Author Topic: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?  (Read 1232 times)

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Offline Keep Smiling!

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Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« on: May 09, 2015, 16:24:10 pm »
My LO is 4 weeks old and I was wondering if it's too early to start easy? I did it with my older little girl but not until she was a few months old.

I have no idea how long she should be awake and am still learning to read her cues. She is breastfed and there isn't really any pattern to how long between feeds. Because I don't know how much she is taking I can never rule out that she's not hungry. She's been really miserable the last couple of days with lots of crying and I'm not sure if it's colic or reflux or if she's just grumpy? She's feeding a lot and is full of wind and just generally seems unhappy.

I'm finding it hard at the moment as I just don't know what she wants!

Offline michaeljacknnugg

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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2015, 17:10:54 pm »
I think we just started off by roughly following the pattern, and by trying to feed only when DS was genuinely hungry. So I'd offer him a finger to suck or try to distract him a bit if he looked like he wanted a feed less than 2.5hrs after the last one.
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Offline Martini~

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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2015, 17:12:21 pm »
No Honey, it's not to early for easy. I have started from day one:). The main thing at the beginning is to try to keep pattern of E, followed by even short A and then S. It's very fine to cluster feed in the evening so feed much often then every 3h but still try to keep A between E and S.

If you want to start feel free to visit easy FAQ:
EASY
Especially this link!:
Starting EASY - all you need to know and more!

Posted with Helen:).
~Marta

Offline creations

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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2015, 17:48:26 pm »
I started at 4.5 wks :)
I would say don't try to aim for 3hrly feeds right off. Some LOs, especially breast fed need less time between feeds, 2 or 2.5hr.
If you being the way Tracy described by spending 2 or 3 days observing and writing down the record of what actually happens you may begin to see a pattern of sorts and that's a great place to begin some gentle tweaking.
Mine was on 2.5hr (roughly) E at that age.  I aimed for the routine EAS and to try for some gentle putting down to sleep with shush/pat.


Offline Keep Smiling!

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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2015, 02:59:11 am »
Thank you.

What should the A time be at 4 weeks old? I am definitely missing some of her sleepy cues which means she is OT but it's so much harder when you've got another child who wants to play etc! Also, she tends to sleep on us in the day. How should she be falling asleep? She's definitely been suffering from wind but not sure if anything else is bothering her as she has been very grumpy the last few days!


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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2015, 09:01:15 am »
There's only about an hour A time at this age so by the time you've done a feed and nappy change there isn't much time for anything else other than beginning the wind down.  Although I did notice mine was becoming more alert at this age and liked to have a little song or chat and a look around.

It's would be good if you can start to put her down for some sleeps (if only to get your hands free for your other child and for yourself to get a shower etc) but don't stress over it, all those cuddles are great for bonding, I'm sure you'll never regret them.
Tracy said to start babies sleeping in their own crib but IIWM I would try to put down for sleep in a stroller in the living room or nearby so that she's still around you and becomes comfortable in the stroller so that you have some flexibility to go out and about with your older child rather than being limited to staying home for baby's naps.
In the early stages you would usually use shush/pat in arms until LO is asleep then put down and continue shush/pat in the crib/stroller until she gets to a deep sleep. Then move to putting LO down when nodding but still just about awake. Then when drowsy.

I began this way, putting to sleep in a travel cot (like pack and play) in the family room. It was a slow and gentle process and took much time (it takes a baby 20 mins to fall to sleep, I saw each of the stages Tracy described in that 20 mins) but he was sleeping independently by around 8 weeks.  And so independently by 10 wks that he refused to sleep in the travel cot and wanted to be up in his own bed - my difficulty was getting him to sleep out and about, he wouldn’t sleep in the stroller and I found that difficult (which is why I now think it's a great idea to build a stroller habit!).

The links Martii has posted are really useful, I'm just giving my perspective on early sleep habits.


Offline Domestic Engineer

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Re: Can you start EASY at 4 weeks old?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2015, 00:35:29 am »
Just a thought - you mentioned that she feeds often and has a lot of gas. With some moms, if baby feeds really frequently (less than 2-2.5 he's between feeds), you end up producing tons of foremilk and baby gets really gassy. That was my problem in the early months. My baby wanted to nurse for comfort constantly but I have a huge milk supply and he was uncomfortably stuffed. But also keep in mind the 3 week growth spurt, if she hasn't been through it yet! I ended up using a combination of pacifier and block feeding, where you stick to one side for a 3 hr period, even if baby nurses 3 times.