4 hour E.A.S.Y

[tysonbing]

When do little ones typically go to a 4 hour E.A.S.Y.?  My LO is 15 weeks today and seems to be awake for 2 hours b/n naps, pretty happily.  However, when I tried to switch to the 4 hour routine, he has been night waking more and more.  He is a big guy, so my dr. suggested cereal.  However, I think since we started it, his tummy has been pretty upset and so I decided not to do it anymore as of last night, and he woke 3x.  Ugh.

Here's a routine, although we do have to be flexible b/c of older sibling, so this morning the AM nap was in the car and only 40 mins or so.

7:30 AM wake/ eat 8oz (take Prevacid for reflux)
9:30 AM nap, usually 40min but I extend for another 40min.
11:30 eat 8oz
1:00 PM sleep (usually about 2hrs, sometimes have to extend but this is the one he does better for)
3:30 PM eat 8oz
4:45 PM sleep ~45min
6:00 PM (WAS giving cereal, but I have stopped)
7:00 PM bath/eat 8oz
7:30PM asleep

Night wakings are random lately.  He doesn't even seem all that hungry when I try to feed him.  For about a month prior to this week, he was only waking around 4am to feed, then back to sleep.  Last night it was 1:30, 5:30, then 6:30 and slept till 9AM.  (I know I should have woken him, but we had a preschool party to go to, so I wanted him rested).  He doesn't really rely on anything and I've quit using the paci.  He is still swaddled and had broken free at 1:30 AM but reswaddling didn't get him to go bak.

Thanks!

[vadensmommy]

It doesn't sound like he is waking due to hunger if he isn't taking a good feeding when you try.  4mo is typically when lo's will move to a 4hr EASY.  I do wonder if the cereal wasn't causing some tummy upset and that is not helping his nights?  I know you say you've stopped it so that is probably good, but then the nw's . . .

Do you do a DF?  Is he able to self soothe?  How long does it take for you to get him to go back to sleep when he wakes at night?  That's all I can think of right now - been a long day with trick-or-treating here 

[tysonbing]

I don't do a DF.  We did it one night and he woke every 3 hours after when previously he had been only waking once at 4am.  So we didn't continue it.  He doesn't self soothe really well, but he does every now and then.  I can usually pat/sh him and he goes back to sleep w/n 10-15 mins, but he's back up again within 40 mins to 2 hours.  If I feed him, he eats and goes directly back down even if not asleep, he's just not drinking the whole thing every time he wakes. 

[MJMom]

Normally LOs move to 4-hr EASY around 4 mos, give or take a bit depending on the LO.

how long ahve the NW's been going  on?  Could it be a GS?

[tysonbing]

Well, he's always woken at least one time a night, but the numerous wakings have been the past two weeks.  I didn't give cereal last night, just a little extra formula and he only woke at 4:45am.  YAY!  I hope it lasts.

Should I keep up the 4 hour schedule?  This morning I had to extend the first nap already, ugh. 

[vadensmommy]

Interesting.  You could try and go back to a 3.5hr EASY and see if that extra bottle helps the NW, but there will come a time soon that he probably isn't going to want to eat at the 3.5hr mark -if he will even go back to it.  The other option may be to try to cluster feed instead of DF, and maybe get a bit extra formula in him that way - so instead of just the last bottle being 7pm, maybe do like 5oz at 6pm, and then another 5 at 7 or something like that?  What do you think?

[MJMom]

I found that reverting to a 3.5 hr EASY actually caused more habitual NWs at that age.  In retrospect, I would cluster feed.  My .02.  It could have been my DD as well. I've heard others doing the 3.5 EASY and it working.

[tysonbing]

I did the cluster last night and he slept really well, so I tried again tonight.  I gave 5 oz at 5:30 and he took 6 more at 7:30.  Hoping this will make the difference.  I think I will stick out the 4 hour schedule for a few more days.  Thanks!

[pbmom]

FWIW - I did revert back to the 3.5 hr easy for a day and it didn't work with mine.  I instead cluster at 5 and then last feed is at 7pm.  DF didn't work for us either.  Hoping mine starts doing what yours is!  The NW are killing me

[vadensmommy]

Hey guys
tysonbing - glad to hear the cluster feeding seems to be going well!!  That is encouraging!
pbmom - I hope you start to getting some results too!
Good luck!