4months starting EASY quick logistical Q HELP!

[CCFinn]

My DD just turned 4 months today, we were doing EASY as in following the lettered routine but our timings were way off. She has been BF on demand about every 2 hours. She is an efficient feeder at about a month could take 4 oz in 10mins (threw up a lot of it )

She was sleeping through the night until 26th Nov (almost 3months)  when she woke up talking to her self, eventually started crying and needed nursing back to sleep...then it became every night around 430am (this was all with a 10pm dream feed) well over the last month it has continued and even got worse...Dream feed at 10 waking at 12/1am then again at 3/4 will nurse back to sleep taking her usual feed times. So after reading I think I missed a growth spurt and now its habit?

SO...I started her on a 3 hour EASY (reading around now I should have probably gone straight to the  4 hour?) However I am doing 3 at the mo with intentions to transition to 4 ASAP
 1st night she woke at 1030 after following all 3 hr EASY throughout the day, so I have her the dreamfeed then... then she woke again at 320am...I didn't feed her we did the PU/PD comfort and pat in crib until she finally went to sleep (1hr later) she then woke up at 530am we did the same until she woke up at 605. I figured she was obviously hungry so gave her 5mins and put her back down...WOKE her at 7am to start over today...

Should I feed her in the night or just try and make it through, I think she is genuinely hungry but I know that she can make it, and did at a much younger age?

SOrry for the lengthy post.

Thank you Christie(First-timer)

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

If you think she is genuinely hungry, then feed her.

[Buttonbobs]

I agree she might well be hungry, LOs of this age often have two NFs so perhaps you could give yourself a "rule" of feeding if it's been a longer gap than in the daytime feeds. She should be able to go longer at night between feeds than in the day so if you're doing 3hrly feeds in the day then you should able to do more than that at night. I personally would therefore have offered her a feed at 3.20 after a 10.30 DF as that's quite a good long gap. I hope that makes sense.

If you'd like to post a couple of days in EAS format we could take a look to help you if you'd like to try and shift to a more age appropriate timing, like this:

WU and E: 7am
A: 7-8.30
S: 8.30 -10
E: 10
etc

[CCFinn]

OK So here is how our day went 1st day of implementation we followed the EASY 3hr schedule to a T. Struggled to the 1 1/2 hr A time as she was tired a little after an hour. She woke up each nap time after about 40-45 mins but with a lot of tears went back down using PU/PD that night woke up at 3:12am it took an hour of almost constant screaming...PU/PD reassurance never leaving but she did go back  down by 430am woke again at 530am PU/PD managed to get her back to sleep until 605 when I fed her as I felt she was really hungry. Had to wake her at 7am.

Day 2 same followed EASY 3 hr exactly

Woke each nap time after 45-50 mins but went back down, the 11:30 nap slept right through. Day 2 night woke at 215 PU/PD was a lot easier took 10mins, however she woke up about 45mins later but went right down with some reassurance. Then woke again at 430 fed well and went back down but was talking and cooing in the bed for a while before crying, needed to PU/PD to get to sleep. Had to wake her at 7am

Day 3 today...
E 700
A 730
S started at 820 finally slept about 845 (woke 915) woke up crying but when I went in was happy and smiling in crib, attempted PU/PD until 950am when we stopped and started E/A with changing and dressing before E

E 10
A1020
S1130 woke 1155 screamed a lot but finally went down with PU/PD

E 1 (had to wake)
A 125
S 3 woke about 45mins in went back down with PU/PD

E 4 (had to wake)
A 428
S 530 catnap -615

Bath 630
E 7
S715

Dream feed about to happen now at 1015/1030

Wish us luck for tonight...

I hope someone has an idea as I don't think she is enjoying all the naps? I son't know what to do :/

[Buttonbobs]

Can't write properly now as off out, but jut a quick one A time is from eyes open to eyes closed so includes e time and all other things while they're awake. Hope that helps x

[CCFinn]

Yes I know that, sorry the S @ 3pm was an error she went at 230 as per 3hour EASY!
I feel like her sleeping has got worse... last night we did the dreamfeed at 1030 she was woke up the second I put her in her crib and was playing after a while started fussing I had to assist her back to sleep then  she was awake a 1230 did sh/pt back to sleep. she woke at 330am at which point I fed her and she went back to sleep. Then woke up at 620am hubby did pu.pd and sh/pt got her back to sleep at 645 just to have to wake her at 7am

[Buttonbobs]

It does sound really like she's ready for longer A times than you currently have. The transition to 4 hr easy from 3 is gradual so perhaps you could try extending that first A time by ten mins and holding it at that length for three days and see if you get a longer easier nap without a waking at the 45 min point.

45 minute naps are often an indicator of the LO not being quite tired enough for the nap. The fact she's resettling means she may be getting OT because of the waking at night, which could also be caused by too much day sleep . Stretching the A times could help with all of this.

Also, day 3 is early stages for implementing a new structure. Is the DF a new thing? It is likely to take more than a week for us to see if she takes to a DF. Some children don't benefit from it as end up waking more with a DF than without it. Others, like my Dd really like a DF and t helps you to get more sleep throughout the night overall.

What do you think?

[CCFinn]

No we have been doing dream feed for 2 months... usually she likes it :/
I don't know ladies, tried extending A and she slept less!

[Buttonbobs]

You won't be able to tell whether it's working just after today, you'll need to hold at the new A time for at least three days to see. How much did you try? Was it just the first nap? How long did she sleep?

Way not post your day in EAS format if you'd like xx