EASY 4 hourly?

[thomassm]

My lo is 14 weeks old and still isn't sleeping through the night, he has been on 3 hourly EASY since birth but doesn't really take enough milk to sustain him during the night therefore we still have a 3am feed going on which he takes 4 ounces.

Of course the logical thing would be to up his bottles during the day but he will not take anymore for me, we also do a dreamfeed at 11pm which he will only take 3 ounces at.

Any ideas?  Is it worth moving him to 4 hourly EASY so he is hungrier, but he won't stay awake longer than an hour 20 therefore naps are going to be very long.

Sorry alot of questions and not sure if this is an EASY, Sleep or Food question, so mods feel free to move if necessary.

Thanks in advance.

[mdavza]

Hi there!  I'm no expert but my lo is about the same age.  I started feeding him later and later because he was just playing with the bottel at 3 hrs, and adjusted his naps accoedingly. 1hr20 mins A time sounds right.  Mine is only now, ar 16 weeks, slowly having longer A times, like 5 mins longer!!  Also, is your lo perhaps on a griwth spurt?  If so, you can give him the extra ounces an hour after the feed.  Hth! 

[thomassm]

Thanks for replying, hes having long naps today and he has drained his bottles so we could be onto something he might just want to go longer.  I'm happy if thats the case cos I won't have the transition from 3 to 4 hourly EASY.

[hjrmom01]

It's still common for your lo to still have a NF at this age (even longer!)  If you think he would do better with feedings spaced out more then you can do more of an EASAEAS until his A time lengthens to catch up.  You don't have to do 3 OR 4 hrly, you can do any combination.  Here's a link you may find helpful: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=120362.0
But don't feel like you need to start lengthening his A time.  If he's still giving you good naps then I would stick with that A time.  If he's been draining his bottles and sleeping a lot, may be a GS!

[thomassm]

Just wanted to say its more awake time rather than activity time, so 1 hour 20 from the start of Eat to going back to sleep again so naps of 2 hours 30.  Is this too long?

[hjrmom01]

Activity time=awake time...A time is anything from the moment they open their eyes until they close them again for sleep.    Naps of 2.5 hrs are good but they usually don't suggest more than 2 hrs as it will cut into the next feeding but every baby is different

[thomassm]

Thank for that, tonight will be the proof but so far so good today, he has finished all his bottles (on 4 hourly EASY) and having long naps and falling asleep on his own no problems, at awake time not so miserable cos has had a long sleep.

Thanks