been on easy since day 1 but has fought it tooth and nail. He is in the middle of 45 min naps. The hour change ( I don't now whether other countries have this but here the clock go forward 1 hour in autumn!) is about to happen and he can last 3.5 for food at least ( he is a big baby) but can't stay awake long enough between feeds. I have tried extending awake times but this leads to 30 min naps- overtired. I don't want his night time sleep to start to suffer. So should I hold off with moving him onto a 4 hour routine until after the hour change so I ideal with that first or the other way round? Is that fact that he can't stay awake a sign that he is not ready for 4 hours.

P.S tried w2s with ds today- nap ext to 1.5 yippee- I know better than to count my chickens.
                              debx

[lyndsy_p]

My LO couldn't stay awake very long at that age too, and just as you describe, wouldn't be hungry at the 3hr mark. We did a EASAE kind of thing, so that means A time after the nap instead of a feed. Sometimes we were feeding 30 mins prior to her next nap. Don't worry though as long as you are not feeding to sleep you will be okay! 

45min naps were par for the course right around 13 weeks as well. It usually means that he is ready for more A time. Try to extend A times in 5-10 min increments over the course of 3 days....you may get a 30 min nap, but the next nap cycle will be long to make up for it. Tracy suggests working with the morning A time, but that was always the shortest with my LO, and the hardest to extend. She had a long 1st nap anyway. Try extending the 2nd A time and you should have some success. Then work your way to the next A time etc......

Don't worry about the "4hr EASY" as a goal. Lots of BF LO's don't make it! Is your LO BF or FF? I was very fixated on this...my LO is 6.5 months and just now is doing a true 4hr with the exception of the bedtime top up!

HTH
Lyndsy

[deb77]

Hi
  Thanx for your suggestion. I think I will try increasing A by small increments in the morning as he is normally at his best then. DS is FF, my dd was BF and I sometimes wonder if this has caused them to be so different to manage.
                  debx