Author Topic: When to switch from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY and how  (Read 1343 times)

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Offline luckymom

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When to switch from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY and how
« on: November 01, 2005, 20:43:25 pm »
I am a little confused about the switch from 3 to 4 hour.  My 15 mo. old son is just now starting to nap again (after the 25 minute wakeup), and his awake time seems to be right at 1.5 hrs.  When its time to eat, he comes on and off the breast, easily distracted and not in that much of a hurry.  Because of his age and the eating, I figure he can go 3.5 hrs between feeding, but the activity and sleep time don't seem to work, he wakes up sometimes 1/2 hour before its time to eat, and then only has 1/2 hour of activity after he eats before he is ready to go down again, but that would be a 2.5 hour nap (if he took the whole thing!).  How do you know when they're ready and whats the best way to get there (everything I've seen is confusing regarding stretching activity time).  By the way, do I take into account that he was 3 weeks early when deciding when to make the switch???

Offline Deb_in_oz

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When to switch from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY and how
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2005, 22:12:50 pm »
Firstly, i am assuming he is 15 weeks and not months right?  :lol:

yes you take into account his corrected age of 12 weeks.  even without correcting his age 15 weeks is just on the cusp of almost switching so there is no rush / pressure to change immediately

do you have the latest BW book?  their is a clear outline of how to make the switch.

not all babies are ready to switch at 4 months (Tracy's suggested age) you need to take into account his A time, his personality and his napping.

can you post a typical day for him??

regarding stretching A time - you need to do this as gradually as required for your lo - if 1 1/2 hrs is his current A time, you can try adding 15 min and see how he adjusts over 3-4 days or you can do it slower by just keeping him up 5 extra min every couple of days.  if he has trouble going down for naps (ie crying and overtired rather than just normal settling stuff) then return to most recent OK A time...

when you do make the switch you can move from 3hr EASY to 3.5 over the next couple of weeks and then to 4hr over the following 2-3 weeks if that works for you.
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
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Offline luckymom

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When to switch from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY and how
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2005, 23:24:24 pm »
Yes, he is 15 wks!!!  Mommy brain!

I think, for now, since we are working on extending his naps (he wakes up at the 20-25 minute mark and takes some helping to go another hour) and with the time change and we have to go to the inlaws this weekend, I will wait and really focus on getting his current schedule down.  It is typically as follows:

E  7:30
A  8-9
S  9-hopefully 11 (I know that is a 3.5 hour cycle, but I usually do my errand running in the AM, and so I try to get it done between 9 & 11).
Y- the above
E  11
A  11:30-12:30
S  12:30-2

E 2
A 2:30-3:30
S 3:30-5:00

E 5:00
A 5 - 6
S between 6 & 7, a catnap hopefully, otherwise time in swing
between 7 & 8, a bath, a short massage

E 8:00 and off to bed

Dreamfeed between 10 - 11.

He goes down well (usually, but with our working on extending naps, he has grown to dislike going down).  He wakes between 3-5 and usually goes back to sleep with a little support - no night feedings at this point.

Offline Deb_in_oz

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When to switch from 3 hr to 4 hr EASY and how
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2005, 07:34:52 am »
looks good and sounds like a plan - get a routine firmly established with extended naps and then you can look into gradually moving further out to 3.5 and 4 hr feeds...
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

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