Moving into a 4 hr EASY?

[bneydgrl]

Right now my daughter eats at 7, 10, 1, 4, and about 6:30.She eats about 6-8 oz at each feeding...normally rounds out around 32-35 oz.

She is up at 7a and asleep by 6:45 or 7p.

She naps around 9, 11, 1, 3, and 5.   We followed the Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child for advice on naps.  Because like many babes she would only nap for 45 min and then start to get tired after about an hour.

ANYWAY.    She is now starting to take that longer morning nap and I know we'll move into more of a napping from 9-11, 1-3 and maybe a catnap around 5.

My question is how to move to a four hour easy when she doesn't need a dreamfeed now?  Can you help me (i.e type out) what a 4 hour easy would look like for her to get enough calories during the day if I don't want to introduce a DF if she hasn't needed one so far?   Also what's the best routine for solids -- going to start at four months if not a little earlier?   Ex: Eat at 7 then a little cereal at 8, nap at nine?   Eat at 11, a little cereal at 12, nap at one?

Please advise...I'm getting a bit turned around on this.

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!

[Noelle]

Hello!
You may want to check out the below link for some tips on transitioning:

http://www.babywhisperer.com/forum/3-4hr-transition-plan-on-page-230-vt41061.html

Otherwise, when I transitioned to the 4 hour with my kiddos, I went from 3 to 3.5 to 4.  As I moved to the 4 hour they eventually took a little more in each bottle.  I just offered as much as they would take.  They didn't have the dream feeds either when I transitioned.

Solids aren't usually recommend until closer to 6 months - but go with your instincts     I started at 4 months with John and it went fabulous.  I started at 4 months with Zoe and I should have waited.  Your plan though for the solids sounds great.  Within 3-5 months you should then be able to start to combine them - offering the bottle and then solids right away.   

[bneydgrl]

Thank you for posting your reply.  I am still confused *blushes* about how to take her to a four hour routine..should I wait until she's closer to four months old?.   

She has been doing the following:
Not taking as much at each feeding...maybe an oz less?
45 min naps...but she's always doen that regardless of my intervention

Can you actually type out for me how to make this happen?  She only naps for an hour at 9 and feel taht she would get over tired to try to stretch her to 1 for the next nap.....

Just really turned around here.

Also something new is she slept for two hours and two and a half today at her 1:00 nap.....this is definitely new!
Thank you for your help!

[EmMUK74]

you have exactly the same issues that I do with DD.  She takes 8oz bottles 5 times a day, every day!  She sleeps 7pm to 7am every day and has done since she was 12 wks.  She is a lightweight and is just slowly gaining weight so I know she isn't eating too much (she is a very vomitty baby - 7 or 8 times a feed) but won't accept less so how do I move to a 4 hr?  I have tried to move her into a 4 hour EASY and she can do it in the morning when she is less active and has a nice long 2 hour nap, but then she prefers to be up and is super active (always moving) and needs to eat every 3 hours.  also if I went to 4 hours she would loose a fifth of her daily intake - how does that work?

anyway, went to see the health visitor today and asked her, she was fab!  Her advice was to never give more than 8oz 5 times a day, it's too much liquid and teaches the baby to need a fuller stomach than is normal.  instead she said to continue with the current volumes until she needs to feed every 2 hours or wakes in the night and needs a feed.  when that happens introduce baby rice once a day for a week, then twice a day for the rest of the 1st month.  I told her this made me nervous because I wanted to wait until 6 months to wean but she told me that that's almost impossible with formula fed babies and that we should take our cues from our babies.  she said try to just use baby rice until 5 months and then move onto veg and fruit.

I have been thinking about this all afternoon/evening and am really pleased with her pragmatic approach.  she reassured that we were doing fine and confirmed that moving to 4 hrs will be virtually impossible for us unless we wake her sometime in the night (dream feed) to feed her (which I don't want to do) and gave us leaway to make the decisions as we need to.  now I am just hoping that DD will get through christmas before needing food so I can start once all visiting is over in the new year.

[bneydgrl]

I'm so glad you posted that... as far as that much formula in 24 hrs.  I thought i had a little freak .   So basically keep feeding 7-8 oz every three hours and then try to start introducing cereal and once she is on three squares a day she can go four hours.   You sound the same as me..I dont' want to mess with a good nighttime sleep by waking her for a DF...would rather feed her every three hours fo a little while longer.

Let me know if you have any more info your health advisor told you regarding feedings