8 week EASY

[Jemimah]

I have a 8 week ds who was suffering Silent Reflux, or so we thought.  It seems to be improving greatly so I am know able to work on EASY.  I have been doing the following or trying at least - with maybe 60% success:
E: 6.30
S 7.45
E: 9.30
S: 10.45
E: 12.30
S: 1.45
E: 3.30
S: 4.45-5.30
E 5.30
S: 7 (catnap)
E: 7.30(bed; but usually doesn't fall asleep until 8.30 or 9)

It's not going bad, but I do have a wake up from 4-5.30AM daily. Is there an obvious reason for this?  DS goes down good for naps, but only lasts the 40 min, we can pop the soother in, but that only usually gives us another 40 or so on and off....I have a toddler so the shh/pat (which I do when I can) does not happen  all that often. 

Should I be changing the EASY to the following? Maybe taking out the 7PM catnap?

E: 6.30
S 7.45
E: 9.30
S: 10.45
E: 12.30
S: 1.45
E: 3.30
S: 4.45-5.30
E 5.30
E:6.30 (bed)

We thought we had the 6-8 week growth spurt, but to be honest we are know not sure..... can if come later than that?  Is it always super obvious?

Any tweaks or suggestions on the EASY??

[Ima shel Alon]

Maybe taking out the 7PM catnap?

I was going to suggest that . 5 naps are probably too much for him. Like the second EASY I would plan the last nap to finish at 17:30 and have BT at around 18:30-19 instead of another nap. I would give it a try for a few days and see if it makes a difference with the EW.
You didn't indicate how long his naps are. When he naps at 7:45 does he wake up at 9:30 or before? Do you try and keep a 1.5h A time?

[Jemimah]

I will try the second Easy for a few days.  As for his naps, I was having an hour and quarter A time - and that seems to be pushing it at times.  Should I try extending it?  He actually seems ready at 1 hr A time, but I have been pushing to 1 and a quarter.  He just falls asleep right on my shoulder without noticing sometimes.  His cue is the nuzzle in the neck, and it is always at about 60-70 min.  He is ready for nap by then. 

I am having problems with transitioning him through the nap.  He naps for 40ish minutes, then wakes up bright eyed for a few minutes, then starts aggressively trying to get out of his swaddle, then starts crying.  I have to pick up or give him a soother, if the soother falls out it starts all over again.  I have tried shh/pat laying down, he just keeps fitting the swaddle, and the cry gets angrier and he get very wound up.  I can pick up shh/pat - but his eyes stay bright eyed open for 15 mins plus, and still can get very wound up.  The soother seems to work the best, but is it a prop already??  Plus, the only way the soother stays in is if we hold it or balance it in with his swaddle somewhat. If we do get him back to sleep it is either with 15 min of his nap left, or if settled early, he tends to still wake up 15-30 min before the next feed.

[Ima shel Alon]

If he fell asleep at 7:45 and slept for 40min or so then in the end he had more than 2h A time? From around 8:30 till 10:45? That would be too much for him to handle. I would either count the time he is awake after his nap while you try and settle him as half A time or stop for a while to settle. If you are more successful in settling than not then I would keep on settling but not wake him up when it's time to feed. A hungry baby will always wake up by himself. If you wake him up from naps then you don't really give him a chance of restorative sleep throughout the day.
At 8 weeks the average A time is 1:15-1:20h.

[Jemimah]

OK - so he was awake from 8.30-10.45 while I was trying to get him back to sleep, you are right.  Too much A time for sure. So what do you do to keep on schedule if you can't get DS to nap for entire nap? If he finally falls asleep at 9.20, but his feed is 9.30, do I let him keep sleep past his feed time?? If so, how do I work with the schedule for the rest of the day and still have bedtime on time??  I didn't think you were supposed too go past his feedings so that he doesn't wake up at night for extra feeds, or have I confused myself? 

[Ima shel Alon]

In the end you should have the same number of feeds. Tracey did say to wake up from naps, but I personally didn't do that and I know that many other mommies here don't. If you wish to do so, then it's totally up to you, there is nothing wrong with that . I don't think he will nap for long, though, as he is used to having his feeds every so much time and he WILL be hungry and WU.

After settling back to sleep, when he wakes up you start counting A time again normally (feed of course) and put down after his normal A time.

[Jemimah]

OK - been trying 4 naps and will keep working at it, however I am wondering how to get back on schedule after a early nap waking.

For example:
E:6.30
S: 7.45-9.30
E: 9.30
S:11-12.30
E:12.30
S:1.55-2.35
tis is where I get lost.....
So I wait to feed at 3.30, but he has already been awake since 2.35, so is his next nap at 4PM-4.45 or thereabouts, and then awake till 7 - which is way to much A time....not sure how to adapt schedule after early nap waking, any suggestions? How do others adapt schedule?

[Ima shel Alon]

There is some info here about what to do after a short nap: What are A times and how do they fit into the EASY plan?
I would have fed at 15:30, then nap at 16, but let his sleep more than a CN if he wants to because of the short nap before and the a full A time before BT. Or have a CN at 16 and BT at 18:30.