EASY has turned into EAESY

[Kbrownie]

 My daughter is going to be 3 months in a week and lately has thrown my awesome EASY schedule for a loop. She's been doing well since we started around 3 weeks on EASY, occasional off day but pretty normal I think.

The past few days however have been SO rough. So sad before naps, even screaming fits where she won't settle. Always after the activity portion when we're trying to get her down for a nap or for the night. She only stays up for a max 1.5 hours and we usually start putting her to sleep around an hour and 15 min. I'm really careful about not over tiring her as I've done that. Disaster!

The latest surprise is that we resorted to feeding her to calm her down thinking she was hungry and that was the only thing that settled her. She would gulp back 2 ounces of formula like she was never fed before. It seems like an EAESY schedule can only calm her down and I hate it!

She's now formula fed as my milk supply tanked after a month, and even after 3 weeks on the prescription to increase my supply, she was starving. Since birth (a horrendous c section and not seeing her for 3 hours post op) she's been supplemented. She has been eating 4 ounces every 2.5-3 hours during the day and seems satisfied when we feed her.

Is it a growth spurt? I have no clue. I think we should start upping her to 5 or 6 ounces soon but she doesn't seem to be hungry initially, only after play. Help! I can't be the only one!

[jessmum46]

How much do you offer in each bottle at the start of A time?  Is it just the 4oz and she's finishing it?  Or do you offer more?

Is she feeding to sleep, or just feeding before sleep?

She only stays up for a max 1.5 hours and we usually start putting her to sleep around an hour and 15 min. I'm really careful about not over tiring her as I've done that. Disaster!

How long are her naps?  Could you post what the last day or two have looked like in EAS format for us?  Just wondering if in fact you may have gone a little too far the other way and be trying to get her down when she is UT......though of course I may be wrong

[Kbrownie]

During her feed, she eats 4 ounces and most of the time is stuffed. Like she couldn't get any more in. Then other times is comfortable. I usually don't offer more as she's not cranky/whining. If she flips,out right before nap time and I resort to feeding her she'll usually eat one or 2 ounces more and pass out completely.
Here's her schedule from the past 2 days

Saturday
8am-E : 4oz
8:25- A
9:15: fussy, start winding down for nap
9:30: has been screaming on and off till now, make another 2 oz, eats
9:35ish: S has eaten the whole 2oz, completely asleep, falls asleep when eating
10:30-awake and happy, but not hungry right away
10:50-E hungry eats 2oz, but not really attentive
11ish-A
11:30-E the rest of 2oz
12:00-S
2:00: E 4oz
2:20- A
3:30-E 2oz and falls asleep while eating
3:45- S
5:30-E 4oz
5:45-A
7:00- sleepy, get ready for bed
7:15 almost asleep, making whiny noises from crib but drifting
7:25: full blown screaming, eats 3 oz like its nothing
7:35pm-S eaten to asleep
1am- E
5:30a-E
Sunday
7:50: up for the day
8am: E
8:15-A
9:00-sleepy to screaming fit, fed 2 oz
9:10 fast asleep
10:15 awake, get ready for church
11:15 E at church
11:40: awake for a bit but S catnap in arms
12:15 :wakes up
12:35 really fussy, falls asleep in arms
1:45: awake
2:30: E 4oz
3:00- A, drove in car to grandmas
4:00- tried to put down for a nap, so fussy, tried for 30 min
4:30- eats 3.5 oz
5:00: finally asleep
6:30: woke up to go in carseat home, but not totally awake
7:15- home, put right to bed,
1:45: E
5am- E
7:30am- E

Sundays are the worst, church interrupts everything! Haha
But since 7:30 this morning, she's been acting very similar.

[jessmum46]

With the feeds, if she is finishing a 4oz bottle when you offer it, I would start to put 5oz in the bottle.  Ideally you want a bit left in the bottle when she is finished feeding so that she finishes when she's full, rather than finishing because the bottle is empty - does that make sense? 

Does she have reflux or any other medical issues/teething that could be making her uncomfortable?  Just wondering if the screaming could be discomfort, though if she's fairly spirited it could just be a sign of getting tired.

I do think from looking at your EASY though that the bottle has become a prop - she shouldn't be hungry an hour and a half after eating 4oz, and she seems to be falling asleep on the bottle fairly frequently.  It then sets you up for a pattern of snacking through the day and perpetuates the falling asleep on the bottle problem.  Has she ever slept independently in the past?  IIWY, I would make sure she is offered a good feed at the start of A time and then start to work on teaching (or re-teaching) her independent sleep using a consistent winddown and shh-pat, and not offering feeds any more frequently than 3 hourly.

Around 1h20-30 would be an average A time for her age, though after a short nap she may need a slightly shorter A time.  She looks like she may be able to manage another 5-10 mins in the morning as her naps are 55-70 mins which would normally indicate UT.  When she gets fussy have you tried a change of scene to see if that helps?