Trying to implement EASY with 4 week old

[JoyRose]

Hi,

It's been a long time since I've had to implement EASY ... DD1 and DD2 are 9 and 7 years of age, and here I am again with a newborn!

I'm only just trying to get started with EASY. We've had to get over a bout of mastitis and pain with blocked milk ducts (this is still happening every few days, unfortunately). Also the antibiotics were likely causing him tummy upsets -still waiting to see if that settles. But now I want to break LO's habit of feeding to sleep in the day.

Things are not going well at the moment. LO seems to only survive on a very short A time, which is why he usually falls asleep on the breast even for naps. But this week he's become more aware of things, doing a lot more looking around, so he's getting OT and now we're not having those nice couple of long naps in the day anymore.

Any suggestions right now of how to get started? LO feeds every 2.5 to 3 hours in the day. I've been charting his feeds and sleep the last 3 days, but I'm finding myself spending 1.5 hours sometimes trying to get him down for a nap! Then he's only sleeping for 30 mins.

Today he'd been awake for 1.5 hours at one point, and I was tired, sick of holding him, and wanting lunch, so I gave in and fed him again so he'd sleep. He slept for 30 mins. Then I spent the next half hour holding him to help him sleep - he was sleeping very lightly, eyes kept opening and shutting, then he'd squirm (he's still gassy). Eventually he seemed to be deep enough asleep, so I put him down. Then he slept another hour.

I know I'm doing all kinds of things wrong, and I'm rambling here, but really just looking for advice on what to tackle first, and how to go about it!

Thankfully, at night he does quite well, and I can't really complain about that. He does about 4 hours between feeds for the first two feeds. He's a bit haywire after the 3-4am feed, waking sometimes only after 2 hours, but I've had enough sleep before then, so must be why I'm coping!

[creations]

Welcome back to BW
Sorry to see you are having problems logging in with your usual account.

I don't think you are doing all kinds of things wrong.  Your NB is still a NB and to be honest you just do what is needed to get through the day (and night!).  I really don't think anyone is going to frown upon you feeding to sleep with the aim of getting yourself a few minutes for lunch or a few minutes of baby free arms.  I think really my whole motivation for early sleep training and why I put so much time in was because I just *needed* to be able to be baby free for a few minutes and could not do the permanent holding (attachment parenting) that some parents enjoy.

I started trying to get my LO down for a little sleep on his own from day 1 really but that doesn't mean it worked, it was gentle and I was attempts, not usually successes.  At the age your LO is I found  BW and that's when I moved E away from S, just a couple of minutes A between for the first days, not enough to bother LO really.  Still letting him nod off in arms before putting down and shush/patting in the cot (or often on a blanket on the floor or on the sofa next to me where he could feel I was there but he wsn't being "held" permanently.  Setting up a blanket on the floor worked well quite a few times as I could lay down with him and comfort him closely but he was learning to sleep on a firm surface out of my arms.

I was mix feeding at 4 wks but by 5 wks I moved to bottle only (problems with BF) but I would say the gentle and gradual removal of the F2S habit is similar.  Starting the feed a bit earlier, keeping LO awake, putting a minute of A between E and S...then 2 mins, then 5. But not trying immediately to put them down, just hold to sleep without feeding, when drowsy or fully asleep move gently to by you on another surface but stay super close.

I would imagine though with two other kiddies you need LO to be used to sling and pram naps so you can get out for school runs and activities.  It may be worth thinking about this now and considering how you'd like to work that.  Creating a habit of nap in the pram/car for the school run can be useful and then doing another nap when you are home in the cot.

TBH though I only have one LO so you have much more experience than me

[toppette]

Thanks creations. Hadn't thought about putting him on the floor and lying next to him so that I'm at least close!

Yes the school runs and after school activities are proving to be a juggle. Up until now my husband has been doing them, but he's back to full time work now. I have 2 active girls who are in activities 3 afternoons a week. DS likes to be sound asleep when it's time to pick them up and I have to transfer him to the car. It doesn't always work well.

I guess we'll see how we go a couple more weeks down the track.