My EASY is turning into EASyAEASy

[MamaPajama]

This is something that has developed over the past week and half...
Have had my boy on EASY since he was 5 weeks old and it has been wonderful. He is now 3 months old and has decided to rejig the EASY routine to EASyAEASyA..(making the "You" time extremely short - hence the lowercase y!)

He wakes up after maybe 20 - 30 minutes and is WIDE AWAKE and wants my attention.  He is usually good to play independently - but not since he changed the routine...

Any suggestions??

[Deb_in_oz]

can you please post his full 24 hour routine so we can see how long he is awake, when he eats and how much etc? what was he doing before the "rejig"? (was he taking longer naps, etc?)  is he currently going through his 3 mo growth spurt or do you think that is what happened a week  and a half ago and threw everything "off"?

[MamaPajama]

Perhaps you're right..maybe it is a growth spurt...

Because this has been a gradual change here is his regular routine;

Cooper is an Angel/Textbook Baby.

5:45 wake and feed (4oz formula by Dad) back to sleep by 6:30am
9:00 am wake, BF total of 15 min + 3.5 oz formula (low milk supply issues - so supplementing)
Activity til 10:30am sleeps til 12:00-12:30pm
BF 5 min + 4 oz formula, activity time til 1:45 - sleeps til 3:30pm
Feed 15 min BF + 4 oz formula.  Activity til 5:15 - sleeps til 6:15.
Feed 15 min BF + 4 oz formula.  Typically awake until next feeding - Mostly face to face activity time, but some independent play.  8:45 feed 15 min BF + 4 oz formula.  Activity til about 10 and then he is out for the night. Dream feed around midnight. And will sleep thru til 5:45 the next morning. ( I am truly blessed)

Now the early morning schedule has not changed (5:45 and 9am feeds) but once he shows his regular cues that he is done with activity time - I put him down and he will nap for only 30 mins and he is back awake.  Sometimes cranky sometimes not.

This is what yesterday looked like (no change in the amount of formula or bf - doesnt want anymore than that)

Wake @ 5:45 - back to sleep by 6:30.
Wake @ 9 am - back to sleep by 10:30
Awake @ 11 - not hungry - just wants face time
Eat @ 11:30-45
Down for a nap @ 12:45 - sleeps for 45 minutes
Awoke frantic - hungry cry
Eat 1:30.  Activity for 45 minutes.  Asleep by 2:45.
Sleeps for 45 minutes, awakes.  Not crying - just hanging out in his playard.
Let him play on his own for about 15-20 minutes and he falls back to sleep until 4:30.
Eats, activity time for an hour, shows signs of crankiness.  Put him down to nap.  Sleeps til 6:30.  Wakes hungry.
Feed @ 6:45, play til 7:45 (including bath).
Stays awake mostly happy until 9:15 feed.  Activity until 10:15 and down for the night. No dream feed and he slept until 8 am this morning.

My concern is that he is waking before he usually does.  He has always been on 2.5-3 hour feed schedule...and he seems to be tailoring it back to 2 hours at times during the day.  I am concerned that we will get off track from EASY and that I may be feeding him too much??

Maybe it is a growth spurt? 

[HeatherC]

Hi there.  I didn't want you to think we have forgotten you.  Myself and the other moderators have been reviewing your post and are trying to come up with some suggestions.  I wanted to know what is his behavior when he wakes early from the nap?  Is he happy, crying, just stirring?  Do you go right to him or give him a chance to resettle?  This info might help us help you.  Thanks.

[MamaPajama]

He generally awakes happy...cooing to himself and kicking at the sides of his crib.  I do not pick him up or even let him see me poke my head over the side to check on him.  He can stay like that for 10 minutes, maybe 15 if I'm lucky...then he gets on the road to cranky.

He is eating fine, is happy but I am down to a 45 minute sleep at any given time during the day.  Sometimes when it's only 20 minutes I am able to get him back to sleep by shh/pat. 
 :?

I'm at a loss really...everything was going so incredibly well...

It's taken me 2.5 days to take down the Christmas tree!!!!!!

[MamaPajama]

Dare I ask if it could be overstimulation??  Just came across a post in the Activity time section - user stating that her child had 45 min naps due to overstimulation??

[HeatherC]

Check out this thread for overcoming 45 minute naps at the ages of 3-5 months.  Also, there are several other tips for short naps on the naps board.  But don't forget to check in here with us, too.  We're still going to try and help you.  Please keep us updated.  But, if it is a nap problem, that thread will be a good place to look.
http://www.babywhisperer.com/forum/teaching-3-5mos-to-overcome-the-45min-naps-vt39769.html

[Deb_in_oz]

how has the last 24 hours been - any changes or clues? overstimulation can be a definite cause of short naps

1 question - are you set on keeping the routine you had before? i wonder if your lo hitting 3 mo might be affecting things developmentally and he needs a fresh start - sometimes lo who were on a later start schedule change those needs and his body clock might be settling into natural rhythms (most babies with no night wakings will wake for the day between 6-8am and go to bed between 6-8pm)  just a thought.

generally speaking though i  still think growth spurt or overstimulation (since you mentioned it i imagine you know what is going on in the day - if you think this is an issue - cut back on stimulation and do low key for last 1/2 hr of A time and see if that helps)

[MamaPajama]

Erractic to say the least...

The link you guys posted provided some great insight and ideas.  Yesterday afternoon - quite by mistake - A time was VERY low key.  Cooper went down on time and was out for 2.5 hours - mostly I think because he hadn't napped well all day and was exhausted, coupled with the low key activity time. 

He woke very happy - but the evening proceeded with 2 45 minute naps.  THEN I read the posts and the link.  He went down finally @ 10:30 and slept thru til this morning @ 6 am.

As for today...it has been very trying.  Perhaps more trying than what it really is - because up to this point - he has been so predictable. 

Fed @ 6
Down @ 7
Slept til 9 woke happy
Ate at 9:05.
A time for 45 minutes - appeared very tired.
Down @ 10 am
Slept til 11 am, woke cranky and wired for sound
Spent an hour of pu/pd with 5-10 minute intervals of sleeping.
Fed at 12 noon - refusing breast.
Low key activity time - again appeared sleepy @ 1:15.
Went down easily, then up 30 minutes later, pat/shh X 5  :shock:
I'm exhausted...my back is killing me from leaning over the playard for so long. 
Hanging in there though.  I kept my hand on his bottom, he decided to suck on his fist and drifted off.
He woke 5 min later with a squawk - and settled right back on his own.
Keep your fingers crossed that he is down for the count.

Thank you so much for your support...I will keep you posted on my progress as I continue to practice my whispering.

Andi

[HeatherC]

Andi-how wonderful for you for giving it a try at those nap suggestions.  It can be very tiring and stressful, but it will be so worth it.  I, sadly, did not stick with the training very well at all, and unfortunately my dd suffered 6 months with 30 minutes and always being tired.  If I had it to do over again, I would have made more effort.  You are doing a wonderful job!!!   

[Deb_in_oz]

that is great!  trust me - erratic is normal at this age - predictable in the first 3 months is rare  :lol:

great work! come and tell us how the days go and if you have any more questions