Implementing EASY with DC2 and a 2.5year old

[Hoofbeat]

Hi all

I'm expecting DD 3 weeks today (planned c-section) and after the success of EASY with my DS I'm really keen to implement it as soon as possible. With DS we started EASY around 3/4months old and it took us quite a long time to crack, so I think I'd like to try and start earlier with DD.

Firstly, can you implement EASY from day 1? I'm planning on bfing and will be recovering from surgery, but I'd like to try and encourage regular feeds, awake time and independent sleeping as soon as possible.

Also, DS is almost 2.5yrs old and has a very strong routine (which he thrives off). I have no idea how to go about implementing EASY with DD and fitting it in with DS.

My son's routine is:

0700 - WU
0730 - Breakfast
0800 - A
1000 - Snack followed by more A
1200 - Lunch
1300 - Nap (1.5-2hours usually)
1500 - Snack followed by A
1700/1730 - Dinner followed by A
1845 - Bath and bedtime story
1920 - Lights out. Usually asleep around 1930.

Any advice would be much appreciated - I remember the basics of EASY but the specifics are all a blur, and I have no practical experience of how to implement it with such a young baby!

[Katet]

If you plan to BF then you really need to feed on demand in the early weeks to establish good supply and manage the growth spurts.
The principal behind EASY is to avoid  feeding  to sleep, but in the first weeks that's not the easiest and biologically babies are designed to calm on bf and to get to sleep that way.
Also from a BTDT it's easier to fit the baby around the toddler than to try and have a fixed routine for the baby.

TBH I think implementation of EASY at around 3/4 months is probably the easiest age as by then you have passed the growth spurts (nearly every week in the first 6 weeks) and then the peak time for unsettled babies is 6weeks to 3 months and that first 3 months is sometimes called the fourth trimester' because they thrive on the close connection to their primary carer rather than a routine,so carrying them around for naps in early weeks is often better for everyone especially being able to go out and about with a toddler rather than being house bound for a babies naps.

I guess that sounds like I'm putting a dampener on doing EASY (using times ) young, but I found trying to do it made my life harder with a toddler not easier as there was no way my toddler would have let me sh/Pat my baby to sleep for 15-30mims to get a textbook routine.  So I found after he'd been awake at his normal A time I'd put him in a sling or stroller to get sleep rather than try to get naps on 3 hours in a bed.

[newkidontheblock]

Hey there! I only have two, so no experience with three but just wanted to share our experience. With my daughter, we found EASY at 4 months and it was life changing. With my son, we followed the basic principles of EASY from Day one - which basically just means nurse, diaper, nap on repeat. I felt things naturally fell into place since I think babies naturally have their rhythms and this time I knew what to look for. I always fed on wake up from naps, so we had a good feeding schedule going and even in the night he was doing long stretches right away. Of course DD slept through the night from 5 weeks on and this guy is 7 months old and still wakes for a feed more often than not but it's manageable. Hope that helps! All the best! 

[Hoofbeat]

Thanks both and sorry for the delayed reply - life has gotten in the way!

TBH I think implementation of EASY at around 3/4 months is probably the easiest age as by then you have passed the growth spurts (nearly every week in the first 6 weeks) and then the peak time for unsettled babies is 6weeks to 3 months and that first 3 months is sometimes called the fourth trimester' because they thrive on the close connection to their primary carer rather than a routine,so carrying them around for naps in early weeks is often better for everyone especially being able to go out and about with a toddler rather than being house bound for a babies naps.

Thanks, I feared you might say that! We found it quite hard to get my first onto EASY when we introduced it around that age, so I had been hoping if we tried it earlier it would be easier, but I appreciate what you're saying. We will definitely take the general EASY approach though (i.e. don't feed to sleep) and I plan on breastfeeding on demand in the early weeks (luckily last time I was blessed with a good supply, so I'm hoping it will be similar this time too). I just think that having some kind of loose routine with DC2 will also help DC1 as he likes having a structured day. My OH is also taking almost 3 months off work, so there will be two of us so I was hoping one of us could shush pat whilst the other plays with DC1!

Hey there! I only have two, so no experience with three but just wanted to share our experience. With my daughter, we found EASY at 4 months and it was life changing. With my son, we followed the basic principles of EASY from Day one - which basically just means nurse, diaper, nap on repeat. I felt things naturally fell into place since I think babies naturally have their rhythms and this time I knew what to look for. I always fed on wake up from naps, so we had a good feeding schedule going and even in the night he was doing long stretches right away. Of course DD slept through the night from 5 weeks on and this guy is 7 months old and still wakes for a feed more often than not but it's manageable. Hope that helps! All the best! 

Thank you, it's lovely to hear positive stories! How did you manage bedtime with both of them? Although my OH will mostly be there to help, I don't want to never do DC1's bedtime routine (as I enjoy that time with him), but I'm not sure whether to try and put DC2 down before/after.

[newkidontheblock]

Bedtime was the thing I thought about the most because I LOVE that time with my daughter. I opted to put baby to sleep first and then her. I would get their bath over with together and then she would watch a video while I nursed him and got him to bed and then I put her to sleep. My husband normally gets home at 7, so we do alternate days.

[Hoofbeat]

Bedtime was the thing I thought about the most because I LOVE that time with my daughter. I opted to put baby to sleep first and then her. I would get their bath over with together and then she would watch a video while I nursed him and got him to bed and then I put her to sleep. My husband normally gets home at 7, so we do alternate days.

Thanks - I'm hoping they will bath together and that then I can quickly put my son down to bed (we just read one quick story after bath) and leave him to sleep before I nurse DC2.

[newkidontheblock]

Sounds like a plan! Xx

[Hoofbeat]

Hi all,

So DD is now here and just over 2 weeks old. We've been loosely trying to follow an EASY approach, but allowing her to feed on demand when required (she's exclusively BF). She's generally been pretty good, but we've got a few queries that I was hoping you could help with:

1. We've been trying very hard to put her down for at least her naps awake (bedtime is sometimes hard as she can be quite sleepy after feeding) and then have tried using shush pat to get her to sleep, but we're not sure if she's finding it too stimulating as sometimes she will be very calm when we put her in her cot, but after a couple of minutes of shush pat almost seems more awake. Can newborns find shush pat too stimulating?

2. As a result, we've tried doing a longer wind down, where we shush pat her (very gently) whilst she's still in our arms and then just before she is completely asleep we've put her in her cot and carried on shush patting. We've had some success with this approach, but does this count as accidental parenting or is this allowed at this age given she's still so little?

3. Are we right in thinking that A time for a 2.5wk old is around 45mins-1hour (and that includes the feeding time)?

4. What is the best way to handle EASY when she's having a growth spurt? Usually during the day she feeds roughly every 3 hours but yesterday she was ravenous and was feeding about every hour. I suspect this was the 2-3wk growth spurt. When she's going through a growth spurt how do you handle EASY? It was a bit of a challenge trying to get her to sleep without feeding her straight after a feed, but equally at one point she wouldn't nap at all. At this age should we just not worry about EASY when she's having a day where she just wants to BF constantly? Thanks.

[Katet]

Sounds like you are doing amazingly well.

I laughed at the use of allowed, honestly babies thrive with or without good routines and so it's what feels right for you.
IMHO the first few months is about getting to know your new family member and building a really good connection and if the comfortably fall asleep in your arms them that's fantastic because it's showing trust and connection.
At 2 weeks old bonding is much much more important than A times or how they fall asleep.

Tbh get rid of the clocks and let your baby do what it does naturally ie cuddle feed sleep  and poop and worry about the routine by the clock a bit closer to 6 weeks and a bit more at 3months.